Q: Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.
A: Poems of the body
Q: What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?
A: MUZZLE, Lunch Ticket, Winter Tangerine, Deaf Poets Society
Q: If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?
A: We have so many favorite writers! Some that come to mind are Sonya Renee Taylor, Saeed Jones, Arielle Greenberg, Mx Mack, D. Allen, Sylvia Legris.
Q: What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?
A: At Rogue Agent, we like writers who delve into the viscera, explore the nuances of bone and breath. We like writers who claim the body, inhabit it, and present it in surprising ways. Our issues present one poem per poet, and while frequently without a stated theme, they organically grow from a central point, with all poems weaving together into a body in its own right. Our journal is both word and body.
Q: What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?
A: We publish diverse and intersectional voice with a focus on the experience of inhabiting the body. Read former issues of Rogue Agent, including our section of poems that inspire us, and don't hesitate to send us your work if it speaks to the body.
Q: Describe the ideal submission.
A: Make sure to read our submissions page for the most up-to-date information. The ideal submission contains 3 - 5 poems, a short cover letter and a biographical statement. It does not contain .PDF poems unless there's incredibly specific formatting. We want your skin, your liver, your viscera. We want your joy and your frustration. We want to be surprised by your elegance and stunned by your forthrightness. We want to be impressed with your craft and your commitment.
Q: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?
A: They do not read the submissions page.
Q: How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?
A: We aren't considering your previous publication credits in making our editorial decisions. We do appreciate knowing why you chose to submit to Rogue Agent - do you feel your poems speak to our intent?
Q: If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?
A: We read every piece all the way through, with very rare exceptions. If you send us a 25 page opus and it's not relating to the body or capturing our interest in the first 3 pages, we will likely stop at that point.
Q: What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?
A: Because our issues grow organically from the group of poems we are looking at, we will have a pile of poems we admire wholeheartedly that we need to figure out where they fit into the mix. We'll pass back and forth a document containing the poems, thinking about using this one, saving this one for the "seed" of the next issue, saving another for a future issue.
Q: How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?
A: Typically we do not edit submitted work. We will rarely accept work with a conditional edit, but it does happen. The author always has final approval of any edits, and will also receive a page proof before the publication goes live, so the author will have a chance to ensure their work is presented in the way they intend.