Editor Interview: Litro Magazine

Cross-border literature

We admire publications that combine strong editorial vision with international reach, including Granta, The Paris Review, n+1, McSweeney’s, Wasafiri, and Guernica. We also respect independent presses and journals that invest in translation and cross-cultural work, such as Words Without Borders and Asymptote.

James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Joan Didion, James Salter, Jamaica Kincaid, Clarice Lispector, Jorge Luis Borges, Roberto Bolaño, Yiyun Li, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Teju Cole, Elena Ferrante, Han Kang, and Pico Iyer.

Litro is an international magazine founded in London in 2005 with an active U.S. presence based in New York. We publish rigorously edited fiction, creative nonfiction, and translation that moves between cities, languages, and cultural contexts, rather than operating within a single national literary frame. Our editorial approach is shaped by long-form curation, strong narrative craft, and a commitment to global voices, supported by a publishing model that combines print heritage with digital-first circulation.

Read recent work in Litro before submitting and send the piece that feels most unmistakably yours, not what you think a magazine wants. We respond best to writing with a strong narrative engine, clean sentences, and a clear sense of place, culture, or lived context. Keep submissions focused: one piece at a time, properly proofread, with a brief third-person bio and straightforward cover note. If the work is simultaneous, say so and withdraw promptly if it’s accepted elsewhere.

A single, finished piece with a clear narrative shape, a confident voice, and language that has been properly edited line by line. We want work that feels grounded in a real world through place, culture, character, language, or social context without leaning on explanation, messaging, or cliché to do the lifting.
To make the editorial process straightforward, please include the basic submission details clearly in your cover note: title, genre, word count, whether the piece has been published before, whether it is a simultaneous submission, and a short third-person bio. That’s enough. Keep it brief, factual, and easy to scan.

They often send work before it’s fully finished or tailored to Litro, assuming we’re looking for a particular theme or style rather than strong, self-contained writing. We also see submissions with long cover letters or multiple pieces bundled together, which slows the process. One polished piece, clearly presented, with a short cover note and an understanding of what we publish, goes much further than volume or explanation.

We want just enough information to place the work in context, not a full biography. A brief cover note is useful, but it should be simple and factual: title, genre, word count, whether the submission is simultaneous, and a short third-person bio. Long personal statements or extensive publication lists don’t improve a submission; the work itself matters far more than credits.

We read submissions carefully, but we don’t read mechanically. If a piece isn’t right for us, that’s often clear within the opening pages-through voice, focus, or execution. That said, we don’t reject on a single line or a slow start alone; strong work tends to declare its intentions early and sustain them. Pieces that make it past the opening are read in full.

Shortlisted work is usually read across the editorial team to see whether it holds up beyond a first response. We consider the strength of the writing, the piece’s originality, and how it sits within the wider shape of the magazine. Final decisions come through editorial discussion, and occasionally through a short exchange with the writer before publication is confirmed.

There isn’t a single “day,” but a steady rhythm. Submissions are read in focused blocks alongside other editorial work. First reads are about attention and tone-whether the voice holds and the piece knows what it’s doing. Promising work is set aside and reread later, often after some distance. Final decisions are made deliberately rather than on a single pass.

Accepted pieces go through a light but careful editorial process focused on clarity, structure, and precision at the sentence level. This usually involves line editing and copy editing rather than heavy substantive revision, unless a piece clearly benefits from a small structural adjustment. Authors are consulted on any significant changes and always see and approve the final edits before publication.

Yes. When a piece is a strong fit, we consider it for relevant national and international awards and anthologies. Nominations are selective and based on editorial consensus and eligibility requirements, and we notify authors when their work is nominated.

Litro is funded through a mix of subscriptions and reader support, sales of print and digital editions, advertising and partnerships, and occasional project-based grants and donations for specific programmes. We operate leanly, with a small editorial team and significant volunteer contribution, and we reinvest revenue back into publishing and commissioning.

We promote new work through Litro’s website, newsletter, and social media channels, with tailored features for each publication. Authors are highlighted through editorial spotlights, interviews, and issue launches, and we work to place work in wider cultural conversations through partnerships, events, and award submissions. Our focus is on sustained visibility rather than short-term promotion spikes.