Skip to Content

Editor Interview: MP Literary

This interview is provided for archival purposes. The listing is not currently active.

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

A: MP: words most high.

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

A: Ones that are demanding more from people than what they wrote on a napkin last night while drinking margaritas: Juked, Tin House, Monkeybicycle, Oxford American, BLIP, Subtropics, BOMB, NY Tyrant, PANK, Mud Luscious, SmokeLong, etc.

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

A: MP enjoys lots of writers: Coover, Saunders, Powell, Bartheleme(s), Shepard, Berryman, Hannah, (Toni) Morrison, the list is miles long.

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

A: Generally MP tries for a political and social slant. If the writing is good, the writing is good. But, political and social (w/out being "that person" nobody likes at the party) is favored.

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

A: Please, for your own sake, truly ask yourself if you give a damn about what you're putting in for consideration--be sure to question the headstrong assurance, too. If it's the margarita napkin: we can all agree that no one is going to be happy. I don't enjoy being shown an ass and told it's the moon.

Q: Describe the ideal submission.

A: The ideal submission is like a caring and good parent: their caring and goodness comes through in their child who is just as genuine.

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

A: Phew! Pieces that are too long, re-sending in "edited" work after a small critique is given, etc.

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

A: MP doesn't have up author bios, but I (as editor) enjoy reading a little about the submitter. I don't like life stories and I don't like nothing included.

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

A: Since our word count is low (for this very reason) I read the whole thing. It is on rare occasion that I give up on a piece.

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

A: A piece is given a few days to resonate if it strikes a chord. If it still resonates w/ the same (and even more) frequency after a few days, it's accepted.

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

A: A lot of waiting which revolves around waiting for the next piece that strikes a chord. Thankfully I have a life beyond editing.

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

A: I think it's very significant publishers go electronic. It's less wasteful, messy, etc. It's also faster. I still love tangible books, but for magazines and submissions processes like MP, it's ideal.