Editor Interview: Unsustainable Magazine

Sustainability & Climate

National Geographic is the magazine that most inspired me. I grew up reading it, and am often moved to tears by its wonderfully insightful and excellently written features. Other publications I enjoy or admire at the moment include Medium, New Scientist, Darling, and Frankie.

My favourite writers are those who have been with me since the very beginning, who believed in my publication even before I had clearly defined what I wanted it to be, and shared my passion enough to want to be a part of it: Christina De La Rocha, Deogracias Benjamin Kalima, and Little Miss Expat.

I have a high editorial and aesthetic standard, and I'm very supportive of new and emerging writers.

Be clear and passionate about the topic you wish to cover, and be sure it relates to sustainability, the environment, or ethics.

An article of 1,500-2,500 words, submitted by Google docs, with pictures already inserted and links to scholarly articles.

Submitting articles that in no way relate to my publication's central topics.

I would prefer a simple introductory email telling me who you are, the topic you wish to write about, and what you hope to gain by being published. I consider every submission, regardless of credits, experience, or education.

I can generally tell by the introductory email if I will be able to work with a potential writer. I read every submission to the end, and if a piece isn't right I will reply with often extensive feedback.

A check of facts, links, and resources. I will not publish anything that relies on questionable source material or makes claims that I cannot verify.

As my schedule is busy, I will often skim an article at first, and take a few days to consider its strengths and weaknesses. I will then delve into it in detail and create a version with tracked changes. Then I will return this copy to the writer for them to consider my suggestions.

I expect a certain standard, but I will gladly put the time in to help new writers, or writers for whom English is not a native language, to meet this standard. Thus, the amount of editing can vary wildly. I often accept pieces with no changes at all, while some pieces have required extensive revision until both the author and myself were satisfied with the result.

No, not at this time.