Editor Interview: Barstow & Grand

Upper Midwestern words

Gulf Coast, New South, Storm Cellar--we feel a special connection to all the outlets hoping to strengthen the literary character of their home regions while they seek to build bridges with the larger national and international writing communities.

We try to be a bit more approachable than some of our larger literary brothers and sisters. Sending out work is hard, receiving rejections is even harder. If we can serve as a gentler option for those early steps in writers' lives, we feel like we've accomplished something worthwhile.

Do everything you can to learn the etiquette and processes of the literary publishing world. A tall order, no doubt! But by submitting, you're joining a community of thousands upon thousands of people who love writing and are trying to share their art with the world. The better we understand each other, the better we get along, the better these processes will work for everyone.

A polished and concise piece of writing that connects the hallmarks of midwestern writing (tradition, nature, seasons, suburban and rural life, etc.) with some new perspective or creative take that makes us nod in that special midwestern way when we're done reading.

We care about cover letters! We've never rejected a piece of writing because of anything we've learned in a cover letter, but we have accepted pieces from authors that help expand the scope of our journal and the representation it contains.

Every submission (that meets our guidelines!) is read to completion by our reader team and at least one editor.

We're all literary publishing hobbyists with full-time day jobs, including teachers, professors, freelance writers, librarians, and more. We work remotely and gather in the summer to construct the issue.

We have published pieces exactly as they were submitted, and we have worked with authors on much more extensive edits. That process is negotiated between author and editor, and we take care that both parties are happy with the work involved and with the result.

Yes! We nominate for the Pushcart Prize and are currently looking to participate in other awards as well.