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Editor Interview: Safety Pin Review

This interview is provided for archival purposes. The listing is not currently active.

Q: Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.

A: sexy monsters <30 words

Q: What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?

A: Pubbies: PANK, NAP magazine, Unstuck, Annalemma; the giants, and so many more. Publishers: Tiny Hardcore, Featherproof, Artistically Declined, etc.

Q: If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?

A: Every writer we have ever published or that we will publish in the future is our favorite writer. Extra-soft spots shift like the tide, but Brandi Wells, J. Bradley, David James Keaton, and Casey Hannan all do disparate and amazing things.

Q: What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?

A: Each of our stories is painted onto a patch and worn by someone superawesome for a week everywhere they go. We post photos of our operatives wearing the stories each week. It's a totally new audience each time, one that you can't predict. Our stories are published not just online for other writers, but for the at large. We feel unique in this regard. You should wear us sometime, anyone can do it. Say hello.

Q: What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?

A: Cruise the eye-candy in our archives. Find a way to tell a story in a way we haven't seen. Don't limit yourself. You have a 9" x 11" patch, 30 words and all the imagination in the world. Play with boundaries. Go nuts.

Q: Describe the ideal submission.

A: A piece that kicks us in the face in a way that we have not been kicked in the face before (and we have been kicked many times; see the aforementioned archives). And has a nice title.

Q: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?

A: We love titles. Some people ignore this, but really, a title is often what we like best. They also forget to include a <30 word bio. Because we want to know a little about you.

Q: How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?

A: We are fairly curious and like to poke around. The story is the be-all and end-all of course, but we like hearing what you have to say.

Q: If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?

A: Obviously all of it six or seven times, in different mindsets and at different times of the day. Aloud, too. Almost until we've memorized it.

Q: What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?

A: We will consult friends and strangers if we are having a tough time deciding. We sometimes do a magical 'decision-dance' that involves festive hats and talking animals, but this is usually unproductive.

Q: What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?

A: The Safety Pin Review mostly happens at night. We have to answer submissions, paint stories, orchestrate who's going to wear them, buy safety pins, and mail them to all corners of the globe.

Q: How important do you feel it is for publishers to embrace modern technologies?

A: Supremely. We want to be everywhere. But of course, our stories hit the real-world ground running too.