Skip to Content

Editor Interview: SHiFT: A Journal of Literary Oddities

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

A: Literary oddities

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

A: PANK!
The Rumpus
McSweeney's
Black Girl Dangerous
Queen Mob's Teahouse

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

A: Favorite writers: George Saunders, Mohsin Hamid, Carmen Maria Machado, Emily Ruskovich, Louise Erdrich, Jeanette Winterson, James Baldwin, Italo Calvino.

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

A: We have no rules, really, about what you can or can't submit. We're open to anything, even hybrid works.

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

A: Send us your weird stuff.

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

A: Submissions are rolling, but we read the majority of the subs in August, September, and October.

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

A: We love cover letters! We love publishing new writers, but do let us know if you have previous pub credits.

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

A: We give it about 3 pages.

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

A: Each piece gets read by at least two readers, plus an editor, plus me.

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

A: In the fall, the magazine is put together through a class, so in this class, each day we're reading and making decisions. Each pieces is read by two readers, then by an editor, then by me. We decide final decisions in a group meeting, and then send out our rejections and acceptances. The rest of the semester, then, is devoted to putting the journal together.

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

A: Very. The world is changing, and the lit journals need to change with it.

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

A: We often do line editing. If a piece needs substantial revision, we don't accept it. But if there are some awkward lines, we will address those before publication. Author always gets to approve final edits.