Foreword

We at Samjoko have been on a kick lately. A quixotic quest. A mission. Perhaps a fool’s errand, but an ideal that we have begun to hold dear. We are trying to convince all writers who are seriously trying to publish, in any form: short stories, poems, or essays in magazines, journals, anthologies, zines; novelettes, novellas, novels, chapbooks, collections of essays, plays, screenplays. Traditional publishing, self-publishing.

We feel that if a writer is trying to get others to read their words, then they should start their own publishing venue. It does not have to be big, it does not have to be expensive. There are free websites like Wordspace and Wix. Even though we here at Samjoko pay our contributors, there are hundreds of publishers who do not.

And that’s fine.

We have become passionate about the idea of writers doing more than just going to the Submission Guidelines to submit their piece. We have become passionate about writers not only wanting to read, but actually reading. Every year, more people are publishing because the gates have been pushed opened, the gatekeepers have been sidelined.

Do not get it wrong, however. The gates are still there, and the gatekeepers still wield a lot of power. Publishing does not equate an audience, which is the actual important thing, and the gatekeepers still mainly decide who gets an audience, even if they no longer decide who gets to publish.

We at Samjoko feel, though, that if you want your writing to be read, then you should be reading others’ writing. If you want your work to be published, then you should be publishing others. The gatekeepers have a terrible habit/policy of giving consumers more of the same, more of what has already worked. But if writers were more robust in reading a wide variety of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, then there would be more opportunity for diverse fare to rise to the top of the public consciousness.

This will, however, require more work on the shoulders of all writers in order to create a world where more than just a narrow and select few get to have their voice heard. This would strengthen writing itself, as reading is essential to being a good writer. This used to be the mantra in the past but unfortunately has been forgotten lately. You must read to write, and if you start your own publishing venue, you will be forced to engage more in other writers’ craft.

We would ask all who visit our site to help us pay writers by giving on Patreon, Buy Us Coffee, or Donating. And as always, we would like to thank LowKeyWorlde for being our sole patron on Patreon. We see you, and we appreciate your support.

With that, welcome to the Summer Issue V 2026 of Samjoko Magazine.