Editor Interview: Artists from Maryland

Maryland art and writing

For writing, exemplar pieces we've published include: "The Life and Times of the Kids on Streeper Street" by Breasia "Bree" Boyd (Issue 2), "Thanks for Your Patience" by Hayley Igarashi Thomas (Issue 2), "For Beginnings" by Otis Sprow (Issue 1), and "rust dyed" by Jordan Byrum (June 2025).
For visual art, exemplar pieces we've published include: "Sunrise at Port Williams" by Judith Skillman (Issue 2), "Unfinished Tree" by Kyrico (Issue 2), and nat raum's January 2025 series.

Most importantly, catch my eye quickly. Don't let me drift attention from your submission. Make me obsessed, make me want to know more about you and your art.
Second most importantly, please be from Maryland!

A quick cover letter and a remarkable submission packet from an artist or writer in Maryland.

Our guidelines are pretty relaxed, but there are times where writers may submit excessively over word limits. Word limits exist to make the job of an editor easier: please stay in the range. In all honesty, I view word limits as guides for the benefit of the submitter instead of the editor: I'm unlikely to reject a packet based solely on length unless the packet is excessively higher than 5,000 words (for prose) or twelve pages (for poetry).

Our ideal cover letter tells us the following: simultaneous submission status, whether a piece is previously published, and the county/region someone is from in Maryland. Publication credits do not matter. Send stuff our way if you're based in Maryland, whether you're just starting out or if you've published multiple books!

For long-form writing (e.g. long fiction), I can tell whether I enjoy a piece in the first few paragraphs. For short-form writing (e.g. most poetry, art), I form an opinion after two glances/read-throughs. Regardless, all submissions are fully read (unless there is something that I am unwilling to publish: excessively gory, sexual, or macabre pieces are extremely hard sells, which will get pieces rejected almost immediately).

The most involved editorial process is usually with visual art. I will never publish a visual art packet without alt-text (alternative text), and I will work with artists to either: (a) get their alt-text/descriptive captions or (b) write those for them.
For writers, I'll generally only make edits to grammar and pacing, and in any cases where changes get made, the author is notified. Regardless of whether changes are made, all contributors are sent proofs of what their pieces will look like when we've published them, and they are allowed to send any comments or concerns about the proof to us.

Yes! We've nominated work for Best of the Net and the Genrepunk Awards, and we are currently looking for more awards to uplift our contributors.

Usually, Artists from Maryland is paid for specifically only with personal funds from the masthead (this is why we are usually unable to pay contributors, as the money goes to website maintenance). When we are able to pay contributors, it is usually because we've received a grant of money specifically for enhancing Artists from Maryland's goal of uplifting Maryland-based artists.

Currently, we are posting on BlueSky and Instagram. I am currently looking into physical opportunities throughout Maryland to promote our contributors!