Editor Interview: Vestal Review Go to the listing List all editor interviews Edit answers (editors only) Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.Flash fiction.David Galef, editor in chief on 27 July 2021What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?SmokeLong Quarterly. Pidgeonholes. Split Lip, Atticus Review. Etc.David Galef, Editor in chief on 27 January 2022If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?In flash fiction: Kathy Fish. Len Kuntz. Meg Pokrass. Bud Smith. Et al.David Galef, Editor in chief on 27 July 2021What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?We are the longest-running flash fiction magazine on the planet, in continual publication since 2000. Our contributors include Steve Almond, Katharine Weber, Mike Resnick, Aimee Bender, Sam Lipsyte, Kirk Nesset, Judith Cofer, Bruce Boston, Robert Boswell, Bruce Holland Rogers, Michelle Richmond, Liz Rosenberg, Stuart Dybek, Robert Olen Butler, and Pamela Painter, and many, many others. Our stories have been reprinted widely.David Galef, Editor in chief on 27 July 2021What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?Try for arresting premises, colorful language, and some narrative direction. And as so many other magazines advise, read a few issues to get a sense of what we publish.David Galef, Editor in chief on 10 February 2021Describe the ideal submission.We try not to picture "the ideal submission." Good flash fiction is too various for that. But here are a few guidelines: Give us an opening that grabs our attention. Go for vivid imagery and make something happen. Tell a lot in a few words.David Galef, editor-in-chief on 10 February 2021What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?Some writers don't read our submission guidelines and send in almost anything.David Galef, editor-in-chief on 27 July 2021How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?We enjoy reading cover letters because they're a window into the world of flash fiction writing, and seeing publication credits is nice, but we don't judge the fiction on that basis.David Galef, editor-in-chief on 27 July 2021If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?How much of a story we read varies, but we generally make it to the end unless the writing is wretched.David Galef, editor in chief on 27 July 2021What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?At least two editors read every accepted piece.David Galef, editor-in-chief on 10 February 2021What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?We assign submissions to our contributing editors, and the editor in chief reads whatever they recommend. We try to get back to submitters earlier rather than later, and we encourage those authors whose work we'd like to see more of. We perform light editing on accepted pieces. We answer query letters about reviews and interviews. We promote the magazine. We stare at the screen and wonder whether we shouldn't get back to writing that novel.David Galef, editor-in-chief on 10 February 2021How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?We proofread and quite lightly edit accepted pieces, mainly to fix typos or improve clarity. Of course, the author has a say in the process.David Galef, Editor in chief on 10 February 2021Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?We nominate the stories we publish for any awards that seem appropriate, and we've had a fair degree of success.David Galef, Editor in chief on 10 February 2021 Cookie Consent: This site uses secure first-party cookies for essential, preference-setting, and statistical purposes. We do not use any marketing, advertising, or third-party cookies. Read our full cookie policy. Accept All Cookies Allow Essential Cookies Only