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Editor Interview: escarp

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

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

A: A literary peepshow.

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

A: Ninth Letter, Diagram, Pank, McSweeney’s Quarterly

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

A: Ezra Pound, Sarah Lindsay, Tony Hoagland, Jane Smiley, Gabriel García Márquez, Bob Hicok, Pablo Neruda, Zadie Smith, Don DeLillo, Claudia Rankine, William Carlos Williams, E.O. Wilson, Natasha Trethewey.

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

A: We put in a lot of work to give direction/advice/suggestions to our writers.

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

A: It’s like packing a suitcase. You have limited space, so plan ahead. Pack versatile clothes. Avoid wrinkles, over-packing and mess.

Q: Describe the ideal submission.

A: The spring-loaded snake in a 140-character peanut can.

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

A: Sometimes writers forget to include "/" line breaks and their Twitter @username at the end. We also don't do txtmsg spk unless it's integral to the piece and it's obvious you aren't just trying to skate around character restrictions.

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

A: Nothing more than your submission tells us.

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

A: The first 140 characters.

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

A: While our primary concern is whether or not to accept the piece, we also evaluate its potential to improve in revision and whether it'll work for mobile readers who may not have references handy.

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

A: We edit via SMS as submissions come in, so we work odd hours in weird places. Sometimes it wakes us up.

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

A: Maybe not embrace, but at least understand. Art's about exploring new territory. So, like, know what the possibilities are.