Editor Interview: Phobos Magazine Go to the listing List all editor interviews Edit answers (editors only) Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.Short Weird FictionRobert Corry & Luke St. Germaine, Editors on 12 July 2014What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?Journal of Unlikely Cryptography/ Entomology, Shimmer, Innsmouth Free Press, Fungi, Pseudopod, Tales to Terrify, Welcome to Night Vale, Big Pulp, on and on. Small press, great work, what's not to love?Robert Corry, Editor on 12 July 2014If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?Michael Shea, Elizabeth Bear, Laird Barron, Jorge Luis Borges, PKD, Irvine Welsh, Caitlin R. Kiernan, James Lasdun, Italo Calvino, Mark Z. Danielewski.Robert Corry, Editor on 12 July 2014What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?We read absolutely every word of every piece, and with each rejection we almost always include a few lines of constructive criticism. We're picky, but we're also writers. Your work will be read, discussed, considered, and if it's not accepted, you'll know why.Robert Corry, Editor on 12 July 2014What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?Trim the fat...and the muscle, and then take a hard look at those bones. We want short stories and flash, but we also want fully realized fiction. Avoid dull exposition. Grammar.Robert Corry, Editor on 12 July 2014Describe the ideal submission.Opens to a mysterious scenario in medias res, with strong characters, interesting, believable dialogue, minimal flashback, and visceral action that addresses the central conflict. Beautiful, spare language. Humor. A little gore.Robert Corry, Editor on 12 July 2014What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?Submission-spammers who ignore the stated theme and write an 800 word cover letter that tries to hammer their square story into a round hole.Robert Corry, Editor on 13 July 2014How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?How much do we want to know? Not much. A few solid publications will make our ears perk up, but it's not that important.Robert Corry, Editor on 13 July 2014If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?Usually 100%; we've been surprised often enough to give each story a fair shot.Robert Corry, Editor on 13 July 2014What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?We both read the submissions, bumping the 'keepers' & 'maybes' to another, super-secret inbox. Once the reading period is over, the whittling begins. Some are perfect; some are solid but poor thematic fits; some appeal strongly to one of us but not the other. We're a democracy of two; accordingly there's a bit of horse trading, but in the end we only publish what we both love.Robert Corry, Editor on 13 July 2014What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?Glamour beyond belief. Oarless, we drift on a scented ocean of prose. Also most of our reading is done on the toilet, as we hide from our jobs.Robert Corry, Editor on 13 July 2014 Cookie Consent: This site uses secure first-party cookies for essential, preference-setting, and statistical purposes. We do not use any marketing, advertising, or third-party cookies. Read our full cookie policy. Accept All Cookies Allow Essential Cookies Only