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Editor Interview: Oysters & Chocolate

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

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

A: Smart smut.

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

A: We love anything put together by Rachel Kramer Bussel, Maxim Jakubowski, and Allison Tyler.

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

A: Our favorite erotica writers include Kay Jaybee, Jeremy Edwards, Donna George Storey, and Aimee Herman.

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

A: We strive to publish erotica that is not only hot, but very well-written -- and everything we accept has a certain aesthetic particularly pleasing to women.

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

A: We look for work that is unique and creative. Avoid cliche (which is difficult with erotica) and make sure there is setting, plot, and character in your story. Also, proofread!

Q: Describe the ideal submission.

A: A story or poem that is refreshing, well-written, creative, and hot as hell!

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

A: We like to know the writer's name, pen name, a few previous publication credits (they won't influence our acceptance one way or the other -- but we like to see what a writer has done), and whether or not the writer has previously been published by us. We only take submissions via email, so a cover letter is unnecessary.

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

A: If the writing is poor, we only read the first few paragraphs before we reject it. If it's well-written, we'll read the entire thing before we accept or reject it.

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

A: We won't publish anything that contains bestiality.

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

A: We wake up, brew some coffee, get the kiddo off to the school, play with the dogs, and then settle into reading erotica. We get to work from home, so we have the pleasure of reading submissions, doing phone conferences, paying bills and publishing content all while wearing uncombed hair and mismatched pajamas. It's a glamorous life.
As far as our jobs as editors go -- it's a very satisfying and sometimes difficult line of work. We work so closely with someone else's words, trying to help the writer shave off the unnecessary, gently shape structure that doesn't work or doesn't quite fit, and truly help the writer get the story to the real gem that's there. There can be a lot of great communication back and forth during this process, and it's always exciting to see a writer improve and his or her career really take off. But it is difficult for writers to sometimes let go of their own work or "kill their darlings." It can be an emotional exercise.

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

A: Our publication is an online magazine, so we do feel it's incredibly important that publishers embrace modern technology. Much of our business is conducted via email and social networking services. We do, however get the pleasure of editing anthologies in print form -- Nice Girls, Naughty Sex (published by Seal Press), which is a collection of 20 short stories by excellent writers, was just released in February 2011-- and for us, this is the creme of the crop of what we edit. We feel sentimental about paper books. We love the smell of them, the feel of them, and we love cuddling up with them.