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Editor Interview: To Hull and Back

Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.

Humorous Short Stories

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

Writers' Forum, because they run a high-quality, monthly short story contest with a decent cash prize.
And Writers' Village, as Dr John Yeoman provides excellent feedback in the form of a concise critique to all entrants of the competition.

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

Terry Pratchett, Stephen King, David Gemmell, JRR Tolkien, Andy McNab and Tom Holt.

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

Aside from being one of the very few publishers of humorous short stories, the fact that the winner of my competition (which is run once a year) has their head used in the cover design of the anthology. The book is then strapped to my motorcycle and filmed being ridden to Hull and back (around a 600 mile round trip in the UK). It's a lot of fun and arguably the greatest short story prize out there. Mind you, I would say that as I came up with it. So I MIGHT be a tad biased...

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

Buy a cpy of the anthology and see what kind of stories I prefer to publish. Then read ALL the rules on the website and abide by them.

Describe the ideal submission.

A funny, well told, imaginative story that uses realistic dialogue to drive the plot forward and concludes in a satisfying manner.

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

Nothing. Everyone who uses my website is a LEGEND.

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

I need a biography (up to 200 words) and a photo. All shortlisted entrants have their info published on my website.

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

I read every entry in its entirety.

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

Once the shortlist for the competition is decided, the 20 shortlisted stories go before a panel of published writers. They all read the stories individually and score them. Through this process, we decide on a winner.

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

Well, I work full time in Digital Marketing. So I get up early, exercise, go to work and then when I get home I work on my website and writing until midnight.

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