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Editor Interview: Tears in the Fence

Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.

Adventurous literature

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

Shearsman Books, KFS, Litmus, Emma Press, Penned in the Margins, Seren, Poetry Wales, Veer Books,
Red Ceilings Press, Crater, Agenda, etc

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

I don't have favourite writers. I am a wide reader of texts and the notion of favourites is irrelevant to my role as an editor.

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

We are distinct with difference and the other to the fore. We expect some understanding
of contemporary poetics and fiction.
I don't know that there are other magazines that publish similar material, possibly
Shearsman. I suspect that it would be hard to find a similar international publication.

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

Read the magazine before submitting to avoid wasting time and energy.
Read widely. Finish your work before submission.

Describe the ideal submission.

Something remarkably different to anything that I have read before.

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

Sending material by PDF when we stipulate that we do not want to receive PDFs.

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

Nothing at all.

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

Yes, I read the piece to the end.

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

We use second readers / associate editors.

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

I read regularly for two or three hours at a time and am looking for material that is beyond well crafted
and moving towards the sublime.

How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?

We expect material to be finalised before submission. We do offer suggestions for improvement
as well as critical appraisals and mentoring. We send out proofs for approval to accepted authors.

Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?

Sometimes.

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