Q: Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.
A: Genre-bending SFF
Q: What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?
A: Tor, Baen, Orbit
Q: If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?
A: My personal favourites are Ray Bradbury, George Orwell, Suzanne Collins, JK Rowling.
Q: What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?
A: We like to mash together genres to create new and interesting stories that bend the boundaries of SFF, if, in fact, there are any. We like to champion new voices and give life to those stories that aren't seen in a mainstream publisher. We want our novels to stick with people, whether it's because they're meaningful, exhilarating or just downright weird.
Q: What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?
A: Find the driving force of your novel, and keep that throughout. This can be anything really – fairies, feminism, history, sword fights etc – but your passion should shine through your writing because if you care, the audience will care.
Q: Describe the ideal submission.
A: Personally, I like to find submissions that make me think "I wish I'd come up with that idea". I'm a huge fan of dystopia and I love those that carry a message with them too. I like stories that are going to make me ask questions and not always give me the answers.
Q: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?
A: Not reading the guidelines properly, or having no personalisation to it at all. I know that submissions get sent out to various publishers at one time, but taking a moment to address your audience is always worth doing.
Q: How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?
A: I think it's important to know about the author, yes. Even if they are a debut author. Everyone has their own story after all. Although a few hundred words will suffice!
Q: If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?
A: I certainly try to read everything from start to finish, but if something hasn't grabbed me within the first few chapters, it's unlikely that it will keep my attention for much longer. We have so many submissions to go through that the truth is we just don't have the time to "stick with it" if we don't think it's working for us.
Q: What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?
A: Obviously there are contract negotiations, and sometimes that can pertain to the manuscript itself i.e. we submit the offer on the basis that 'x' be changed to 'y'. But generally speaking we take on the book as it is and then allow the editorial process to produce the best possible version of the manuscript.
Q: What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?
A: My day begins with a mug of tea, although when things are much busier and sleep is less sound, that tea becomes a mug of coffee. Or three. Then the emailing begins! That normally leads me up to lunch, which I usually take at my desk – and yes, I know, that is not the healthiest thing in the world – and then I start reading. I will take emails/phone calls as they come, which will normally draw me away for some time, but I always try to come back when I can. If I don't get a chance to revisit the manuscript that day, I take it with me on the train home. I form notes in my mind as I read, and try to write them down when I can (although a crowded tube makes this somewhat difficult), so that if we take the book forward, I already have ideas about how we can shape it in the editorial process.
Q: How important do you feel it is for publishers to embrace modern technologies?
A: Vital. The world moves forward and we have to move with it. The vast majority of our sales go through ebook and audio so those are not figures we can avoid, and nor should we. All these devices make reading more accessible to everyone, so I see nothing wrong with that.
Q: How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?
A: A lot. A LOT a lot. Our general process is to go through a structural editor, then back to the author to amend, then back to the editor to accept or suggest more. If the editor approves, it goes to a copy editor, and afterwards back to the author to amend. This can go back and forth between author and editor at this point as this is a much closer edit than before and differences of opinion can spark debate. Some authors like more intervention that others. After this, it gets proofread and then sent to a typesetter. After the typesetter, it gets proofread once more, sent back to the author for approval and checking, and finally sent back to the in-house team for a full check before being sent to the printers.
Q: Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?
A: Yes, we try to participate in as many awards as we are eligible for. Our most recent win was Jeannette Ng for the John W Campbell Award for Best New Writer (now named the Astounding Award).