It’s that time of the year again

As a runner, I love this time of the year. The temperatures are starting to cool off. The air always seems a little fresher. (Is it possible to have a…

As a runner, I love this time of the year. The temperatures are starting to cool off. The air always seems a little fresher. (Is it possible to have a fresh smog alert?) And soon, the foliage will be turning brilliant colors to contrast with the usual bright blue autumn sky.

As a poet, I love this time of the year for a different reason: This is when the university-run literary journals typically open up their submission reading periods. While reading periods change from journal to journal, most open up around the beginning of September and run through the end of April.

So the time is perfect for both running and submitting here in Southwest Ohio. I've got a new pair of running shoes and a copy of 2008 Poet's Market (edited by my blogging cohort, Nancy Breen). I love this time of year!

Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.