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Editor Interview: Creatopia Magazine

This interview is provided for archival purposes. The listing is not currently active.

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

A: Beautiful Original Things

Q: What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?

A: Tin House, Make Magazine, Raw Vision, Rakes Progress

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

A: As Creative Director and Editor, it's a moving target and I'm drawn to the people I'm collaborating with at the moment.

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

A: We work with emerging and new creatives to bring their work to the world, sometimes for the first time, in a way that's supportive and encouraging.

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

A: We want everyone to be able share their work with the world. The basic secret – if you could call it that – is to create beautiful original things. Then, carefully read and follow the submission instructions.

Q: Describe the ideal submission.

A: One that follows ALL the instructions! Anything that causes us more steps and effort is an impediment. But most importantly: a submission that is unequivocally personal and unique to the creator!

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

A: Not following the instructions and submitting incorrect file formats and blurry images. Oh, and bios that are too long and not in third person.

Q: How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?

A: I want to know about their creative process and product more than their "credentials." A cover letter would be nice as long as it's not the standard blah-blah-blah but has the spark of the person writing it. I'd rather see them in their work than in a dry list of achievements.

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

A: Because we primarily publish short pieces, I read the whole thing before publishing; however, I do usually know within the first few paragraphs if it's going to fit our audience and viewpoint.

Q: What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?

A: As Creative Director, I generally make that decision myself. But, if there's a question (which isn't often) I'll ask my business partner to double check. This is usually to check a rejection, not an acceptance.

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

A: It's a focused and deliberate affair. I start with a list of the submissions and the related information (bio, headshot, etc.) for the issue at hand. Then, with the theme of the issue in mind, I methodically work through the submissions, choosing the ones that fit and support that issue. Unless there's a very large number of submissions, it's a one-time process per issue.

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

A: Creatopia Magazine is embracing both! We're digital in the sense that we only accept electronic submissions, use social media, and offer digital subscriptions as well as using a high-quality US based POD printer for our print edition. That said, we believe that print magazines are a strong contender in our attention fractured world for holding space for a restful respite from the digital rush. It's important to consider both to be able to meet our readers in today's ever-changing landscape.

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

A: We do reserve the right to edit, correct and revise written submissions to better fit our various publishing needs. If the need for substantial editing arises, the work is returned to the author for those changes, with some guidance as to what needs attention.

Q: Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?

A: Not at this time, but as our publishing catalog grows, we anticipate doing so.