Skip to Content

Editor Interview: Notre Dame Review

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

A: Writing of literary merit

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

A: Literary journals from Antioch Review to Zyzzyva.

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

A: The writers we publish; consult our index.

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

A: The tastes of the editors.

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

A: Look at our previous issues and see if your writing shares the qualities of our past contributors.

Q: Describe the ideal submission.

A: One you know will be accepted from the first sentence or paragraph or stanza.

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

A: That it should take less time than it does.

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

A: Information matters but it isn't critical.

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

A: With poetry, usually all; with prose, enough.

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

A: At least three individuals have read through the submission.

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

A: A stack of mss., a person in a chair, silence.

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

A: We don't try to keep up, nor do we try to fall behind. We are still primarily a print operation.