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Editor Interview: After Hours

Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.

Chicago poetry & fiction

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

The Sun, Poetry, River Styx, Paterson Literary Review

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

Fiction: Kerouac, Hemingway, Kafka
Poetry: Neruda, Ginsberg, Sexton, Levine

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

We only publish writers and artists that have a connection to the city of Chicago. As our city, we are not about high-brow academia, we are about real people and experiences. Which is not to say that we do not look at craft, we want well crafted work that does not have a sense of itself.

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

Make sure you let us know how you are connected to Chicago. We expect professionalism, though we do not require a long publication list. We expect honest work and can always spot highly workshopped MFA program work. We like a few "rough" edges.

Describe the ideal submission.

There is no such thing. It's easier to say what not to submit: nothing on napkins; don't tell us how wonderful you are, we'll make that decision ourselves; don't name drop.

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

They submit fiction that is way too long for the format of our magazine. Check the guidelines regarding fiction.

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

Just that they have a connection to Chicago. We like the work to speak for itself...tell us too much and we might not like you.

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

All of it. However, some work is so drastically poor that you can tell in the first few lines.

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

Nothing other than the editors reading and commenting.

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

This couldn't possibly be interesting to anyone.

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