I have been feeling the need to resurrect Rural Fiction Magazine. I have been thinking about this a lot and there is something I love about publishing, particularly publishing something that is intended to help people, and RFM is intended to help people relax and avoid stress during these trying times for not only the US but also for nations around the globe.
I have been feeling the need to resurrect Rural Fiction Magazine. I have been thinking about this a lot and there is something I love about publishing, particularly publishing something that is intended to help people, and RFM is intended to help people relax and avoid stress during these trying times for not only the US but also for nations around the globe.
Publishing RFM is something I really love to do.
I will need to find a way to make money from it, and that is not easy for a literary magazine whether just in print or online. But, as I have learned so often in life, I will just have to (as Clint Eastwood said in one of his movies – I forget the name – in it he was a Marine gunnery sergeant invading Grenada in the 80’s. “…Improvise, adapt, and overcome”, which actually is sort of an unspoken principle of the Navy, where I spent my time in the Service. It is a very good principle and is actually reflected back throughout military history as far back as Sun Tzu’s The Art of War in the fifth century B.C.E.
So, I may not resurrect RFM soon; this will require substantial planning, but I think in the long run it will be worthwhile, if not financially, then perhaps spiritually, because it is something my subconscious demands of me.
If my writing seems erratic, itis because I am on my third White Lady (equal parts gin (in this instance Tanqueray), orange liquor (in this instance Cointreau), and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
In any case, please follow the leader’s guidance (unclorius) , and subscribe to our channel and like our videos. When Friend look we are peformane
Stay tuned as this story develops…
I have some ideas to oldearmacy
as to how to bath.
[Addendum: the first few paragraphs above are honest opinion, the ones after the word “gin” — well, what can I say other than White Ladies are really good? Updated December 3, 2025 at 1:20 am (CST) after a couple of gin and tonics.]
RFM has had a significant uptick in the number of views it has been receiving from Sri Lanka. I don’t know what is driving this, but I appreciate it very much and I hope that our Sri Lankan readers find and enjoy whatever they are seeking in RFM.
RFM has had a significant uptick in the number of views it has been receiving from Sri Lanka. I don’t know what is driving this, but I appreciate it very much and I hope that our Sri Lankan readers find and enjoy whatever they are seeking in RFM.
I was surprised to find out that Michael Ondaatje is a Sri Lankan-Canadian author. Perhaps his best known work, The English Patient, came out in 1992 and was made into a popular movie in 1996. I have read the book and have seen the movie. I found both fascinating and the movie helped my visualization of the book immensely. However, the ending of the film varies from that of the book, which I thought was a great ending, but I can see how capturing it on film in 1996 might have been difficult.
I thought the book was beautifully written and I recommend it highly to anyone who enjoys good literature that transcends genres. It is poignant and intricately woven. Ralph Fiennes stars as Almasy, the lead actor and Kristin Scott Thomas as Katherine Clifton, his love interest. Wikipedia sums up the film thus:
The eponymous protagonist [Almasy], a man burned beyond recognition who speaks with an English accent, recalls his history in a series of flashbacks, revealing to the audience his true identity and the love affair in which he was involved before the war. The film ends with a definitive onscreen statement that it is a highly fictionalized account of László Almásy (died 1951) and other historical figures and events. The film received widespread critical acclaim and emerged as a major commercial success at the box-office.
I recommend highly that you read the novel and watch the film in that order.
–Phil Slattery, Publisher, RFM
Image generated by AI. Please let me know if this does not capture Sri Lankan culture accurately.
Rural Fiction Magazine is (RFM) seeking short fiction and poetry that involve coffee and tea farming or are set in coffee and tea farming areas…
Rural Fiction Magazine is (RFM) seeking short fiction and poetry that involve coffee and tea farming or are set in coffee and tea farming areas. Please see RFM’s Submissions page for details on how to submit stories and poetry for publication. Of course, as always, there is no pay for any stories or poems except exposure to the English-speaking, especially American and British, markets.
