Editor Interview: Making Waves Go to the listing List all editor interviews Edit answers (editors only) Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.Evocative & narrativeNicole Bernadette Birkett, Editor-in-chief on 31 January 2024What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?Third Wednesday, Dunes Review, Peninsula Poets, and Walloon Writers ReviewNicole Bernadette Birkett, Editor-in-chief on 31 January 2024If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?Jeanie Mortensen, Jack Ridl, Diane Wakoski, Fleda Brown, Anne-Marie Oomen, Karen Anderson, Linda Sandow, Andy Skinner, and Brian KainulainenNicole Bernadette Birkett, Editor-in-chief on 31 January 2024What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?We are based out of a small town in rural West Michigan and are run by a local writers group with the support of our community arts center.Nicole Bernadette Birkett, Editor-in-chief on 31 January 2024What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?Read our guidelines carefully and preview the previous issue on our website for an idea of what we like to read.Nicole Bernadette Birkett, Editor-in-chief on 31 January 2024Describe the ideal submission.Personal and specific while avoiding the trappings of cliché, over sentimentality, or too much repetition.Nicole Bernadette Birkett, Editor-in-chief on 31 January 2024What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?Submitting more works in one attachment than allowed and failing to remove their identifying information from their submission.Nicole Bernadette Birkett, Editor-in-chief on 31 January 2024How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?We don’t require or look for a cover letter, but we appreciate it when an author tells us their connection with West Michigan (if they have one). We also encourage our submitters to use the cover letter as a way to let us know if they're open to receiving feedback on their submission - specifically, if they're open to suggested edits and/or rewrites.Nicole Bernadette Birkett, Editor-in-chief on 31 January 2024If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?If the author has followed the submission guidelines, we review the whole piece and try to provide personal feedback (if requested in a cover letter). We do not read or review the pieces at all if the author has submitted more than the maximum number of poems or prose allowed per submission.Nicole Bernadette Birkett, Editor-in-chief on 31 January 2024What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?Multiple editors review the pieces and must agree on their inclusion or rejection before decisions are made. Any potentially helpful feedback is passed on to the submitter, if the submitter noted they are open to feedback.Nicole Bernadette Birkett, Editor-in-chief on 31 January 2024What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?Most of us work other full time jobs and review submissions on lunch hours and weekends. It’s exciting to see the submission notifications come in and to discuss each submission at our monthly review sessions.Nicole Bernadette Birkett, Editor-in-chief on 31 January 2024How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?After accepting a piece, the only edits made are typos or grammatical/spelling errors, and then, only with the author’s/artist’s permission. We may ask an author or artist to consider making specific changes before accepting a piece.Nicole Bernadette Birkett, Editor-in-chief on 31 January 2024Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?We have not nominated any work for national or international awards, yet, but we would like to in the future.Nicole Bernadette Birkett, Editor-in-chief on 31 January 2024 Cookie Consent: This site uses secure first-party cookies for essential, preference-setting, and statistical purposes. We do not use any marketing, advertising, or third-party cookies. Read our full cookie policy. Accept All Cookies Allow Essential Cookies Only