Editor Interview: Kokako Go to the listing List all editor interviews Edit answers (editors only) Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.Haiku tanka haiga haibunGraham Bates, Editor-in-chief on 13 December 2023What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?Eucalypt, Catalyst, Chrysanthemum, Failed Haiku, The Haiku Down Under Anthology, New Zealand Poetry Society anthology, Acorn, Frogpond, Modern HaikuGraham Bates, Editor-in-chief on 13 December 2023If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?Matsuo Basho, Yosa Buson, Kobayashi Issa, Masaoka Shiki, Ban'ya Natsuishi, Gavin Austin, Margaret Beverland, Owen Bullock, Nola Borrell, Doc Drumheller, Patricia Prime, Sandra Simpson, Barry Smith, Tom Staudt, Debbie Strange, Gregory Piko, Cynthia Rowe, Barbara Strang, Ron C. Moss, Roberta Beary, Lew Watts, Rich Youmanns, Michael Dylan Welch, Beverly George, Julie Thorndyke.Graham Bates, Editor-in-chief on 13 December 2023What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?While we are based in New Zealand, we are open to submissions from around the world.There is no cost to subscribe or to submit.Along with haiku, we also publish senryu, tanka, haiga and haibun, as well as reviews of recently released books in these genres.Graham Bates, Editor-in-chief on 13 December 2023What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?Haiku do not need to be 17 syllables.Neither will we be counting syllables on tanka. We are a contemporary haiku journal, though we consider the traditional Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi to be fundamental.Graham Bates, Editor-in-chief on 13 December 2023Describe the ideal submission.Up to 8 pieces of carefully composed work.I recommend going to our website and downloading past issues of Kokako for free, and reading them to get a feel for what we are looking for.If you intend on submitting haiga, I recommend looking at Buson, Steven Addiss, Ron C. Moss, or Debbie Strange.For haibun it's worth reading the book 'Haibun: A Writer's Guide'.Graham Bates, Editor-in-chief on 13 December 2023What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?Spelling errors, poor punctuation.Poetic license in haiku is fine. Some capitalize their first person pronouns and others don't.We are open to such stylistic choices.Generally we don't capitalize the first letter of the first line though.Graham Bates, Editor-in-chief on 13 December 2023How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?At this point, we don't want to know anything about the submitter. Previous publication credits don't matter to us.Graham Bates, Editor-in-chief on 13 December 2023If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?We read each piece to the end.Graham Bates, Editor-in-chief on 13 December 2023What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?A piece will have been read through by at least two editors, including myself.Graham Bates, Editor-in-chief on 13 December 2023How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?It would be unusual for us to make any edits, though if there is a minor adjustment that could get a particular poem over the line we may contact the writer about it to get their approval.Graham Bates, Editor-in-chief on 13 December 2023Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?No.Graham Bates, Editor-in-chief on 13 December 2023 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