Editor Interview: Bicoastal Review

Poetry, nonfiction

Winter Anthology, Southeast Review, Georgia Review, Columbia Journal, Lost Horse Press, Salt Hill, Phoebe, Leavings, The Shore, Orion, Terrain, EcoTheo, Deep Vellum, Copihue, Rhino, Zone 3, Pollux, Petrichor, Through Lines Magazine, Bullshit Lit, swamp pink

Bicoastal Review aims to build community with our readers and contributors. In addition to original works (particularly on themes of East Coast/West Coast cities, peoples, cultures, and ecologies), we are unique in welcoming ekphrastic writing that imitates, borrows from, challenges, or is otherwise in conversation with work we have previously published. Writers from anywhere in the world are encouraged to submit to us, and we arrange writing and art to corresponding themes in each issue that emerge organically - we do not have themed calls for submission.

We look for: Authenticity of voice, cohesion of conceit, and a sense that nothing is missing – that the poem has pushed as far as it could and dug up some gem from the depths of the unconscious. That it makes us feel something. That it can be read more than once to a greater effect. My common test of a submission that I am on the fence about is whether I remember it after 48 hours. If I do, that is a sign that the voice is strong, which is more important than the poem being perfect. If I have an edit for the poem, the writer is usually willing to hear me out and revise. As a small journal, we are able to value potential over perfection and build those relationships.
We receive many submissions of what is popular at the moment – narrative/prosaic poetry about self-identity. I would love to see more nonfiction submissions, critiques of anything going on in the literary world, examinations of history, ekphrastic writing, and lyrical ecopoetry.
Of course, we want everyone to read our guidelines, purchase print issues, and maybe even write us a little note about why they are submitting. When a submission is completely different in subject or tone from our usual vibe, it seems like the individual is just shooting blindly at too many journals. We also prefer to see at least 3 poems in one document, in 11-14 sized font.
I have a strong aversion to cliché, ripe fruit as sexual allusion, casual bashing of the feminine, poems that could have been short stories and accomplished the same result, childhood memories that are meaningful only to the writer, AI or bot poems, Instapoetry, poems that rely on aphorisms or proverbs, blunt rhetorical questions, lazy use of the word “thing,” poems that poorly use the word “dust,” and poems that explain themselves rather than letting an image speak.
We also do not accept any form of hate speech.

We prefer a short, third-person bio to get a sense of building community, and also to consider our submitters for our interview series.

Poems are all read 100% through, lengthy nonfiction may be read partially, but usually each submission is thoroughly looked at.

We sometimes email back and forth with our writers with minor edits to poems or works of nonfiction.

All of the above. As I am also a professional editor, I will gladly provide any and all comments that I have if I really want a poem to go into our next issue. And sometimes, I send back comments just to help out a fellow writer with a new perspective. Get in touch with me for editing at mkraiskaya.com

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