Editor Interview: Fischer Poetry Prize Go to the listing List all editor interviews Edit answers (editors only) Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.Don't publish we produceArt Goodtimes, Program Director on 20 February 2026What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?Lithic Press of Fruita, ColoradoArt Goodtimes, Talking Gourds Director on 20 February 2026If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?Since we produce events, contests and awards for poetry, it's performance poets that we favor. Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer of Placerville CODanny Rosen of Fruita COWendy Videlock of Palisade COEllen Metrick of Norwood CODaiva Cesonis of Norwood CORuth Duffy of Nucla COMike Olschewsky of Nucla COthe late Andrea Gibson of Boulder COthe late Jack Mueller of Log Hill Village COPaulo Munguía of Montrose COArt Goodtimes, Talking Gourds Director on 24 July 2026What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?Our contests, the Fischer and Cantor Poetry Prize offer feedback and $3500 in prizes for a low submission fee.Art Goodtimes, Talking Gourds Director on 24 July 2026What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?Read up on the final judge each year and see what kind of work they write and what they favor.Check on the winners from years pastArt Goodtimes, Talking Gourds Director on 24 July 2026Describe the ideal submission.powerful story or themegreat languageapt & novel metaphorsextraordinary or timely subjectsocially transformativeArt Goodtimes, Talking Gourds Director on 24 July 2026What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?All the little technical directions on naming files, fonts to use, format, etc.Art Goodtimes, Talking Gourds Director on 24 July 2026How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?We need contacts (name, address, email, phone), bioCover letters not needed.Bios are needed when we choose winners (first prize, finalists, honorable mentions) and get published on our webpage each year and then archived. But it is a blind final judgment process, so previous publication credits really don't matter. Only the poems.Art Goodtimes, Talking Gourds Director on 24 July 2026If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?Poetry submissions we read to the end mostly, unless it goes on in the same vein, weak, cliched, meanderingArt Goodtimes, Talking Gourds Director on 24 July 2026What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?There are a number of preliminary reviews and then a final blind judgmentWe identify it as an eight-step processArt Goodtimes, Talking Gourds Director on 24 July 2026What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?chaotic, busy, bruising, wonderfulArt Goodtimes, Talking Gourds Director on 24 July 2026How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?Zilch. We never edit, just provide feedback on poems that work and those that don't (trying to share why in our opinion the poem merited its judgment)Art Goodtimes, Talking Gourds Director on 24 July 2026Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?We consider our Fischer and Cantor Poetry Prizes with their national and international participants (30 years for the Fischer and 9 years for the Cantor) national/international awards.Art Goodtimes, Talking Gourds Director on 24 July 2026How is your project funded?We have several major donors, a few small donors, contest fees, and local grants.Art Goodtimes, Talking Gourds Director on 24 July 2026How do you promote your project and published authors/artists?Ads in Poets & Writers, listing in Duotrope, maintain our website, publish press releases to media and monthly mailing listsArt Goodtimes, Talking Gourds Director on 24 July 2026 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