Critique Three

Juked is an online literary journal that publishes fiction, poetry, and photograpghy; however, there was little photography to be found on the site. Juked has been in publication since 1999, and says that they don't "adhere to any particular themes or tastes." This literary journal is updated two to three times a week, and there is also an annual print edition.

I was most surprised to learn that contributors to this literary journal have been anthologized in W.W. Norton's New Sudden Fiction and Dzanc Book's Best of the Web. I was immediately drawn to this literary journal because the icon didn't seem very scholarly. I wanted to review a journal that didn't immediately strike me as boring.

The publications on Juked are full of talent, and it seems like this is an effective platform for creative work, since many of the contributors have been recognized. My only complaint is that none of these works take advantage of the digital format. This journal might as well be in print. The only reason it is on the web is probably because print costs more money, and because they do so many updates. The publications almost look like a page from a book. They are very plain and the text is standard. I suppose this is because the contributors aren't just aspiring to be published online, and want their work to translate into print easily. I enjoyed the online works from my first critique much more. I guess I just feel that if something is published online, then there should be links and hovers...or anything to add excitement to the text. There are so many things that can be done to digital formats, and I just feel like Juked didn't do anything.

The thing I liked msot about Juked is that they state in their info "your work will always remain yours." Until this class, I didn't think about rights. If I ever actually wrote something... and someone actually wanted to publish it, then I would want the rights to my own work. Juked asks for first-and-one-time and archival rights. That sounds like a fair deal to me. However, the chances of me writing something that Juked would even consider publishing is slim to none. The works in this journal are very refined, and I have never written anything. Ever. Unless Juked does an issue about literary analysis papers, I am pretty sure I will never be featured on this site. But, if the oppurtunity ever presented itself, I would want to be published on this site.

Overall, Juked had great work on their site, but I would have liked to see more photography and more use of digital formats.