Editor Interview: 1:1000

Flash inspired by photos.

Brevity, McSweeney’s, Smokelong Quarterly

David Mitchell, Lev Grossman, Cheryl Strayed, Pam Houston, Jess Walter, Bonnie Jo Campbell

1) Our concept. All the stories and essays we publish are inspired by a photo. We work with photographers to provide an extensive gallery of images from which our prose contributors can select. Following the adage “a picture’s worth a thousand words,” we only publish flash fiction and narrative essays that are around 1,000 words.
2) Our process. All promising submissions receive a workshop with editorial feedback. This makes us an especially good venue for new writers, as our editorial team can help you get the kinks out of an “almost-there” story and make it publication ready.

If you’re open to the possibility of getting feedback on your work in addition to publishing, show us your stuff! Also, I’d say don’t be afraid to email us with questions before you submit. We’re friendly, and we always write back!

The ideal submission is a 1,000-word story or narrative essay that uses the photograph as a jumping-off point into a glimpse at an entire world. This submission has engaging characters and images, and it feels complete at the end. W.B. Yeats said a poem should “click shut” like a box at the ending--the best flash submissions also have this quality. The ideal submission is surprising and sometimes revelatory, but never ends with a punchline.

Our word count requirements. Though “flash fiction” can mean everything from 25 words to 1500, we only publish stories that range from 900-1100 words. Send us an 800-word story, and if it’s really good, we’ll make expansion suggestions. But don’t send us 300 words.

We’re casual. Our only requirement for cover letters is that contributors include a link to the gallery page of the photo they claimed for their story. I really don’t care about previous publication credits. We’ve had several writers tell us that we were their first publication. A link to your blog, website, or twitter is always nice, in a cover letter. And, because I’m curious, if a writer mentions where he or she lives, that’s a bonus.

I can tell within the first 300 words if I’m going to reject a piece or move it to the workshop phase.

Submissions go through a few hoops:
1) Initial sort. The submissions editors make an initial call on whether the piece has potential or isn’t a good fit.
2) Workshop. Between four and eight members of the editorial team make comments and suggestions on promising pieces. If the team feels the piece would be publication-ready with edits, the piece is accepted, and goes back to the writer for revisions. Revisions can range from a full re-write to minor polishing to no real changes needed.
3) Final edit. I go through all revisions and do a final sweep. If the piece needs more polishing, I work through those changes with the writer. Then we put it on the publishing calendar.

A day in my life involves a lot of Google docs and a LOT of email! So much of editing a lit journal is administrative--letting writers know we received their submissions, formatting the best submissions for the editorial team workshop, updating all of our tracking calendars, sorting photography submissions for the Pinterest gallery, emailing with contributors about revisions, formatting finished stories for publication twice a week. Another editor handles all the social media, thankfully, or I think I’d never get around to actually reading submissions!
Every editor brings their own expertise to the workshop process, which is where the most in-depth reading is done. We’re a pretty celebratory crew, so much of the reading process is pointing out to the writer what really works or what we love in a piece. I feel that’s something that is largely missing from other journals’ submission processes--specific, positive feedback. On the critical side, we’re also looking to identify anything that’s confusing or syntactically messy. If I had to pick one word to describe 1:1000’s editorial goals, it would be clarity.