Q: Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.
A: Dark & emotional pieces
Q: What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?
A: Crow & Cross Keys
Green Ink Poetry
Nymphs
Epoch Press
Fly on the Wall
streetcake magazine
Selcouth Station
Full House Lit
Beir Bua
Cabinet of Heed
Hecate Magazine
Versification
Coffin Bell
Crow of Minerva
Not Deer Magazine
Q: If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?
A: I love to read widely both modern and old books and it's always a joy to discover a new poet or artist. My favourite writer is Sylvia Plath and my favourite artist is Salvador Dali - I love surrealism in all mediums.
Q: What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?
A: Acropolis is home for temples, ruins, darkness and myth. We hope this setting provides inspiration and aim to create a safe space for writers and artists to share deeply personal work. We look for that raw, visceral connection with the human experience, a unique perspective or striking imagery that conveys a place or feeling.
Q: What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?
A: Read our issues and send your darkest pieces! We love to inspire a piece but encourage writers and artists to nurture their own unique style. I always appreciate reading submissions but tend to publish pieces delving into the complexity of hope rather than happy endings. I really love random poetry that surprises me.
Q: Describe the ideal submission.
A: I love pieces that feel intimate - dark imagery with a touch of confessional - I tend to fall in love with submissions quickly and always look for an emotional connection for our readers; several submissions have made me cry. I love reading pieces inspired by myths of a writer's own creation or that explore archetypes.
Q: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?
A: Sometimes there's the odd mistake or not quite following the guidelines, we are quite forgiving and try to be flexible but sometimes time is a factor for us and we can't always ask to re-send. We do get some very beautiful, hopeful pieces that we enjoy reading but aren't in fitting with what we publish at Acropolis.
Q: How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?
A: We get some lovely personal cover notes that are so kind, which is always appreciated but a quick cover note is absolutely fine. Including any social media or personal website links is great, bios are optional and we don't mind if you have any previous publications or where you've been published before, we encourage emerging and under-represented writers to submit.
Q: If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?
A: I always read each submission a few times. Some pieces I love straight away but there are others I find myself wanting to return to and read over and over, often these are accepted too.
Q: What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?
A: Often it's how the pieces fit together as an issue - are any pieces too similar, contradictory, can they work together to tell a story or bring a theme to life. Occasionally I'll suggest a tiny edit or think about how the piece will be presented on our site - if it has any specific formatting I'll also add a PDF.
Q: What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?
A: When submissions open, we tend to get a lot in the first few days, then again at the end. This time is really exciting, I may read a few or have a quick glimpse. Then I'll probably read them in chunks and juggle this with e-mails, promoting on social media, and my own writing commitments. Often I read a few at night and it's always lovely to wake up to submissions waiting in the inbox.
Q: How important do you feel it is for publishers to embrace modern technologies?
A: We love that our online presence created the opportunity for worldwide submissions - we accept electronic submissions and our journal is online. We love print journals too - it's great for there to be both.
Q: How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?
A: We like to accept pieces as they come but occasionally suggest very small edits or slight edits to punctuation - these are always checked with the author and we send out proofs for each issue. We find pieces that break rules or experiment with form can often be refreshing so don't mind reading anything that varies from tradition.
Q: Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?
A: We are looking into nominating previous and future pieces for several awards.