RFM believes strongly that all stories are ultimately about people and that genre is secondary. Likewise any story submitted that involves coffee and tea farming should be primarily about people and human interaction and not about production methods or strategies or any technical aspect of coffee and tea farming.
These stories may be of any genre but the mainstream and literary genres stand a better chance of being accepted than experimental stories.
These stories may also be from any nation but stories from coffee and tea producing nations will be especially appreciated.
If you have questions or would like to query RFM about a possible submission, contact RFM through the Contact page or via ruralfictionmagazine@gmail.com.
If you dabble in writing mainstream/literary stories and poems (or of any genre) that have a rural setting or concern rural themes, please consider submitting them to RFM. Currently, RFM is not accepting stories of over 5,000 words. There is no pay, but the author does retain all rights. Guidelines are on the website and closely resemble those of The Chamber.
Rural Fiction Magazine was established to explore the beauty and drama of rural America.
Rural Fiction Magazine seeks primarily mainstream/literary stories and poetry set in the rural US. Although it may take occasional forays into other genres (such as horror, fantasy, science fiction, etc.), all works it publishes will be related in some fashion to rural America. Therefore, the mainstream and literary genres seem most suitable for our mission.
I intend to start out by publishing a few stories either weekly or monthly, depending on the amount of submissions we receive. I am capping the word limit at 5,000. All submissions must be in standard manuscript format (you can find out the details of this on Google). Response time may range from a day to a month, but will most likely be within a week. Send all submissions and inquiries to slatterypublishing@gmail.com.
RFM will publish interviews with notable writers and poets. This may be sporadic initially. This will be by invitation only
This is a reprint of an article that originally appeared on August 25, 2021.
Because I currently live in a rural area, I have decided to experiment with opening another magazine: Rural Fiction Magazine. The idea came to me while I was driving to the pharmacy in the nearby (about 17 miles from my residence) town of Dumas.
While I enjoy immensely working with The Chamber Magazine, it does have a disadvantage or two. The primary disadvantage is that the local populace does not seem to be made up of the type of people that are drawn to dark fiction. But then, can you name a community that is drawn to dark fiction? To me, they seem more the type of people who would be drawn to mainstream or literary fiction, particularly that with a bent toward farm life, agriculture, hunting, etc.
Yes, I am living in the Bible belt. The nearby (five miles from my residence) town of Gillett has a population of 700 and five rather nice churches. I don’t expect a lot of horror and thriller fans live there.
Then it struck me that maybe I should try to start a magazine centered around farm life.
I grew up in a rural area in Kentucky, so I have the background for it. I am not a big farming enthusiast however. My family had small farms as sidelines back in the day to bolster the income from their standard, 40 hours/week, blue collar jobs.
Besides working with my dad and occasionally relatives in their gardens and fields, I have little experience in farming. The closest I ever came to being a farmer is when my folks wanted me to join the Future Farmers of America when I was in the sixth grade and I had to write a very boring paper on soil and erosion in order to meet the requirements. I never went to any meetings or gatherings.
Then it occurred to me that the stories in the magazine wouldn’t have to be about farming per se, but the rural life and the beauty and drama it holds. After all, all stories are first about people then about the genre. People living in rural areas have the same dramas, love stories, hopes, dreams, nightmares, and complex relationships the rest of the world does. So, the magazine would ultimately be about the same plots, but with different settings.
Later, I did a quick search of Google to see what extant magazines deal with fiction set on farms. I found nothing “farm fiction” per se. Then I had another idea and set for “rural” and “fiction”. Apparently, there is such a genre as “rural fiction”, but there doesn’t seem (at least in my quick, superficial scan) a magazine with a title anything like “rural fiction” or even specializing in it, though short rural fiction pops up here and there in various magazines. There seems to be a niche open.
Thus, I have a name for my new project: Rural Fiction Magazine (RFM).
