October Hill Magazine

October Hill Magazine
Editorial DirectorSamantha Morley
Managing EditorHannah Robinson
Former editorsRichard Merli (2017-2023) (decd.)
CategoriesLiterary Fiction
FrequencyQuarterly
FounderRichard Merli (decd.)
Founded2017
First issueApril 2017
CompanyOctober Hill Literary Foundation, Inc.
CountryUSA
Based inNew York City, New York, United States
LanguageEnglish
Websitehttps://www.octoberhillmagazine.com

October Hill Magazine is an online literary magazine that publishes literary fiction short stories, poetry, and visuals. The magazine's primary focus is to feature work by new and unpublished authors, and is released quarterly.[1][2]

History

In 2015, Richard Merli founded the Literary Lights Writer's Group, a collective of aspiring fiction authors and poets. Richard and one other member of the group, Jainita Patel, determined that new and unpublished authors needed more representation in the publishing world. And thus, October Hill Magazine was founded in 2017.[3]

The magazine published its first issue in April 2017.[4] It released three issues in the first year and has released four issues every year since. As of 2024, the publication has released 30 issues.[5]

In 2019, the nonprofit October Hill Literary Foundation, Inc. was founded and oversees October Hill Magazine.[6]

When asked about the origin of the name, Richard Merli had this to share:

"For years I used to travel up to the Hudson Valley of New York on weekends. It’s some of the most beautiful, breathtaking land in America. I used to walk down an old dirt road. Around a bend there was a hill where the trees turned the most magnificent scarlet and gold colors in October; and halfway down the hill, a lone apple tree, long neglected, perhaps from an old orchard – a survivor tree, so to speak. I’m not sure if the hill had a name, so I called it ‘October Hill.’ Its beauty always remained in my mind."[7]

Editorial Staff

Richard Merli and Jainita Patel were the original staff of the magazine. In summer 2017, they hired Samantha Morley as their web manager. After college graduation, Jainita decided to quit the magazine to pursue other ventures. Samantha assumed the role as Short Story Editor in late 2017. In the Fall Issue of 2018, Samantha was designated as the first Managing Editor.

Samantha remained as the Managing Editor from 2018 to fall of 2022. Hannah Robinson assumed the role in her place with Samantha as a mentor.

Richard Merli was the Editorial Director from 2017 to 2024. Richard passed away in August 2023 after a three-year battle with lymphoma.

Samantha assumed the role of Editorial Director in fall of 2023 with Hannah still as the Managing Editor.

In addition, the magazine hires on teams of Assistant Short Story Editors, Assistant Poetry Editors, and Book Reviewers to manage the content of the publication. Most of the staff are university students who are seeking experience in the publishing world before they graduate.

References

  1. ^ "October Hill Magazine". duotrope.com. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  2. ^ "October Hill Magazine". Poets & Writers. 2019-03-20. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  3. ^ Marquet, Kristin (2021-01-12). "Richard Merli: 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I First Became a Journalist & Writer". Authority Magazine. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  4. ^ "october hill spring 2017.pdf". Google Docs. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  5. ^ "October Hill Magazine Archives". www.octoberhillmagazine.com. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  6. ^ "IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search". Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  7. ^ "Spring 2018 Issue, Volume 2, Issue 1.pdf". Google Docs. Retrieved 2024-11-24.