Skip to Content

An Important Announcement
We are excited to announce the long-awaited Duotrope community! Create your profile, high five your fellow creators, and journey along Rejection Road.

Editor Interview: Rusty Truck

Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.

underground poetry

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

In print I admire Bill Roberts at Bottle of Smoke Press and Henry Denander at Kamini Press. Both put out quality work.

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

My favorites may just be found in the poem more so than the poet. I cut teeth on Brautiagn, then Bukowski. My current favorites began this publication: A.D. Winans, William Taylor, MK Chavez, Hosho McCreesh. From there I have published many more and have added many more to the list. I guess you could say my favorites are listed in the sidebar at the Rusty Truck.

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

I started out wanting to have all my favorites in one spot for reading--one big ol' ever evolving anthology of today's underground poets. I guess I did that.

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

Read the Rusty Truck, then if you think you are as good--send me 3-5 of your best unpublished poems. I very seldom and never on the first submission select from a single sub.

Describe the ideal submission.

The ideal submission is when I can instanly reply after one reading--I want them all.

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

Just sending one poem. I don't have a lot of rules except for that.

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

No need for a cover letter. I could care less in the beginning. If the poem is selected, I may ask for a bio. Most include a list of credits anyway. I read the poems first.

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

I try to read the entire poem and sometimes I come back later if I am not sure. With poetry you can usually tell right off. It either works or it doesn't.

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

At the Rusty Truck, it is just me--so there is not a formal process.

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

Like most online editors, this is a passion not a vocation. I check my email a couple of times a day except some holidays and try to respond right then. With the amount of subs i get, sometimes they fall off the page, but most writers know within a day or two of submission.

Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?

Yes

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.