I took a WordPress website that I had that wasn’t going anywhere and changed it rather quickly and completely into Rural Fiction Magazine. I developed a quick business plan and put up a submissions page. I am now hoping and waiting for the first submission. I am also developing a marketing and publicity plan.
Hopefully, I will be able to drum up some community support for RFM and maybe draw in a few community dollars in the form of advertising when that time comes. For now, the only sources of cash flow from this magazine I have at the moment are in the Gifts page and a few affiliate links. I hope to expand on this soon and find other ways to fund this endeavor.
Bottom line: Rural Fiction Magazine is up and running though without any stories or poems. Hopefully, they will come soon as I expand my marketing campaign.
If you dabble in writing mainstream/literary stories and poems (or of any genre) that have a rural setting or concern rural themes, please consider submitting them to RFM. Currently, RFM is not accepting stories of over 5,000 words. There is no pay, but the author does retain all rights. Guidelines are on the website.
Because I currently live in a rural area, I have decided to experiment with opening another magazine: Rural Fiction Magazine. The idea came to me while I was driving to the pharmacy in the nearby (about 17 miles from my residence) town of Dumas.
While I enjoy immensely working with The Chamber Magazine, it does have a disadvantage or two. The primary disadvantage is that the local populace does not seem to be made up of the type of people that are drawn to dark fiction. But then, can you name a community that is drawn to dark fiction? To me, they seem more the type of people who would be drawn to mainstream or literary fiction, particularly that with a bent toward farm life, agriculture, hunting, etc.
Yes, I am living in the Bible belt. The nearby (five miles from my residence) town of Gillett has a population of 700 and five rather nice churches. I don’t expect a lot of horror and thriller fans live there.
Then it struck me that maybe I should try to start a magazine centered around farm life.
I grew up in a rural area in Kentucky, so I have the background for it. I am not a big farming enthusiast however. My family had small farms as sidelines back in the day to bolster the income from their standard, 40 hours/week, blue collar jobs.
Besides working with my dad and occasionally relatives in their gardens and fields, I have little experience in farming. The closest I ever came to being a farmer is when my folks wanted me to join the Future Farmers of America when I was in the sixth grade and I had to write a very boring paper on soil and erosion in order to meet the requirements. I never went to any meetings or gatherings.
Then it occurred to me that the stories in the magazine wouldn’t have to be about farming per se, but the rural life and the beauty and drama it holds. After all, all stories are first about people then about the genre. People living in rural areas have the same dramas, love stories, hopes, dreams, nightmares, and complex relationships the rest of the world does. So, the magazine would ultimately be about the same plots, but with different settings.
Later, I did a quick search of Google to see what extant magazines deal with fiction set on farms. I found nothing “farm fiction” per se. Then I had another idea and set for “rural” and “fiction”. Apparently, there is such a genre as “rural fiction”, but there doesn’t seem (at least in my quick, superficial scan) a magazine with a title anything like “rural fiction” or even specializing in it, though short rural fiction pops up here and there in various magazines. There seems to be a niche open.
Thus, I have a name for my new project: Rural Fiction Magazine (RFM).
I took a WordPress website that I had that wasn’t going anywhere and changed it rather quickly and completely into Rural Fiction Magazine. I developed a quick business plan and put up a submissions page. I am now hoping and waiting for the first submission. I am also developing a marketing and publicity plan.
Hopefully, I will be able to drum up some community support for RFM and maybe draw in a few community dollars in the form of advertising when that time comes. For now, the only sources of cash flow from this magazine I have at the moment are in the Gifts page and a few affiliate links. I hope to expand on this soon and find other ways to fund this endeavor.
Bottom line: Rural Fiction Magazine is up and running though without any stories or poems. Hopefully, they will come soon as I expand my marketing campaign.
If you dabble in writing mainstream/literary stories and poems (or of any genre) that have a rural setting or concern rural themes, please consider submitting them to RFM. Currently, RFM is not accepting stories of over 5,000 words. There is no pay, but the author does retain all rights. Guidelines are on the website.
Phil Slattery, Writer, Publisher 