Editor Interview: Hawai'i Pacific Review

unique voices

Tinfish Press, Bamboo Ridge Press, One Story, Barrelhouse, Fence, Hawai`i Review

We publish writing only, no visual art. Some of the writers we admire include: Kristiana Kahakauwila, Lisa Linn Kanae, Craig Santos Perez, Denis Johnson, Toni Morrison, and many others.

One of the things that makes us unique is that we are staffed entirely by undergraduates. We also publish on a rolling basis, so our response and turnaround time is often much quicker than other publications.

Please review our submission requirements carefully. We try to manage expectations as closely as we can. Also, because we work on a short timeline, we look for work that's finished and polished.

Honestly, the most common mistake is that poets submit several poems as one submission...rather than as separate submissions. It doesn't upset me too much, as I realize that other magazines have the opposite policy, but it does mess up our review process a little.

I, personally, do like to read cover letters. I like to keep track of who is sending to us, where they are at in their careers, and what they know about our journal. However, my staff cares very little. They are all undergrads, so they're pretty nonplussed about other publications. But as young ambitious writers, they're also interested in being a venue that's keen on discovering new talent.

In general, all pieces get a fairly thorough reading from all or some of our staff. Because I am constantly training new readers, I don't encourage them to pass on a piece without fully reading it.

Each piece is read and discussed by my staff of undergraduates. Any piece that they find promising is then read by me. Pieces that are on the bubble are then discussed further--either by myself and the Managing Editor, or with the entire staff.

As mentioned earlier, we don't do a lot of developmental editing. For better or worse, it's a luxury we just can't afford. We definitely do copy editing and proofreading, not just for errors but to keep certain usage issues consistent across the whole magazine.

Yes, with enthusiasm. I feel that this is part of my job as an editor. Recently, pieces from our magazine have been featured in the Best of the Net Anthology and the Pushcart Prize Anthology. Wordpress.com has also featured our work in their yearly roundups Nothing has brought me more pride as an editor than bringing that next level of attention to our contributors.