Better Than Starbucks
Poetry & Fiction Journal
Published quarterly:
Spring (Mar); Summer (Jun); Autumn ( Sep); Winter (Dec)
November 2022
Vol VII No IV
Current Issue (latest)
. . . if you love diversity and creative writing in any and every form, then you’re in the right place
New Issue Coming Soon
Autumn 2026 | Vol 8 No 1
Better Than Starbucks — Who We Are
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Founder: Anthony “Uplandpoet” Watkins (Aug 4, 1959 - Dec 10, 2025) ​
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Better Than Starbucks is published quarterly: Spring (Mar); Summer (Jun); Autumn (Sep); Winter (Dec)
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Welcome to Better Than Starbucks (BTS)
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​BTS is a small, independent ("indie") publishing house with two arms: Better Than Starbucks Poetry & Fiction Journal and Better Than Starbucks Publications. You can reach our publications side by clicking here: BTS Publications.
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​At BTS our goal has always been to publish a broad range of interesting voices. Some of our readers and contributors love particular modes of poetic expression best, or even exclusively; yet they still love the BTS Journal because they enjoy the opportunity of exposure to a wide range of approaches and styles.
Our aim is to be eclectic: to satisfy the tastes of a diverse readership with the best sampling of assorted genres. Assessing submissions is subjective, so prospective contributors should browse our over 40 issues online and decide for themselves if BTS Journal is the right kind of venue for them.
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BTS Journal Staff
​BTS is an all-volunteer organization staffed by an unfunded group of dedicated volunteers. We do it for the love of poetry and the literary arts. BTS has been able to operate on the donations of our faithful readers and sponsors, and on income from print sales. ​
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David E (DE) Navarro Publisher, Senior Editor (Mar 2026 – pres)
[Poet-Philosopher, Solivagant]
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Vera Ignatowitsch Editor-in-Chief (Jan 2018 – pres)
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Vera Ignatowitsch Managing Editor & Content Editor (Nov 2017 – pres)
​Susanne Donoghue Copy Proof-Editor (edit final issue draft before publishing)
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Jacob R. Moses General Editing Support (Mar 2026 – pres)
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Lorraine Caputo General Editing Support (Mar 2026 – pres)
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Susanne Donoghue General Editing Support
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Core Section Editors (every issue)
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DE Navarro Free Verse Poetry Editor/Curator (Mar 2026 – pres)
Marjon Van Bruggen Free Verse Editor Coeditor/Curator (Mar 2026 – pres)
Vera Ignatowitsch Formal, Traditional, & Rhyming Editor/Curator (Nov 2016 – pres)
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DE Navarro Haiku Editor/Curator (Mar 2026 – pres)
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Michael Shoemaker Haiku Advisory Editor (Mar 2026 – pres)
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DE Navarro Eastern Forms Editor/Curator (haiga, haibun, tanka, Chinese 4-line, linked, renga) (Mar 2026 – pres)
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Michael Shoemaker Short Forms Poetry Editor/Curator (brevity, minimalist, imagist, micro-poetry) (Mar 2026 – pres)
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Rathin Bhattacharjee International Poetry Editor/Curator
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Michael Shoemaker Prose Poetry Editor/Curator (Mar 2026 – pres)
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Jacob R. Moses Street View Section Editor/Curator (slam, rap, spoken word) (Mar 2026 – pres)
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OPEN Avant-Garde Editor/Curator (new, experimental, different, etc.)
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​W David Mallery Fiction Editor/Curator (Mar 2026 – pres)
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Cheyenne Williams Flash- & Micro-Fiction​
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​W David Mallery Better Than Fiction Editor/Curator (creative non-fiction) (Mar 2026 – pres)
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OPEN The Interview Editor/Coordinator
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OPEN From the Mind Editor/Coordinator (critical essay, analytical literary articles, poetry and writing editorial)
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Guest/Periodic Sections
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Felicity Anne Aretha Dorado Poetry Translations Editor/Curator (various languages) (Mar 2026 – pres)
OPEN Translations Editorial Support
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OPEN Poetry for Children Editor/Curator
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OPEN Book Review Editor/Coordinator
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OPEN Academia Editor/Coordinator (short papers on poetry and writing)
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Other Staff
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DE Navarro Marketing, Public Relations (Mar 2026 – pres)
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Michael Shoemaker Art Director (Mar 2026 – pres)
OPEN Other (What would you like to help us with?)
