Editor Interview: SPAM zine

Post-internet poetics

Futurepoem, Nightboat, If A Leaf Falls, Broken Sleep Books, The 87 Press, Sad Press, Zarf, Monitor Books, Book Works, Prototype, Troll Thread, Wonder,

Bernadette Mayer, Sophie Collins, Tom McCarthy, Tan Lin, Vahni Capildeo, Nisha Ramayya, Callie Gardner, Colin Herd, Marie Buck, Lana Del Rey, John Wieners, Kay Gabriel, Shelley Jackson, Bunny Rogers, Rob Kiely, Nicky Melville, Jackie Wang, Precious Okoyomon, Nikki Wallschlaeger, CAConrad, Ariana Reines, Alice Notley, Hannah Black, Frank O'Hara....literally we are leaving out a thousand ppl though, how could you choose?!!!

SPAM began as a hybrid experiment: watch pop culture and ~high theory make love on the internet. Combining the cringe detritus of daily life within Web 2.0 and a vigorous commitment to conceptualism, lyric, traditional and concrete forms, SPAM is an ambitious publisher of poetry and poetics. We also operate as a literary journal for criticism and reviews (focusing predominantly on small press, DIY and independent publications), a podcast, magazine and community platform. We bring a distinctly Scottish flavour to the UK radical poetics scene, but always already zooming outwards through the chaotic highway of our digital nativity.

Please read our submissions guidelines thoroughly, be experimental and bold; read previous SPAM publications to get a sense for our diverse and expansive poetry appetite. Challenge us in how the 'post-internet' operates in your work.

One of our favourite subs was a zine spread that literally said I CAN STILL SMELL ONIONS like eight times. We've accepted fake TripAdvisor reviews as poetry. But we also adore the high lyrical play of a book-length work or a zany wee sequence. There is no ideal submission.........

Submitting out of open windows, sending without cover letter. Being arrogant or offensive.

We love a cover letter! Nothing formal, but an author bio plus casual introduction makes so much difference. Tell us why you want to publish with SPAM! Where do you think your work would fit in with existing publications? What does it do that's distinct? Give us a sense of your personality :)

Depends. We generally try to read everything thoroughly and since we have several editors, a piece is always read by at least two people before being rejected.

Does this piece speak to our interests at SPAM, as a post-internet press? Is it correctly formatted and presented? Does it seem rushed and full of typos or has the author clearly taken the time to redraft and arrange their work? Is it feasible to publish this work within our publishing model and editorial capacities (see previous SPAM titles for a sense of our vibe)? Does this author seem excited about working with us? Does the work challenge our understanding of internet aesthetics?

Back in the day, we'd haunt the coffee shops and bars of Glasgow to go through stacks of print outs, reading some aloud and debating fiercely. For our zine, we took great care in coming up with a galvanising theme and set of prompts. The magazine is a bit looser and submissions-directed. We tend to meet over Zoom (our editors are in many different places such as London, Glasgow, Leeds and Berlin) and do marathon reading sessions, drawing from a spreadsheet where we respond individually to works through a convoluted traffic light system. The process is truly collaborative: one editor may dislike the work initially but find their opinion swayed after debate and discussion (and vice versa). Each editor has unique tastes and brings a range of experience to the table (from lyric to translation, e-lit and conceptual writing). We like to think about publishing in 'seasons' and so often the decision falls on the question of how one work will speak to another in this way.

This varies a lot between poets. Sometimes we don't even touch a poem except to typeset and correct a few minor formatting things. Other times, we make substantial and collaborative edits with the author and editor(s), in a fair and open conversation. Authors have found this process to be rewarding and enriching. Some works will have two editors assigned to them so it's rarely just one person's word. We do provide editing, copy editing and basic proofreading, and the author gets to approve all final edits.

We do our best, although working at a small scale can sometimes make it difficult! We're always on the lookout for eligible prizes, and are open to authors bringing other awards to our attention.