We hope you had a good Easter or Passover or other spiritual/religious event that falls around the first full moon after the Spring equinox, but now it’s time for you — and us — to get back to work.

Yep, JDP is once again open for monthly magazine submissions. So get typing and send us something wonderful.

We’re also in the final stages of the Great Novella Contest Debate, as we weigh the pros and cons of a very strong short list of stories.

(And, by the way, if you haven’t received a rejection from us yet, you made the short list. That’s the good news. The bad news is there’s a less than 20% chance you’ll be our actual winner. Sorry about that. But if it’s any consolation, this isn’t an easy decision and anyone who made it this far sent in a truly impressive effort.)

We’ll be formally announcing the contest winner on Monday, and the remaining contestants should expect to hear from us over the next few days, one way or the other.

We’ve got more coming your way, including info about our special October Halloween-themed issue, new upcoming book releases, and an update on what some of your favorite JDP writers have been doing of late.

So keep checking back, follow us on Twitter, and get to writing our next favorite story.

Oh, and don’t be afraid to tell us and our writers that you love us. Seriously, we’re fragile. And, needy. Really, if we were an actual person instead of a literary magazine we’d make a really annoying, clingy boy/girlfriend.

But since there’s no pay for anyone in this gig, the only true reward we and our writers get is the support you show. So, if you loved something you read on here, make sure you comment on it, Tweet it, Facebook it, or possibly even make an excellent youtube video about it.

And thanks to everyone who has commented, RTed, or Liked us already. You’ve satiated our insecurity for at least another hour.