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Editor Interview: The Fib Review

Q: Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.

A: Fibonacci Poetry

Q: What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?

A: We admire small presses and publications that give an opportunity for a new poet as well as an established poet. TheRightEyedDeer, Adanna Literary Journal, Shot Glass Journal, a fine line, the Magazine of the New Zealand Poetry Society.

Q: If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?

A: Billy Collins, Lucille Clifton, Mark Strand, Adrienne Rich and international poets, including Taha Muhammad Ali, Mahmoud Darwish, Bill Manhire, Gonca Ozmen.

Q: What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?

A: Our publication specializes in one particular poetry form – the Fibonacci poem. Since 2007, The Fib Review has been publishing journals of Fibonacci poetry. It is not simply a blog page that allows any poet to post their poem, but rather, the submissions are carefully selected for publication based on their poetic value and their adherence to the Fibonacci form, either in syllable or word count. We also encourage experimentation and have published shaped Fib poetry and literature.

Q: What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?

A: The best advice I can give is to be sure that the poem submitted is your best work. The Fibonacci form is based on the Fibonacci number sequence but that is secondary to the fact that the poem must be poetic, not simply a sentence broken into syllables or words. I want to say “wow” at the end of a poem.

Q: Describe the ideal submission.

A: Fibonacci poetry lends itself to short poems as well as long ones. The ideal submission for a short poem is to have the poem capture a single moment or thought and lead the reader into further thought. On a longer poem, the poem should have a beginning that makes the reader want to read further; have a development which ends with a thought provoking “punch line” that causes the poem to reverberate in the reader’s mind long after finishing the poem.

Q: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?

A: Most submitters are great at submissions. Where some go wrong is in submitting poetry that is not Fibonacci form. We do not accept attachments, so all poetry must be in the body of an email with subject line that says “For the Fib Review” so that it clearly identifies it as a submission.

Q: How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?

A: I love to read a poet’s bio. It says so much about the person and helps me relate to the person behind the poem. Since we encourage submissions from new poets as well as established poets, previous publication credits don’t matter as much. I’m more concerned about the quality of the poem.

Q: If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?

A: I read every poem to the end multiple times. I find as an editor that depending on when I read a poem, my mood can sway my subjectivity in one direction or another. When in doubt I give every poem a second or third read before rejecting it. Often times if there is something I like about the poem but for some reason it doesn’t work, I might make a suggestion to the poet for a small editing change.

Q: What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?

A: As editor I determine what poems are published in The Fib Review. However, I have a small editorial committee who I sometimes ask to review certain poems. The Fib Review reflects my likes and interests as an editor, but I am aware that other poetry styles may have merit even if they are not to my immediate liking. The editorial committee can make recommendations on any poem I send to them, but I make all final decisions.

Q: What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?

A: I am the editor of two online journals – The Fib Review, and Shot Glass Journal so my time is spread between both publications. Each week I review the submissions to the journals and send acknowledgement letters to the poets and record the submissions in my spreadsheet. I spend the quiet times of late night weekends reading the poems. I mark ones I like immediately and will respond to the poet. I will revisit the remaining poems at a different time to see if I get a different read on the poem. The Fib Review has three publications a year, and because the website is limited in the number of poets we publish, I may wait until the end of the reading period, which is the 15th of the month the journal is published, before making my final decisions.
After each poet has been contacted, I send the proofs of the poet’s poetry page as it will appear on the web for their review. Once we receive their acknowledgements we publish the journal and restart the process for the next issue.

Q: How important do you feel it is for publishers to embrace modern technologies?

A: I wholly embrace modern technologies, which is why the Fib Review is an online journal of international poetry. Using online social networks, virtual environments and services like DuoTrope helps to spread the word about Fibonacci poetry and the Fib Review to markets we would not otherwise reach. The ability to design the journal and make instant changes to the look could not happen as easily in a more traditional printed format. What needs to remain traditional is the quality of the poetry.