Editor Interview: The Malahat Review

Variety for varied tastes

Arc, The Capilano Review, The Fiddlehead, Poetry, Prairie Fire.

Fiction: Michael Ondaatje, Colm Tobin, Elizabeth Hay, Alan Hollinghurst.
Poetry: Louise Gluck, Carolyn Forche, Erin Moure, Mark Doty.

The quality, integrity, and vulnerability of the writing.

Read the submission guidelines, send us work that surprises, be patient.

Coherent, polished, engaging, well-written prose and poetry that possesses emotional gravity.

Submittors often send work that's been printed with insufficient toner and in a font that's not easy on the eyes. All the submisisons we receive remain in their original envelopes as they circulate. Too many submittors cram their thick, badly folded submissions into business #10 envelopes. Folding adds wear and tear to a submission before it is even read. A 10 x 14 envelope means the submission comes in flat,remains flat and is not the victim of constant and hasty refolding by successive internal readers. Finally, many submittors feel they must beguile us with a list of testimonials from other writers about the merits of their work or enclose business cards that state "writer" or "poet" as their profession. Both strategies are unncessary. The work is testimonial enough.

Submittors should only enclose a short biographical note on a seperate page or preferably in the body of the cover letter. It should cite a few significant or recent publication credits and any relevant awards, professional accomplishments, or educational afflications. We discourage attaching a detailed resume or a glossy author photo.

It quickly becomes apparent if a submission should be screened in for serious consideration. How much reading is required really varies. With poetry the whole submission would usually be skimmed; with prose, three or four pages might have to be read before the merits of the writing become clear.

Once a piece has been screened in for consideration, it will usually be read by every member of the editorial board for the genre in question. Occasionally, a submission is returned after two or three board members have read it. Most screened-in submissions will be discussed at editorial meetings where final decisions are made. These meetings are held every six to eight weeks in order to lock in enough content for each quarterly issue.

It's very diverse. My position is a cross between editor-in-chief and managing editor position. I am responsible for content and am often reading and editing poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction that's been accepted for publication. I am distracted from this pleasurable work by crises pertaining to the budget, design, printing, circulation, and marketing. I work closely with those responsible for these important tasks.