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To apply, send us an email at betterthanstarbucks2@gmail.com, tell us about yourself and what you'd like to do to help.
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Be a part of our Better Than Starbucks revival.​
BTS Poetry & Fiction Journal went on hiatus after the November 2022 issue. BTS Publications maintained its work. A number of staff moved on to other endeavors after the Nov 2022 issue. Some passed away including our beloved Founder, Anthony "Uplandpoet" Watkins (Dec 10, 2025) and long time Haiku Editor, Kevin McLaughlin (Mar 23, 2025). We're thankful for the trail they blazed in establishing BTS along with all past contributors.
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BTS Journal lives on in their honor. The new Publisher, DE Navarro, has experience in publishing with several independent presses over the past 20 years. He has served on the Board of the Arizona State Poetry Society for 3 years, and still volunteers with the nonprofit as finishing editor of their annual anthology, Sandcutters.
BTS is committed to never charging a reading or submission fee for submitted work. We do our best to obtain donations and manage funds to support poets and authors in this way.
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Since our print editions duplicate our online editions, we only accept as many submissions as our print edition can hold with its set number of pages. As a result, many submissions must be declined due to space limitations, including some we might like to publish.
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BTS is an all-volunteer organization staffed by an unfunded group of dedicated volunteers who do it for the love of poetry and the literary arts. BTS has been able to operate on the donations of our faithful readers and sponsors, and on income from print sales. After print sales began, we established Features in the journal, paying an honorarium to every writer we feature. We have up to seven Features per issue. If our sales and donations increase, our intent is to pay more of our contributors. They are the ones who create our content.​
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BTS is formatted and presented in a number of core sections, such as Free Verse, Haiku, Formal, Short Form, International, Fiction, and The Interview, for example (see list above). Each section is headed by an editor who is passionate about the work in that section and who will select the works to be presented in their section in each issue.
​We are seeking volunteers to join our team.
We need section editors. The OPEN positions are shown in the list above. This is a chance for your creativity and expression to shine. You can curate and edit a section of our wonderful eclectic journal.
We are also seeking an experienced interviewer, general section editors/curators, a web master, some social media gurus, fundraisers (grants/donors), and someone to help with promotion and media matters.
Anyone with skills in these areas would be a welcome addition to our team. We are waiting for you!
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Periodic sections such as Poetry Translations, Poetry for Children, Better Than Fiction, Book Reviews, Street View, and Academia would also be well served by one-time or periodic guest contributors/editors.
We welcome talents in Translation in various languages (European, Asian, Middle Eastern, South American, African, Indigenous, or any other cultural groups). A Poetry Translations section does not have to cover multiple languages or regions. It can focus on only one or two languages, depending on the guest editor’s area of study, knowledge, and preferences.
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We need administrators and managers as well.
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The work is separated out into sections and small compartments and purposefully designed to be a light time commitment so that it is easy and fun and allows you the autonomy to let your artistic creativity shine!
If you want to join our team or contribute, please email us at betterthanstarbucks2@gmail.com.
If you are short on time, there are other ways to support us, such as purchasing print issues or even making a donation however small (see footer to donate).
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We hope to continue publishing as many interesting voices as we can, and for many years to come.
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— Vera Ignatowitsch & DE Navarro
BTS Poetry & Fiction Journal has been on hiatus since November of 2022. We are reviving it and plan to release an issue in Autumn (September) of 2026. If you are interested in contributing and working with us, please email us at betterthanstarbucks2@gmail.com. — DE Navarro, Publisher