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Editor Interview: Welcome To Wherever...

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

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

A: Relaxtion and Information

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

A: My favourite publication is Aurora Wolf: A Literary Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy. The Editors are wonderful and work closely with their writers to ensure that the fiction they publish is the best possible.
I also love House of Horror / Panic Press - they recently moved from On-line to Print Based and it was a bold move for such an Independent Publisher.
I think the best Independent publisher out there is Pfoxmoor - Diane Nelson really has her finger on the pulse of the publishing business and despite using the traditional model, she is anything but traditional in her dealings with her authors.

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

A: My favourite Fiction Writers are varied - I like a broad range of fiction from SF and Fantasy to Crime and Horror.
If I have to pick individual authors, I would say Sir Terry Pratchett, John Booth and David Eddings for Fantasy; Anne McCaffrey and Greta Van Der Rol for Science Fiction; Karin Slaughter, Jake Barton and Bill Kirton for Crime. There are many, many others on my book shelves, but I'd be here all day if I listed them all.
Poetry-wise, my favourite Poets are Pam Ayres, Roger McGough, Michele Brenton and Joe Flach.

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

A: Welcome to Wherever isn't narrow minded like some publications- I don't publish a set genre. It is an adult publication however, so I will allow a certain amount of sex and horror on its pages. There are limits though and I will work with the authors to make sure that they keep to those limits.
As Editor, I want to support Writers, Poets and Artists, no matter what their experience or genre.

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

A: If you have any questions about a submission you would like to send in, contact me first. I'll be able to tell you straight away if it's suitable or not.

Q: Describe the ideal submission.

A: The ideal Fiction submission is well written and polished. It is a whole story in itself - unless submitted for the serialised section - and has a satisfying conclusion.
The ideal Poetry Submission is thoughtful and balanced. It should read well aloud.
The ideal Non-Fiction Submission should have a point to it. It should be informative and well researched. Book Reviews should be balanced and well written.
As I am short of staff at the moment, I can't do more than a cursory check for grammar or spelling, so checking before you submit is essential.

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

A: Often they will try and submit to me through the Facebook page or respond to a Tweet or blog post. All submissions (except in a very few cases) should go through the email stated on the Guidelines page.
As I am short staffed, I can't promise to get back to people quickly, but if you haven't heard from me by the end of the submissions period (1st - 25th of the month)please feel free to enquire about the status of your submission.

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

A: I'm not interested in previous publications in the first instance. I am more interested in the submission at that point. If the submission is accepted, then I will need a short bio and photo, but until then, covering letters aren't really necessary.

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

A: I can usually tell if something is for me within the first few paragraphs. If it's interesting enough, I'll read the whole thing before I decide.

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

A: I run a cursory spelling and grammar check. I don't change Americanised spelling.

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

A: Day to Day: I check my email every day, make a note of what kind of submissions I've received and read through them.
Depending on the amount of time I have available, I either answer straight away or file it into my submissions folder.
At the end of the month (from 25th onwards):I start putting the webzine together. Any contracts that haven't already been sent will be sent out after that date and sometimes I will request a particular writer to submit a piece at that point.
This is also when I contact my Featured Artist to check on the progess of the cover image.

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

A: The world is becoming increasingly electronic. I deliberately didn't start out in print, as I recognised that print magazines don't really get many readers unless they include the kind of content that I wanted to exclude.
I will be moving into an e-format magazine in the next year or so - that will be quarterly, and include the best of the monthly webzine. Going into print format is for the far future if ever.