Editor Interview: Howling Bird Press Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.Creative, literary booksJim Cihlar, Publisher on 30 June 2020What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?Alice James Books, Augury Books, Smartish Pace, Birds LLC, Catapult, Copper Canyon, Button Poetry, FS&G, Penguin, University of New Mexico Press, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, North Dakota State University Press, Apprentice House Press, Cornerstone Press, Lambda Literary, Threepenny Review, Nimrod, and more.Jim Cihlar, Publisher on 30 June 2020If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?Henry Kreisel, Alice Munro, Toni Morrison, Andrew Sean Greer, Franny Choi, Cameron Awkward-Rich, Adrienne Rich, Michael Cunningham, Louise Erdrich, James Wright, James Baldwin, Patricia Highsmith, Marian Engel, Timothy Findley.Jim Cihlar, Publisher on 30 June 2020What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?We see ourselves as much a community as a press. We do one book a year, and we work closely with the author. We are a teaching press, staffed by graduate students in an MFA program and led by a publisher with much previous experience. We enjoy paying attention to details and we strive for the best results possible. We are in it for the long haul--maintaining relationships with our authors for years to come.Jim Cihlar, Publisher on 30 June 2020What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?Read the guidelines closely and be sure to follow them. Make sure your manuscript is in the best shape possible. Think about arc, progression, pattern, balance, proportion, and completeness. It's good to have spent time revising, and it's good to have sent out individual pieces for publication in journals prior.Jim Cihlar, Publisher on 30 June 2020What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?Do not send us previously published work, including self-published work. Make sure you have correctly addressed your cover letter--get the name of the press right!Jim Cihlar, Publisher on 30 June 2020How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?Cover letters matter. They should include previous publications (if any), a brief author bio, and, if appropriate, a short synopsis of the plot or a description of the ambitions of the manuscript.Jim Cihlar, Publisher on 30 June 2020If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?As a Teaching Press we are careful to read all submissions fully.Jim Cihlar, Publisher on 30 June 2020What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?Multiple editors read the same manuscripts, and we compare and discuss. Our decisions are not simply tallies of numeric scores, but instead the process of conversation and consensus.Jim Cihlar, Publisher on 30 June 2020How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?Because we publish the one winning manuscript of a national contest within a year's time, it is important that the manuscript is solid and in good shape. We do, however, give the author developmental editorial suggestions for revision before moving into copyediting. The amount of revision necessary needs to be manageable within our relatively tight timeframe.Jim Cihlar, Publisher on 30 June 2020Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?Yes, and we've had finalists and winners.Jim Cihlar, Publisher on 30 June 2020 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