My name is Ben; I'm the editor-in-chief of The Pocket Review. I'm a writer myself, former editor of The Red Ink Journal and The Moon City Review, and an MFA candidate at the University of Kansas. I've been teaching writing at the university level for the last two years; I have been freelancing for three or four years. I wanted to join the discussion on WritingForums because the site seems both clean and professional. I thought I'd introduce myself on this forum because I would like to know where to post and talk about editing, writing, and markets for fiction and short fiction. I figured the moderators and users might be able to direct me to different topics I might be interested in having a conversation about. Thanks for your time. I'm excited to be joining the conversation at WritingForums.org.
Hello Ben, Welcome to the Writing Forums. Please note we do have strong policies against advertising and site promotion in order to limit spam. Posting your own work should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize constructive critique as a vital writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
Hi, PocketReview, there seems to be lots to do here. I've been here a few days now and am still finding my way about the place. It's very thorough.
Hi Ben. I signed up recently here too. It does seem to be one of the more pleasant writing forums. Nice resume. Jenn
