Hi. Ron here. I want to be fully transparent about our selection process for the Allison Joseph Series, and to invite folks to help out if they can.

Our first two published chapbooks in the series, by Paloma Martinez-Cruz and Asani Charles, have been well supported (thank you). Last spring, however, we received no manuscripts. It was a shock, because I fully believe in this series and feel that it absolutely represents our commitment to publishing a diverse range of poets. So I decided to move the window to November, which would give me time to reach out individually to hundreds of poets of color–which I did, by email, in hopes of spreading the word and bringing in new work.

In November, we received seven manuscripts. Three have now been accepted for publication elsewhere. I would have gladly published one or two of them, but that’s not possible now.

How, you might wonder, does it take three months to decide among seven manuscripts? The answer: it shouldn’t. But this has not been an ideal year for me or for our series editor–we’ve both had personal challenges–I am okay to talk about my own but that’s all I will say publicly.

So we are left with four manuscripts, each with promise, but none at the level of the first year’s selections (I am so sorry to say). I can’t in good faith promote publication of any of the remaining four manuscripts.

I am reopening the submission window for the Allison Joseph Series for the month of March. I am enlisting the help of two new readers. If you would like to be a reader, please contact me at sevenkitchenspress@gmail.com. If you would like to send work, we would love to consider it. If you could share this opportunity with eligible poets (BIPOC women writers), thank you.

I welcome your comments, well-wishes, critical input. If Seven Kitchens has failed to adequately promote and support this series, the fault would be mine.