Q: Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.
A: Healing through Art
Q: What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?
A: Roi Fainéant Press
Milk Candy Review
SmokeLong Quarterly
Spare Parts Lit
Funny Pearls, UK
Q: If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?
A: Writers: Jean-Paul Sartre, Aldous Huxley, John Irving, Maeve Binchy, Celeste Ng, Gail Honeyman, Philippe Delerm, Cecelia Ahern.
Poets: Charles Baudelaire, Victor Hugo, Paul Verlaine
Artists: Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Alphonse Maria Mucha, Banksy
Q: What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?
A: We care deeply about the pieces we publish and the artists themselves. We offer a caring and respectful environment by always communicating with the creators and listening to them.
Each issue creates its own story by linking the written pieces with artwork.
Q: What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?
A: Submit, you won't know unless you try.
We read blind and publish the work that touches us the most.
We do our best to send a personalised answer to every submitter and also pick one story to offer full feedback during our submission call.
Q: Describe the ideal submission.
A: Emotion so raw, it shines through the words, leaving its mark on the reader.
Q: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?
A: Submitters rarely follow the guidelines, and although we read everything we receive, if we hesitate between two pieces, the one following the guidelines is more likely to get published.
The writing might be beautiful, but if the story, the emotions don't come through, get lost in the stunning descriptions, we won't publish it.
Many stories feel unfinished. It could be plot holes, not going deep/raw enough, a lack of voice, or an ending that doesn't offer closure... if something is lacking that would require too much editing for the story to shine, we usually pass.
Q: How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?
A: We always look at the work first and then take a peek at the answers on the form. However, we never check previous publications - they have zero relevance regarding our decision to publish or not.
When it comes to artwork, we like a sentence or two about the inspiration behind the art. It helps us place the work within the magazine, to link it to the written pieces.
Q: If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?
A: We can usually guess early on if a piece is a good fit or not, but we read everything sent to us from beginning to end before making a decision.
Q: What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?
A: I work best in the morning, but nothing gets done until I've had a double espresso.
I read through the pieces as they come and organise them using three folders. Yes - No - Maybe.
Once I have enough pieces to work with/choose from, I close the submissions. Most answers are sent within a week - two weeks at most. I take a little longer with the artwork because of the need for the visual pieces to link the written ones- to create a flow.
Q: How important do you feel it is for publishers to embrace modern technologies?
A: I believe that there is room for traditional and modern publishing. Each editor/publisher should do what works best for them.
Q: How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?
A: We suggest editing for some pieces and print others without changing a comma. Our aim is always to make the story shine.
If we believe that some editing would be beneficial, we suggest it to the author, who then decides. Nothing is published without the artists' approval - we send proofs and keep in touch with all our contributors throughout the process.
Q: Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?
A: Since we're quite new at this, we don't, but we are hoping to start nominating for awards in the near future.