Happy New Year, readers! Speaking of, we’re going back 25 years, to the dawn of Y2K.

I well remember the doomsday talk that swirled through the halls of my technology employer and drifted above cubicle walls where we were trapped, row after endless row, in veal pens under harsh fluorescent lighting. (Back in the good ole days, before working from home was an option.) My friends and I wondered, as did most of society at that time: Was global Armageddon really upon us? Computers were expected to seize up, the world over, because of the Y2K bug—a coding error predicted to wreak havoc as 11:59 pm in 1999 clicked to midnight in 2000. Because programs used only the last two digits of any year, it was believed that computers might read 2000 as 1900—leading to power outages, plane crashes, bank failures, and any number of other calamities.

Big sigh of relief, understandably, when January 1 arrived and the lights stayed on.

I loved the music, fashion, the whole vibe of the Y2K era, so I was excited when I came across an online literary journal dedicated to all things Y2K. Nirvana, I say! (Though, that grunge band peaked 10 years earlier. Wink.)

Y2K Quarterly is a newer entrant onto the lit journal scene. It’s devoted to the glory days of the late 90s into the mid 2000s. Editor-in-Chief Melinda Wyers came up with this cool journal concept—paired with an even cooler website reminiscent of a vintage Windows desktop—that accepts fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Here’s the catch: Pieces must be 1999 words or fewer! As Melinda notes, submitting work above that word count could result in global infrastructure failure, famine, pestilence, and war.

Please join me in welcoming Melinda!

WOW: Hi, Melinda! Thanks for joining us!

Melinda: Hey, thanks for having me!

WOW:  What prompted you to launch an online journal dedicated exclusively to the Y2K era? It’s clever! And, your vintage Windows desktop screen—brilliant! I love the journal’s aesthetic, as does WOW’s executive editor, Angela. When I showed Ang your website, we both immediately knew we wanted to interview you.

Melinda: I’m glad y’all like the website so much! As for what prompted all of this, most of the members of my writing group have all attempted their own literary magazines and I figured I would give it a shot. The concept came when I noticed that most of the work I was submitting to places was set in the early 2000s and I thought, well, if I had all these fun stories and memories then other writers out there would too.

WOW: What has been the most rewarding aspect so far about starting and running Y2K Quarterly?

Melinda: The most rewarding part is seeing how excited people get about telling their stories. I’ve had writers dig out stuff from their closets and core memories and produce beautiful work.

WOW: If Y2K Quarterly had a mascot, what would it be?

Melinda: It would have to be Flippy the Flip Phone. (Which I need to now go draw. Lol.)

WOW: Being a newer journal—you started this just last year—how did you get the word out, to solicit that first wave of subs? What was the response, both in submissions received and feedback on your issues thus far? How has the journal grown, from your first issue to your fourth that just published in early December?

Melinda: I created a few social media accounts, photoshopped some images announcing the magazine, and followed a ton of writers to get things started. My professional background is graphic/web design so I can do those things quickly without too much stress.

The response to each sub call gets bigger and bigger each quarter. I think the first call only had 30 submissions and has steadily grown. Having such a niche theme limits people quite a bit, so I’m not dismayed by the comparatively low numbers. It also keeps me from being overloaded.

The first issue also had a different website theme, which was more DOS prompt flavored, but after the second issue I needed to change up the format of the site to accommodate for multiple issues. The site will have to be altered just a little bit to accommodate for the yearly volumes soon.

WOW: You’re a one-woman show, currently. How has that process been so far? How long do you spend putting an issue together? Do you hope or expect to bring on additional volunteer help as Y2K Quarterly grows?

Melinda: It takes me about a week or two to comb through all the pieces once the sub call ends. I don’t send responses out until the end of the call to keep myself organized. If it ever gets to the point where I have hundreds of submissions, I will look into bringing on help. I’m sure when the time comes I will reach out for assistance.

WOW: What will you look for from volunteer reader(s), in terms of taste? Should they have a particular knowledge of Y2K cultural references or events, or will you also welcome aficionados from the disco era, 1980s or, say, the decade spanning 2010-20 to help read and select? (I’m kidding, but maybe not, since a knowledge of trends, music, and so forth may be needed to relate to Y2K-themed subs.)

Melinda: Honestly, given the future, I would be more apt to look for volunteer readers who can help me weed out AI-generated work. It’s not too difficult to figure out if someone is historically accurate, given it’s only been 25 years and things can still be googled with accuracy.

Things are different when taste is concerned, and I think as time goes on, it will be a challenge to have readers who can take off the rose-colored glasses when necessary. Plus, the folks from the 60s, 70s and 80s could have a different perspective on the period that I might not have been aware of myself because I was 16 in 2000.

WOW: Let’s talk about the fun vintage Windows desktop! Why did you decide to present the journal’s content this way? What nostalgic feeling do you hope it inspires? Do you see the design changing over time, or have you landed on a classic look-and-feel that you’ll stick with?

Melinda: Since the magazine is mostly web-based, the site had to look like it was from the era. The problem with that, and not making it look like MySpace/GeoCities, is that I also need folks to be able to read it. A wall of animated sparkling GIFs and sounds is great in theory but doesn’t read at all when viewed on mobile. I had to make a compromise for modern readers and create a site that could be viewed on a phone. The other end of that spectrum would be to have the entire site in vanilla HTML with tables and frames, but I’m afraid that gives off “low effort” more than nostalgia.

