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Editor Interview: Story Unlikely

Q: Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.

A: Stories of all stripes!

Q: If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?

A: Ray Bradbury, John Steinbeck, Kurt Vonnegut, George RR Martin - writers who combine the best of literary and genre.

Q: What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?

A: We don't care about genre or anything related to the author (their pedigree or lack there of, diversity or lack there of). Here, it's all about merit: writing the best stories and pushing the boundaries of what an author can do with their own imagination, creativity, and skill.

Q: What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?

A: Read a lot. Write a lot. Practice and critique! You don't attain high levels of writing without a healthy diet of all the above.

Q: Describe the ideal submission.

A: There is none in specificity - surprise us! But you have to have the craft down, no matter what genre or type of story you're submitting. Generically, ideal submissions come from authors who've labored of their writing and know what they are doing. These are a joy to read.

Q: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?

A: We don't respond to rejections. Depending on the contest/general submission period, paying member or not, submissions get reviewed in a set amount of days. If accepted, we'll notify you. If not, we won't. Please, don't ask about the status of your submission! =)

Q: If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?

A: Many stories get ‘bumped’ before we finish reading the first page (that’s right, we’re a merciless bunch). A trained eye can tell the quality of a story and the ability of the storyteller from early on, so tighten that opening!

Q: What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?

A: Taking care of everything else =) We're all volunteers, so we do the editor business in between our day jobs; reading lots of submissions, prepping the next issue, endless communication and coordination.

Q: How important do you feel it is for publishers to embrace modern technologies?

A: To each his own. We don't use social media because we don't think it's a good use of our time for the magazine, but we utilize all sorts of tech that helps boost our efficiency. Each publisher has to make those decisions for themselves.

Q: How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?

A: Depends on the story. Some get published with maybe only a word or two altered. Others go through several rounds of labor intensive rewrites. If edits are required, we get author approval for everything except spelling, grammar, punctuation, or any other errors.