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Editor Interview: Architrave Press

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

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

A: mini broadsides

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

A: I'll keep this manageable by limiting it to a handful of contemporary Americans:
Sharon Olds for her clear, uncompromising view of life, her willingness to name the difficult thing
Jane Hirshfield for her concision, for her centeredness, her reconciliation of contradictions, her peace
WS Merwin for his smooth, inevitable language
Brigit Pegeen Kelly, for her strangely familiar worlds within this world
Shane Seely, for his musicianship

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

A: Each poem is letterpress printed as an individual page so readers can compile their own collection of favorites. I therefore try to choose a wide range of material including many styles, subjects, different levels of accessibility, lengths, etc. so that any given reader will hopefully find at least one poem that speaks to them.
I also write a short response to each piece, because I know so many people who enjoy literary fiction but who find contemporary poetry inscrutable. I want to begin a conversation with them about why each poem is worth reading and keeping.

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

A: I have a 5 1/2 x 8 inch, single sided card to work with. Your poem needs to fit on that card and still be legible, which is why I have a 33 line limit. Every rule has its exceptions (see "Submission Guidelines for Spring Residency" by Karen Lee Lewis in Edition 1) but if it's much longer than 33 lines I'm going to return it to you without reading it because I can't print it even if I like it.
Poets should also be comfortable with someone else choosing typefaces, type styles and layout. My design is always rooted in the text of the poem, and I will try to accommodate a poet's preferences, but the design decisions are ultimately mine. If a poet isn't comfortable with that, they shouldn't send in their work. Most poets, thankfully, are excited that I'm going to take their art and make more art out of it. If you're wondering how you feel about handing over your text to a designer you've never met, you can review all my work on the press's website, under the editions tab. The full text of each poem's inserts, including a short description of my design decisions, can be read for free in the online shop.

Q: Describe the ideal submission.

A: Three to five poems, all of which might fit on a 5 1/2 x 8 inch card in at least 10 point type. Nothing about the poems should feel arbitrary - it should feel crafted.

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

A: The size. Even without a computer you should be able to measure out 5 1/2 x 8 inches on a piece of paper and see if your poem fits inside. The more of it that doesn't fit, the smaller the typeface needs to be. Do you really want your poem printed in an eye-murdering 6 point type? I don't.

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

A: I enjoy a brief bio that includes three or four representative publication credits. What I mind is when poets explain their poems to me. Your poem should stand on its own. If you're worried that someone who edits a poetry journal might not get it, then it's not ready to go out.

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

A: I don't read anything longer than a page because it won't fit on the card. The exception to this is if the poem's lines are very, very short, but that is the ONLY exception. I do read everything else to the end, because sometimes the few lines at the end are really the poem and the poet just isn't aware of it. In cases like that I'll suggest edits. But that is also a rare occurrence and is not a license for poets to send in unfinished work.

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

A: I need to see it on the page, in a design sense. Some poems sit right up off the page and tell me what typeface to use (and it's never because the poem is about type - see Shane Seely's "Anthology" in Edition 2). Most of the time, though, there's something about the poem (an image, the tone, certain words) that stands out and provides the inspiration for the design. It's impossible to quantify.

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

A: I work a full time job, so Monday through Friday I go there and earn my living. Architrave happens in the evenings and on weekends. There is a LOT of other stuff to do to run a publication, so I only get to read submissions about once a week. I read each submission all the way through before making a decision about any one piece. Most of them are not right for Architrave and I can eliminate them from consideration at this point. If there is something that I like about one of the pieces, though, I'll flag it to be read again in a week. Each time I read, I start with the ones I'm holding. Over time I come to really love them, or that initial shine wears off. The ones that survive I accept. On rare occasions, I've encountered an unpublished poem in the wild (at a reading or workshop), fallen in love with it, and asked the poet if I can print it.

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

A: Extremely. There will always be a market for books as physical objects, much like there is still a (niche) market for vinyl records. But if you want your writers to be found and read, you need to make them available in the digital world. It's foolish to close off such huge access to readers.