Q: Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.
A: SF/F/H (speculative lit)
Q: What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?
A: Greg: I'm a big fan of Clarkesworld, Apex, F&SF, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Air and Nothingness Press, MetaStellar, and all the podcast publications from Escape Artists.
Brandon: Clarkesworld is a wonderful publication. They put out a lot of quality material and offer a lightning quick turnaround on submissions. The owner is also a nice individual.
Q: If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?
A: Greg: There are too many established writers I like to list. One of my favorite things is discovering an author I've never read before.
Q: What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?
A: Brandon: We are a once-a-year anthology with a unique theme every year. What sets this publication apart is that it has been following a rolling editorial engagement plan every year. Typically the assistant editor, having learned the publication, becomes the main editor the next year, with previous editors and readers also contributing.
Q: What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?
A: Greg: Two elements that lead to a quick rejection are not following the theme in some fashion or not having a speculative element. Don't be afraid to go out on a limb with regard to stretching the theme, it will likely help your chances. If we have 20 submissions that have similar ideas, we're only going to take the best one of those.
Brandon: Hew to the theme! You don’t have to be too literal, but the theme must be noticeable and essential to the story. For instance, if elements of the theme weren’t present, would the story still work?
Q: Describe the ideal submission.
A: Greg: One that follows the guidelines, is on-theme, and shows me a story I never would have dreamed up myself.
Q: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?
A: Greg: Not following the theme or guidelines. Read the guidelines!!!
Q: How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?
A: Greg: I don't really care until we make final selections, and then I check to see who we'd be working with. The story will stand on its own no matter who you are. Focus on the story, not a cover letter or bio. We do ask for bios up front, but that's more to save time after the story selections have been made.
Brandon: Nothing, really, beyond knowing that they’ve read the guidelines and have followed them. It doesn’t make a difference to me who you are, so long as the story works. If George R.R. Martin could and did submit to this anthology, I would reject the story if it didn’t fit.
Q: If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?
A: Greg: I personally try to read as much as I can as time allows. There are a several pieces I can tell right away will not be a fit for our anthology. So long as they're not offensive or off-putting, I still read all the way through. When I was a first-reader, I read every word. Even the worst and most offensive stories were worth reading just to learn what kind of things were out there and how to recognize the horrendous along with the fabulous.
Q: What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?
A: Greg: The first level is if the story is good and stands on its own within the anthology. The second is fit with the other pieces we are considering. How could they flow together from story to story, without being redundant? How can we tell a story of our own with the ordering of the stories and poems? One additional part of my evaluation is if I can give a good marketing hook to describe the story and entice readers with it. If I can easily make a logline for the story, it means the story's concept is unique enough. If I'm even considering the marketing aspect, it means I loved the story and want it. It's only a differentiator when space is tight in the anthology and we have to decide between the best submissions.
Q: What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?
A: Greg: I'm up very early to do my personal writing session, then get into my day-to-day which is organized chaos. I work as a freelance business consultant to early-stage companies and non-profits, so everything is on a project by project basis. When I have down-time between projects or deliverables, I read the submissions. I'm also involved in several organized sports, but the reading period fits perfectly with their off-seasons over the winter.
Brandon: A day in the life for me is chaos incarnate! I work a day job providing addictions and trauma treatment for veterans in the VA, I write, and I have many social and recreational pursuits. I also struggle quite a bit with disability, so there’s always too much going on. Wouldn’t have it any other way!
Q: How important do you feel it is for publishers to embrace modern technologies?
A: Greg: I think it's smart to embrace technological progress. The technologies make life easier for everyone involved and there are some really cool things you can do with them.
Q: How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?
A: Greg: The author always must approve all edits before we'd publish anything. Most things we edit are negotiable. We want to ensure that the author's voice and intent are maintained with any line and copy edits. We really prefer polished pieces, but understand that not everyone's skills are equal. Last year, I accepted three pieces that needed significant edits. I probably wouldn't take on more than that. If an author has a concept we love, but isn't fleshed out or goes in a direction we don't care for, we're more likely to send a rewrite and resubmit request and see what the author can do to fix the problems on their own. On the other hand, one of the pieces last year was from an emerging author whose voice was so strong in the piece, but needed a lot of technical edits and exposition reduction. I took that on myself.
Q: Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?
A: Yes.