Q: Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.
A: Avant-garde, Experimental
Q: If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?
A: Favorite writers: Wally Lamb (I Know This Much is True), Christina Schwarz (Drowning Ruth), Raymond Carver (Cathedral), Stephen King (The Shining), Amy Lowell (Bath), Rebecca Wells (Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood), William Shakespeare (Hamlet), Rod Serling (The Twilight Zone), Hwang Dong-hyuk (Squid Games), Alan Ball (American Beauty), Sherwood Anderson (Winesburg, Ohio), Janet Fitch (White Oleander), James Frey (A Million Little Pieces), Curtis Sittenfeld (Prep). That's just a few of them!
Q: What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?
A: Midsummer Dream House is not just a publication but a community.
Q: What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?
A: We consider the piece, not the biography or any publication credits. We ask for those in the event of publication but whether someone has been previously published and where, does not impact our view or decision on a submission. I would encourage anyone submitting who received a rejection to submit again, if they would like to. We give every submission a fresh look and equal chance at publication. We also publish past contributors and enjoy keeping in touch with readers and writers of Midsummer Dream House.
Q: Describe the ideal submission.
A: Great writing! That's what we look for.
Q: How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?
A: We care most about the writing being submitted. Cover letters are nice, publication credits do not matter.
Q: If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?
A: I read the entire piece before making a decision to accept or reject it.
Q: How important do you feel it is for publishers to embrace modern technologies?
A: I think it's based on preference. Some publishers may be more comfortable with reading hard-copy submissions, have an easier time organizing electronic submissions, dislike social media in general, and prefer to only print physical issues rather than to double-up with digital copies, and so on. I don't have a strong preference either way but, I have leaned towards print and digital copies, electronic submissions, and maintaining an online social presence. But who knows. That could change!
Q: How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?
A: It depends on the piece. Most pieces do not undergo editing but some do. I always read a piece twice prior to publication in an attempt to catch typos or minor errors. If a piece is edited, we only proceed with this if the author is agreeable, and do not accept and then suggest edits, we always suggest edits and then accept. Sometimes I will edit the piece myself but for the most part, the author edits the piece, and then I look it over.
Q: Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?
A: We intend to start nominating work in the near future.