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Editor Interview: Cicatrix Publishing

This interview is provided for archival purposes. The listing is not currently active.

Q: Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.

A: Pain, suffering, healing

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

A: The Cicatrix model was adopted from Martin Hooijman's lovely site, The Story Shack. We wanted to do something similar. There are plenty of artists and authors out there that aren't directly exposed to Martin's site, so we knew there was a market for a similar site. I admire his work a lot. And he is a down-to-earth, nice guy who is doing it out of the kindness of his heart and because he has a passion for Flash Fiction. So, Martin is the man. I also love Speed, Potluck Mag, and E.S. Wynn. I believe his sites are back up, so that's great news.

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

A: Hemingway and Vonnegut are my favorite authors. Authors I've published that are my favorites would be Brian Michael Barbeito and Timothy Stelly, Sr. Rembrandt and M.C. Esher are my favorite artists. Artists I've published that are my favorites are Polly Lin and, of course, my wife Colleen Cahill. Ansel Adams is my favorite photographer. My favorite photographers that I've published are Sean Rodgers and Robert Shaffer.

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

A: I give honest feedback. No cut and paste. No generic answers. If I like your story I'll tell you. If I don't I'll do the same. But I won't just tell you my opinion. I'll also tell you why. I might love your story but not publish it. A mediocre story might make it onto the site over a really good one, but there are reasons why, and I will always let the authors know those reasons.
Besides that, Cicatrix is looking for stories that produce emotion. We've all experienced pain and suffering. I want the stories on Cicatrix to dig up painful experiences in everyone who reads them. Details might be different, but we all go through our fair share of bad times, and sometimes, when you know others have gone through similar situations, it makes healing a little easier.

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

A: Read the guidelines. They are there for a reason. Laying out the stories on the site is not easy. If we get a submission that is improperly formatted, it's almost not worth the time to reformat it just so it flows into the CMS properly. We're open to so many different types of stories and poems and experimental media, so long as it fits the guidelines on the submit page.

Q: Describe the ideal submission.

A: A properly formatted word.doc, a short bio, maybe even a profile pic (if you think no one wants to see your face, you're wrong), some links to social media profiles, and a professional email correspondence.

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

A: Luckily, I haven't had many bad submissions. Most of the time, it's just authors who don't take the time to reformat their word doc.

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

A: I like cover letters. I think they are useful but not necessary.
The more someone writes about themselves, the more comfortable I feel about publishing them.
Again, it's not necessary, but I like to get to know these authors. It gives added context to their stories.

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

A: I can tell a piece is not right from the first few paragraphs about 95% of the time. That other 5% I usually have to read at least 10 times before I decide.

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

A: I usually run a piece I am on the fence about to my editor, Brian Barbeito. I trust him with every fabric of my being. He is a talented and amazing individual.

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

A: Read. Write. Read. Write. Reply to emails and submissions. Eat some cereal. Stare at a corner and watch imaginary plots form and disappear. Repeat, ad nauseam.

Q: How important do you feel it is for publishers to embrace modern technologies?

A: I hope I never get a printed manuscript in the mail. It is a complete waste of paper.

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

A: Almost never. We'll suggest edits once in a while but will never edit a piece and publish it without running it by the author first. We either like it or not. If we sort of like it, we won't publish it until the author modifies it.

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

A: I haven't had the privilege of doing so...yet.