Melissa Gibson is a Shreveporter you are going to hear more about in the near future. Last month, she gave birth to her brainchild, the literary magazine Fleur de Lit, which features fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry by Northwest Louisiana writers. When she and fellow writer Loretta Casteen drafted, published and printed Fleur de Lit’s first issue in August 2017 on a shoestring budget, they assumed they would sell a few dozen copies. Instead, they have sold more than 150 copies, they are planning out February 2018 issue and regional writers are eager to submit their works.
When Melissa moved to Shreveport seven years ago, she joined Wednesday Writers, a group of five to six members who meet weekly. She observed, “There were strong Arts Councils, independent theaters, the House Concert series, the symphony and opera. But the literary side of things was missing.” She thought one of the larger writing groups would start a literary publication, but realized after several years “you have to make your own opportunity if one isn’t available.” So, Melissa saved money to invest in creating a literary magazine. Loretta said, “We thought, ’What is the worst that would happen?’ Melissa would have lost her little nest egg, but we would have made something we felt proud of even if it wasn’t financially successful.”
Melissa reached out to local writers for submissions primarily through social media. She posted the call and guidelines for submission on writer groups’ Facebook pages, such as the Writers of North Louisiana and Shreveport Writers’ Club. She also designed a bookmark that had submission guidelines and contact information, leaving stacks of them at coffee shops, the Shreveport and Bossier Arts Councils, libraries, and other places. Melissa thought her fellow Wednesday Writers might send in their pieces, but she and Loretta received over twenty submissions. “I felt honored legitimate writers took a gamble and submitted to a new magazine, without getting paid for it,” Melissa said.
These local luminaries include Annette Simmons, an accomplished storyteller who has had numerous books published; Ashley Mace Havird, a recipient of prestigious awards for her 2015 novel “Lightningstruck” and whose poetry has appeared in national journals; and June Rose Dowis, whose more than 50 poems have been published in noteworthy literary journals. Fleur de Lit’s August 2017 issue also features Laura Flett, Maple Sudds Bernard, ML Dumars, Teresa Edgerton-Scott, Debbie Hollis, Brad Campbell, Jade Alex, Suzanne Malarcher and Loretta Casteen.
The tight budget and their desire to have the magazine at a “digestible length” forced Loretta and Melissa to winnow the twenty-plus submissions down to sixteen final selections. “I get compliments on its length,” Melissa reported. “Many literary magazines have so much in them, it feels overwhelming. I think the size is relatable to people.” Loretta added, “Edgar Allen Poe defined a short story as something you can read in one sitting. You can read one or two of the poems or a story or if you have the time, all of it in one sitting. It’s a nice accompaniment for your coffee break.”
The first issue has what Melissa called “a good representation of Shreveport and Northwest Louisiana voices,” writers of different ages, gender, racial and ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientation. Loretta said, “We didn’t have that goal in mind, really. We chose pieces either because we both enjoyed their submission or one of us enjoyed it and fought for it to be in the magazine.”
Melissa thought another reason it was important to have a literary magazine for the region is so new writers could start being published. “It’s hard to get published if you haven’t before,” she explained, “and this can be a stepping stone. Writers can be published here and hopefully move up to national publications.” Loretta added, “It can give new writers confidence. They realize, ‘Hey, they liked my stuff,’” which encourages them to keep writing and submitting their work.
New writers also can experience being rejected, an important, if frustrating, part of becoming published. “You’re going to get a lot of nos when you submit your writing,” Loretta said. Melissa emphasized they want to support writers even when they do not accept their works. “We make ourselves more available than a large-scale magazine,” she said. “You can always get in touch with us and ask us, ‘Hey, what could I have done?’ We don’t do a form letter. We’re personal.”
And in case you are not convinced Melissa is not just out to make tons of money off of Fleur de Lit, she donates a portion of the revenue from sales to local nonprofits. She bought more than 150 pounds of dog food and kitty litter for animal shelters and socks and rain ponchos for HOPE for the Homeless.
Melissa and Loretta plan to publish two Fleur de Lit issues every six months for now. “We have families and this is an unpaid gig, so it has to fit into our lives,” Melissa said. “Two issues a year should be enough to keep the momentum going, but not so few that people forget about us.”
The $10 August 2017 issue is for sale at Agora Borealis, the Bossier Arts Council’s gift shop and ArtSpace as well online on Fleur de Lit’s GoFundMe site. In addition, Bossier Library is carrying copies at every branch in their periodicals, and Shreve Memorial Library has copies at its Broadmoor branch for people to read. And speaking of the Broadmoor branch, it will be hosting a Fleur de Lit event on Sunday, October 8th at 3:00PM — the authors and contributors will be there to meet and greet and discuss their works in the magazine and other publications.
The February 2018 issue’s theme will be “place,” specifically what makes Northwest Louisiana different from any other place on earth. The submission guidelines are on Fleur de Lit’s Facebook page.
Best of all, we writers in Northwest Louisiana finally have a home for our creations. We need it because as Loretta wrote in her poem “Checking In,” “We have a lot to write about.”