With the Windows 98 theme I can add more Easter eggs and fun things without changing the entire layout of the site. Windows is what comes to mind when I think of the early days of file sharing sites, keygen splash screens, and burning songs to blank CDs to listen to in the car. I think I knew two people who owned Macs back then, even though you always see the G3 iMac in Y2K imagery. The magazine and its imagery are very tech-heavy because back then new tech like affordable cell phones, 3D graphic game consoles, and home computers were all the rage.

WOW: Your website notes you’re open to submissions from January 1-31, April 1-30, July 1-31, and October 1-31. Issues are published in March, June, September, and December. What are some recurring topics you’ve maybe seen too much of lately, and what are you hoping to see more of that is fresh, to help a piece stand above the crowd?

Melinda: To be honest, each submission round has come up with wildly new things. I think the biggest theme to date is the coming-of-age story. The writer reflecting on their life in middle or high school, falling in love, making mistakes, and looking back on it. Which, honestly, is what I am looking for. I would like to see more fiction this year, extremely fresh historical fiction.

WOW: You heard her, readers! Get that Y2K-inspired historical fiction out of your head and into Melinda’s next queue! And though I’m not a fiction writer myself, I am glad that Y2K Quarterly published my free verse poem Wake Me Up for your third issue! I’m curious, what do you receive the most of between poetry, fiction, and CNF? And do you have a favorite genre?

Melinda: 90% of the submissions are poetry. If folks want to shoot their shot, Fiction and CNF routes are the way to go. My favorite is CNF because I’m a sucker for a true story.

WOW: Do you ask writers to consider edits, or do you present a piece exactly as you received it?

Melinda: I only ask for edits if there is some glaring issue. I’m not going to ask someone to elaborate on anything or reword a sentence. Most of the time, writers have specific requests for their formatting, so I’m the one typically asking them to check what I am going to post to the site!

WOW: Do you consider reprints?

Melinda: Yes, if the previous magazine in which their piece appeared is defunct, I don’t mind giving it a new home.

WOW: Good to know, because there are never enough journals willing to accept reprints! Will Y2K Quarterly consider running a contest? If yes, what might make a good contest theme?

Melinda: Someday, I’m sure. Probably something along the lines of “First time on the internet.” Or, “First cell phone.” There are already so many good stories about where people were on “New Years Eve 1999” or “September 11” so I feel like there can be stronger themes in simpler things.

WOW: We love to promote writers. In that spirit, what are some of your favorite pieces from Y2K Quarterly that our readers might enjoy?

Melinda: I picked a few favorites that I think new readers of the magazine will find interesting:

Ode to Jewel is a great poem by Anna Dodson about her relationship with music and her daughter. Then there’s Bess is in Love, a longer piece by Jessica Klimesh about love and relationships during that period. And The Phone, by Bryan Vale, about a guy whose older tech gets him out of a dangerous situation.

WOW: Great pieces! The repetition of “Bess is in love” works so well. And I love the punchline in Bryan’s piece—LOL! Let’s hear about your first publication, as those are always memorable. With which journal were you first published? Share a link if you have it!

Melinda: The first place to accept something of mine was Rejection Letters. I had just started submitting to magazines during the pandemic and I gave it a shot. My piece, Dear Yellow Starburst, is a rejection letter sent to Yellow Starburst candy. It’s silly, but I’m glad I had the chance to participate.

WOW: Clever! Going on record to say, though, I don’t like any Starburst flavor. Too tangy. OK, aside from your editorial duties, what additional creative projects are you pursuing? What does downtime look like for you?

Melinda: I always have five projects on the back burner at any given time but I’m currently working on a visual novel set on a radio station in outer space. Think Frasier if aliens called in to ask questions in a Choose Your Own Adventure format. A demo should be ready by spring.

Downtime for me is towards the end of the day, after I’ve put all the kids to bed and the house isn’t total chaos. I’ll make a drink and work on a project for an hour, research, or read before bed. I typically keep “magazine work” relegated to the weekends unless a sub call has ended, or a new issue is due out. If I worked on it every day, I would burn out instantly.

WOW: As we wrap our interview, what’s your resolution for 2025?

Melinda: That’s an easy one; I need to work on being more organized. Even now my desk has maybe a cubic foot of free space on it. I’ll be looking into some post-holiday sales on shelving, that’s for sure.

My thanks to Y2K Quarterly Editor-in-Chief Melinda Wyers for chatting with us. Readers, the next submissions window is upon us: January 1-31. Do you have a poem, fiction, or CNF piece rattling around your head or heart that is set between 1997-2007? Maybe one that recalls where you were when Princess Diana died? Or maybe you’re burning to pay homage to “The Rachel”? How you miss flip phones? Pine for Napster? Write about it, then send it to Melinda!

Until next time!

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Ann Kathryn Kelly writes from New Hampshire’s Seacoast region. She’s an editor with Barren Magazine, a columnist with WOW! Women on Writing, and she works in the technology sector. Ann leads writing workshops for a nonprofit that offers therapeutic arts programming to people living with brain injury. Her writing has appeared in a number of literary journals. https://annkkelly.com/.