Covid Wars & How to Submit: Ronald Gruner on Pandemic Lessons + Dennis Sweeney on Getting Published

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Writer’s Voice, two authors offer vital insights—one about surviving a global pandemic, and the other about surviving the publishing process.

Ronald Gruner discusses Covid Wars, his in-depth exploration of how the pandemic reshaped politics, public health, and society. He reflects on the successes and failures of the U.S. response, the role of science and misinformation, and the lasting implications for democracy.

“Other countries did better because they trusted their governments and their governments trusted them.” — Ronald Gruner

Dennis Sweeney talks about How to Submit, a practical handbook for writers trying to get their work published in literary magazines and small presses. Drawing on his own experience as a poet and editor, Sweeney breaks down the submissions process, rejection, community-building, and sustaining motivation as a writer.

“Rejections are not failures. They’re steps in the process.” — Dennis Sweeney

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Key Words:

Covid Wars Ronald Gruner, COVID-19 lessons, pandemic politics, misinformation and science, pandemic preparation, U.S. pandemic response, How to Submit Dennis Sweeney, getting published, literary magazine submissions, small press publishing,

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Segment 1: Ronald Gruner on Covid Wars

Ronald Gruner explains why he wrote Covid Wars—to create a factual, accessible record of how COVID-19 unfolded and how institutions responded. He discusses the pandemic’s exposure of systemic weaknesses, the politicization of science, and the urgent need to prepare for the next crisis.

Key Topics

• Why Covid Wars is “not a political book, but a factual one”
• COVID-19’s impact on public trust in government and science
• How misinformation and partisan divides deepened the crisis
• Lessons from countries that managed the pandemic differently
• What the U.S. must do to prepare for the next pandemic

Segment 2: Dennis Sweeney on How to Submit

Dennis Sweeney demystifies the process of submitting to literary magazines and small presses. He emphasizes persistence, community, and self-knowledge as essential tools for navigating rejection and building a sustainable writing life.

Key Topics

• Why rejections are not failures but part of the process
• How to research and choose the right publications
• Balancing creativity with strategy in submissions
• The importance of literary community and reciprocity
• Advice for writers new to the submission process

READ AN EXCERPT FROM HOW TO SUBMIT