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Editor Interview: Airplane Reading

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

A: Stories about air travel

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

A: Electric Literature
LARB
New Orleans Review
Guernica

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

A: Terrance Hayes, Ian Bogost, Roxane Gay, Ross Gay, Hal Jaffe, Pam Houston, Connie Porter, Priscila Uppal

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

A: We are the only magazine devoted to nonfiction about air travel. We also publish stories from writers as well as flight crew and regular passengers.

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

A: Read what we've published already -- hundreds of stories about flight.

Q: Describe the ideal submission.

A: A nonfiction essay or meditation or story about your favorite or least favorite experience on a plane or in an airport or air travel related. Everyone seems to have a story about flying!

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

A: Sending us poems or fiction. We love both, but don't publish them.

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

A: A brief cover letter is great.

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

A: We read the whole piece and publish almost all submissions that adhere to our guidelines. We also offer slight edits for clarity.

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

A: We are a small operation -- two editors/founders and an intern or two. All subs are read by at least two of us.

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

A: We read subs almost daily, and reply within a week or two.

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

A: We support and use digital venues; our magazine is all online.

Q: How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?

A: We often suggest slight edits for clarity and concision.

Q: Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?

A: Yes.