Cold Spring Harbor Student Growing Her Own Literary Magazine

COLD SPRING HARBOR, NY — A junior at Cold Spring Harbor High School is providing young writers across the world an opportunity to let their perspectives be seen.

Jessica Wang, 17, launched Ice Lolly Review, an online literary magazine, in August 2020. The name comes from her eye for writing that 'sticks' and comes in "different saccharine flavors and styles," she told Patch.

Wang, who has been writing since seventh grade, said her magazine's mission is to uplift young voices. Ice Lolly Review, since its inception, has garnered more than 650 submissions from 28 different countries and 29 different U.S. states. Writers must be between 12 and 26 years old.

The magazine is currently accepting submissions for its ninth issue through May 31. New issues come out every two months on the Ice Lolly Review website and feature roughly 20 stories each.

"It’s so rewarding, because sometimes I get emails telling me what a great job I’m doing and how much of an impact or Ice Lolly Review is their first publication ever," Wang said. "It makes all of this worth it. It’s also beneficial for my craft, because writers learn by reading, and getting to read all these fantastic pieces, I feel really has improved my own style and craft. I get to read all these different styles, genres and experimental poems, and it’s really rewarding."

Writers who make a submission to icelollyreview@gmail.com can expect a response within two weeks. One of the site's nine editors will look at the pitch and decide whether it should be published on Ice Lolly Review. If the story is not a good fit for the magazine, Wang will address the writer and potentially share ideas for other magazines they can submit it to. If a story is accepted, Wang will let the writer know.

Once it's time to prepare the issue, the team uses an app called Canva to design the magazine before publishing it on the website.

"My favorite thing is when I finish an issue and get that on the website, email the writers that their work is up," Wang said. "It all comes together and fits like pieces to a puzzle. It’s just so satisfying. It really makes me proud and happy."

Ice Lolly Review recently wrapped up a writing contest called the "Campaign Contest," which accepted work from writers ages 12 to 18 on social issues. The contest fielded more than 140 writing pieces from 12 different countries and 16 different states, touching on subjects including Asian hate crimes, feminism, Black Lives Matter, and climate change.

Wang funded the contest with the winnings she earned from previous writing contests she had entered, and paid $150 to the winners, as well as $150 to nonprofit charities like The Bail Crisis and Doctors Without Borders.

The magazine has been listed at Duotrope, Newspages, PublishYouth, and Scholastic Art and Writing Resources.

Wang intends to major in creative writing when she heads to college and said she is also interested in film. She has yet to apply to universities.