Q: Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.
A: ambitious in form/content
Q: What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?
A: Blackbird; Exquisite Corpse; Fence; Conduit; Smokelong Quarterly;
Q: If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?
A: Fiction: Gabriel Garcia Marquez; Michael Martone; Thomas Pynchon; Earnest Hemingway; Don DeLillo; Italo Calvino.
Poetry: Adrienne Rich; Robert Pinsky; Marie Howe; Leslie Scalapino; Jorie Graham; Carolyn Forche.
Q: What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?
A: We regularly publish a wider swath of literary and literary related materials (including drama and visual art) than most other journals. We also pay as much attention to language as we do content.
Q: What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?
A: We ask that authors interested in submitting work to Midway spend some time with the back issues to get a good feel for the type of work we are willing to consider.
Q: Describe the ideal submission.
A: We look first for work that is both aesthetically ambitious and literary.
Q: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?
A: They submit outside of the submissions period.
Q: How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?
A: We read all cover letters. We want to know a little bit about the authors we publish. And, from time to time, we publish cover letters if they are interesting enough and approach art. Authors should list publications, but we are not swayed by credentials. Just the work.
Q: If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?
A: I personally will give each piece of fiction that I read at least three pages before I decide firmly whether it will make the cut.
Q: What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?
A: Not all work is publishable as is. I give each accepted piece a thorough reading and will make suggestions for revision to many of pieces before they are ready for print.
Q: What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?
A: I read a lot of stories.
Q: How important do you feel it is for publishers to embrace modern technologies?
A: Publishing trends are changing. Everyone in the industry should be ready to embrace the changes.