Q: Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.
A: Minimalist genre poetry
Q: What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?
A: Star*Line, Dwarf Stars, Hiraeth Books Publications
Q: If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?
A: Favorite Authors: Frank Herbert, Tyree Campbell, Scott Nicolay, Lloyd Daub, and Christina Sng. Favorite Artists: Lawrence Hollien, 7ARS, Sandy DeLuca, Denny Marshall, Marge Simon
Q: What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?
A: There aren't many publications like Scifaikuest! We not only publish MINIMALIST poetry, but minimalist GENRE poetry. We specialize in sf, fantasy, and horror poetry written in minimal forms such as scifaiku, tanka, haibun, sijo, cinquain and senryu. We at Hiraeth have also invented a new poetic form: the drabbun! We strive to present the very best of these forms and to spread the word about minimal genre poetry.
Q: What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?
A: Follow our guidelines! If in doubt, query. If you aren't familiar with the poetic forms that we publish, READ our magazine before submitting your poetry, and learn about the proper forms.
Q: Describe the ideal submission.
A: Concise, immediate poetry in the proper poetic form. EACH poem labeled and signed with name or pen name. NO double spacing. Short bio and FULL contact information included.
Q: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?
A: They either don't follow the guidelines, or they have no concept of the correct poetic forms.
Q: How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?
A: A short (just a sentence or two) bio that is geared toward the poet, NOT just a list of publication credits, and full contact information including: name, snail mail address, email address, PayPal address (for payment).
Q: If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?
A: Because we publish minimal poetry, I read the complete poems and ALL of the poems submitted, and then accept or decline accordingly.
Q: What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?
A: I evaluate not only the concept of the poem, but also the form. If the poem has good concepts, but bad form, I usually write to the author with suggestions on how they can alter the poem to fit the proper form while still retaining the original idea, if this is possible.
Q: What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?
A: I usually read for an issue on WEDNESDAYS. I read submissions and accept or decline, often making suggestions or comments.
Q: How important do you feel it is for publishers to embrace modern technologies?
A: I like both traditional and current technologies, and see the importance in each, although I do prefer electronic submissions and do not accept mailed submissions except in rare instances.
Q: How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?
A: It depends. I always remove unnecessary punctuation or upper case letters (not proper form), if a poem requires more editing, I make suggestions on how to make improvements. I sometimes ask for re-writes.
Q: Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?
A: Yes, I nominate material for Dwarf Stars.