Editor Interview: Tiger Bark Press

Contemporary Poetry

Lost Horse Press, Copper Canyon, BOA, Pitt.

Personal favorite poets include a wide range... Brigit Pegeen Kelly, Alicia Ostriker, Dorianne Laux, Kim Addonizio, Carl Dennis, Yusek Komunyakaa, Lynn Emanuel, Donika Kelly, and countless others.

Hard to say, really, as we do not have a particular defined aesthetic and are not part of any movement. We print books we love, and we are not afraid to take risks... hopefully that comes across in our list.

Read poets we've already been published, as that might give you some sense of what we've loved in the past... but don't let it stop you from submitting, either. Sometimes, the reason we love a book is simply because it is unlike anything else we've ever read.

The ideal manuscript has a distinctive voice, arresting music, and whether subtle or obvious, a combination of formal skill and play. It reminds me why I read poetry in the first place. It either makes me want to turn the page to devour the next poem, or stop turning pages to process what I just experienced.

We are a very small press, and the work involved in the press (for which nobody is paid) has to take a back seat to demanding "real jobs." Remember, also, that we print four books per year... typically 1-2 of those are from authors we've published in the past. We may truly enjoy your manuscript, but not have the funds or bandwidth to include it in our list.

A cover letter that gives us a little information about your publication history is always nice... any previous books especially, any notable journal publications, and anything else you'd like to tell us. We don't need a lot.

We approach every manuscript simply as a reader who wants to be moved, to be excited. If we're a few poems into your manuscript, and we are not yet excited, it's already too late (though we'll typically read at least a few more pages just in case). I heartily recommend Sven Birkerts' essay "Submission Guidelines," originally published in Agni, and findable online... he writes eloquently about exactly this topic.

Not applicable.

We have two volunteer first-readers who review all incoming manuscripts and provide feedback to the publisher. Manuscripts that don't at least attract their attention do not make it to the publisher for final consideration. From there, the publisher reads and rereads, and eventually commits to publishing a manuscript (or returns it with thanks).

Depends on the manuscript. I'd say about half go to press without any tinkering at all, aside from correction of any errors that were discovered. For the other half, the publisher may suggest changes of various sorts... work on this poem some more, cut these two, move this poem to another area of the book, etc. Nothing wild: books that need major changes aren't accepted in the first place. For any suggestions we make, the author generally gets to say yay or nay... only in rare cases would we make an actual demand (I can only think of one such case, and it was to prevent potential lawsuits).

We do. We supply copies of books (if needed) for such nominations; authors are responsible for any fees.

By book sales, donations, and our own bank accounts.

Occasional ads in places like Poets & Writers, and our website.