Editor Interview: The Loyalhanna Review

Eclectic annual anthology

Poets & Writers, Smithsonian Magazine, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and National Geographic.

My favorite writers include Annie DIllard, Jean Shepherd, Charles Dickens, Sharyn McCrumb, David McCullough, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Anne Tyler.

The Loyalhanna Review presents a wonderful variety of short stories, poetry, and art/photography. Content has generally been selected from unpublished authors and artists native to Western Pennsylvania. However, thanks to our online presence, we have garnered submissions from many other states and countries.

Check the Loyalhanna Review Archives for examples of previously accepted work. Read the submission requirements and adhere to each step.

The ideal submission should demonstrate creativity and/or scholarship to entertain and enlighten readers. We like when the content of the story/poem/article/artwork starts a conversation.

The most common error is non-compliance with the formatting guidelines.

The guidelines specify everything we need to know about the author/artist at the outset, including a request for a 50-word biography that will be used if the submission is chosen for publication.

The editorial staff reads each piece to the end, though we can often tell from the start if an item will be acceptable. Currently we have three readers, and we meet to discuss the merits of each submission before accepting, asking for revision, or declining the entry.

We check for originality to avoid any potential issues of plagiarism.

When a submission is received, I log the person's information and check for compliance. If any points are missing, I will contact the individual. Then I prepare the document to be shared with the reading committee. I read the item once for content and decide if it is generally appropriate for our audience. Subsequent readings will review for technical issues and overall readiness for publication. The reading committee meets to discuss the merits of each submission before deciding if an item will be accepted as is, returned to the author for some revision, or declined.

We expect the authors to have put forth their best effort before submitting an item, so we do not provide substantive editing. If the reading committee believes an item has merit but needs revision, we will suggest improvements and a short deadline that the author may or may not accept. Line editing and copy editing may be part of the final review. The author has the final approval of changes with the understanding that if they do not accept our proposed edits we may decline to publish. Proofreading is part of the vetting process and we take several passes over a piece before we go to press.

We have not nominated a published item for other awards.