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Editor Interview: New World Writing Quarterly

Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.

Unique, surprising.

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

NOON, Conjunctions, Granta, Five Points, Image, BOMB

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

Too many to include in this space!

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

We read/publish four times a year. Each with a two-week reading window and quick turnaround times.

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

Read what we publish. Adhere to submission guidelines.

Describe the ideal submission.

Polished work that grabs our attention right away, offering surprises. Uses fresh language, unique points of view, characters and situations we'll remember.

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

Not following guidelines.

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

Previous publications, education, location, anything unique.

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

It varies. With our limited staff and short turnaround times, we can't read every single submission from start to end. Sometimes if a piece doesn't grab us by the first few pages, we have to let it go.

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

We worry a little about length versus heft of the work. A long "light" piece is not likely to get accepted because we'll get tired of the lightness way before the end. A piece that's very grave but 500 words will usually not go because we might feel that the gravity is not fully served by the length. We tend to rule out anything that seems tired, overused, glib, haughty, pretentious, adolescent, etc.

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

During our open submission reading periods, I'm attached to my computer.

How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?

At times, a line or two. We may offer a suggestion for an author to take or leave.

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

Pushcart Prizes, Best American Series, Best Short Fiction, Best Microfiction. Three of our pieces recently won Puschart Prizes, and several works from our contributors have been reprinted in anthologies.

How is your project funded?

By the editors.

How do you promote your project and published authors/artists?

Through social media outlets, and by word of mouth.

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