Editor Interview: redrosethorns journal

Mental health & sexuality

The inspiration for redrosethorns publishing came from a publication called, 'All of It.' For smaller publications, I read Coffee and Conversations, Writerly Magazine, Feminist Spaces Journal, The Anti-Misogynist Club, and Rebelle Society. I am sure there are more, but this is all that comes to my mind at the moment. But I mostly read books, and am particularly obsessed with books on witches or witchcraft. It is the most fascinating part of history I have ever learned.

It's hard to choose a favourite. I love non-fiction and especially feminist writing. bell hooks is a particular favourite, but honestly, if it has to do with gender, feminism, politics and mental health, I love consuming all the knowledge around these subjects, even in fiction writing. I do admire authors such as V.E. Schwab, Silvia Federici, Lola Olufemi, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, to name a few, and I would be in heaven if I ever had the opportunity to publish any of these writers, plus a hundred others.
When it comes to those I have already published, I will refrain from sharing any particular favourites to prevent isolating one from the other. Obviously, I love all the work from the authors I have published.

The work we published in our online publication, redrosethorns journal, is centred around mental health, self-care, gender and sexuality. They are broad subjects but very specific compared to many other publications, and we accept all genres and styles with the intent of highlighting how diverse and inclusive these subjects are. Plus, we host events that incorporate art and literature around our themes, bringing literature to life, if you will and a space where we can foster community, support and engagement around these subjects. I don't think many publishing companies do this, or at least if they do, their events are about writing and how to get published. Ours are about the work we publish and teaching others that reading and writing can be educational, healing, creative, and create connections. The journal stands at the core of this mission.

Be creative in your work. We want diversity, which means we don't only want pieces to be a variety of genres and styles, but to showcase your uniqueness or your weirdness. Break the barriers of what you think others want to read and write something you actually want to say. The themes we select are so broad that we want our contributors to think outside the box and really play with their own interpretations of the subjects. And never don't submit because you think your work is not good enough. It is probably better than you realise.

I love pieces that push against the barriers a little, that force one to not just think outside the box but to paint a narrative that doesn't need boxes or confinement. I love reading pieces that blow my mind and make me realise I didn't even think of this. It doesn't have to be good in the sense of perfect, grammatical writing, or even an original story, but one's true voice comes out when they let go of the societal restrictions imposed on them. And it is beautiful and powerful.

Some submissions come in that don't have anything to do with the subjects we publish. It is clear that writers are submitting their work to as many publications as possible, as they are trying to play a numbers game. And I get it, as it is true that you will get more rejections than acceptances. But I would discourage this as one, it wastes everyone's time, and two, it doesn't foster any connection with one's work. Rather, take the time to learn more about the publication and submit work that fits in with what the publishers are looking for. Think of publishing as a relationship, not a competition. You don't need to be a die-hard follower of the publication, but you do need to understand what it is that they are trying to build and what work they tend to gravitate toward.

I don't mind either way if others share more about themselves. It is rarely a factor used when selecting a submission for publication, though it is interesting to have some background information. I don't care for cover letters per se, but I do appreciate learning more about other publications when authors share their publication credits.

It would have to be incoherent not to read until the end. Otherwise, I read every piece entirely, and sometimes I read pieces multiple times before making a decision. This is usually because the piece might force me to open my mind about how they are tying in the story with our themes. It isn't always so black and white.

Our journal is centred around our main publication themes of mental health, self-care, gender and sexuality, which is the first criterion we seek to be accepted. We also look for pieces that provide more complex insight into these subjects. The themes are incredibly broad and nuanced, and we want our overall publication to reflect the diversity found within society, which includes the messy parts that sit on the edges of these subjects.

I read the submissions as they come in, about once or twice a week. And I sort them into the relevant sections that align with our themes. I set time aside to work on editing the ones I want to publish and send out the rejections and acceptances. The rest of the time, I work on looking for images to go along with the published pieces, marketing, and researching more ways I can get people's work out there. Now that we also run events, I invite those who were published with us to join our open mics as headliners to share their writing aloud. Publishing is not only about being published but also about finding ways to get more people to read the work being published. And our ultimate goal is to have our publishing business foster engagement, community and connection.

I try to keep the author's voice as authentic as possible, which includes maintaining various dialects in English, and I don't do heavy edits where I change paragraphs or the tone and style of the piece. I look for consistency and flow, and make sure that in my editing, I am paying more attention to the syntax of the piece. I do provide line and copy editing and basic proofreading as a result.

I have not at this time.

We are currently fully funded by the revenue we generate through magazine and event sales, subscriptions, and donations provided within our community.

I use Substack to send out the work that has been published in our journal. Each week, our readers receive one of our publications directly to their email, and I promote the work as well as the authors on our social media platforms. We also use our events as a way to share our authors' work with others, where we offer open mics and live readings for people to share their writing.