Publishing Diaries: Nicole R. Zimmerman

On her flash essay “Roadside Markers,” published in Zone 3

Welcome to Publishing Diaries! In each diary, you’ll meet a writer who has had a piece published in a literary magazine in the last year or so. They’ll share insights about writing, revising, submitting, and ultimately getting the piece published. Interested in sharing your journey? Let me know by filling out this form.

👋 Meet Nicole R. Zimmerman (she/her), a Brazilian-born, queer Jewish American writer with an MFA from the University of San Francisco. A 2020 recipient of Creative Sonoma’s Discovered Awards for Emerging Literary Artists, she’s had work nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and The Best American Essays series. Her writing is published in the New York Times (Tiny Love Stories), Longreads, Sonora Review, The Rumpus, and Creative Nonfiction, among others. Nicole lives with her wife in Northern California where she runs Pencil & Pen, leading workshops using the Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) method. She is working on a memoir entitled Just Some Things We Can’t Talk About. Find her at https://www.nicolerzimmerman.com and on Substack at Pencil & Pen.

Nicole has 30+ publications and would rate her experience level with submitting as Advanced.

This Q&A with Nicole will focus on her flash essay “Roadside Markers,” (read it here) published in Zone 3 in April 2025.

How did this piece start?

My flash essay was inspired by a morning walk, with a brief interaction in passing, as described in the piece. I’d covered this rural road many times before, but this man’s comment about a roadside memorial gave me pause. I began to notice familiar surroundings in fresh ways. Vivid images, such as a rabbit killed by a car (which I didn’t include), reminded me of a dead spring lamb found on our farm (representing slain innocence), which led me to recall scenes of my own girlhood. Immediately upon returning home, I scribbled down all the sentence fragments, images, and associative memories swimming in my head.

When did you start writing it?

I composed my first draft soon after the walk that spring, 2022. Originally titled “At the Side of the Road,” it was first declined by The Pinch Journal (Page Prize in Nonfiction). I also submitted it to Sweet Lit, but when I inquired about its status after six months and didn’t receive a reply, I withdrew it. I suspected the essay needed some revision to stand out.

How long did you work on this piece for?

The entire process, from first draft to final submission (and acceptance), took two years, including setting it aside while working on other projects.

How many drafts did you do?

Three drafts, plus some polishing. That’s my favorite stage of writing (aside from the generative stage, when ideas gush out on the page), when I know a piece is structurally sound but a bit more tinkering on the line or word level can make it shine—it’s like a treasure hunt.

What was your revision process like?

The original draft, like the published version, began with the roadside memorial before I ventured down memory lane. However, I took longer detours into flashbacks. That draft also concluded differently, with an extended description of a childhood friend instead of the current ending framed around the essay’s central question: How does one go on?

After receiving feedback from my first reader (aka my wife, Kristen, an avid reader), I submitted a second draft the next spring. The Masters Review included generous feedback with their rejection:

“There’s a strong story in here, with a compelling ending, but the slow pacing is holding it back. Work to incorporate stronger images to create a fuller visual for your reader. This will also generate more of an emotional connection for your reader to the characters of your story (Hannah, in particular).”

While I was surprised that it needed more imagery, I quickened the pacing by tightening sentences and switched to present tense for a sense of immediacy. As for “Hannah” (a pseudonym), I considered her to be peripheral to the emotional arc, so I simply removed her name to decentralize her character. Excited that the ending landed, I edited the last two sentences to stand alone for emphasis.

How did you know it was ready to submit?

After Kristen helped me to refine word choice and narrative flow, I read it aloud multiple times. (I find it helpful to record and then listen to myself reading.)

This third draft was rejected from nine more journals: Hippocampus; Shenandoah; Atticus Review; Pigeon Pages; Gordon Square Review; Brevity; CRAFT; under the gum tree; and Flyway. However, the latter two replied, respectively: “there are many things we liked about your piece” and “please know our team enjoyed it.”

When it placed among 15 finalists in Midway Journal’s Flash Prose and Poetry Contest, I was encouraged not to give up.

In April 2024, I received a notice from Ann Beman, the CNF editor at Tahoma Literary Review, indicating they were moving my flash piece to the next round of reading. A week later, Amy Wright at Zone 3 accepted it: “We love it and would like to publish it in the next issue.” I reached out to TLR just in case they were on the cusp of a decision. They called it “an excellent piece” but could not commit to publishing the essay. So, I had to withdraw it from consideration at TLR as well as Lunch Ticket, The Common, and Storm Cellar.

Following numerous extensions, Zone 3 apologized for the uncertainty of a publication date due to administrative changes. Eleven months after its acceptance, “Roadside Markers” finally appeared online. Although I was dismayed by the delays, I was ultimately pleased to have my work featured alongside authors such as Sarah Fawn Montgomery, with cover art by Billy Renkl (whose collages illustrate his sister Margaret Renkl’s book, Late Migrations).

How did you decide which publications to submit to?

I submitted to reputable literary journals (and contests) with open submissions windows that accept flash CNF, listed in Duotrope, Submittable, and Poets & Writers magazine. (Also, a shout out to Chill Subs!)

How many rejections did you get before the piece was accepted?

12 rejections; 5 withdrawals

What advice do you have for other writers submitting their work?

Patience and persistence. Stay open to critical feedback but believe in your own vision. Read, read, read. And make sure you’ll be proud to have your work published wherever you submit your work (based on your own criteria, be it aesthetics or esteem). Trust that every piece, when ready, eventually finds a match. It’s super subjective and can feel so f-ing random!

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Thanks for reading the latest installment of Publishing Diaries! I’m currently looking for more writers who want to share their publishing journeys. If you’ve had a piece published in a literary journal within the last year or so, and it’s available online for people to read for free, please fill out this form and I’ll be in touch!