Editor Interview: Grayson Books

poetry collections

There are too many to list. Some might include Copper Canyon Press, Tupelo, Beacon. Journals such as Crazyhorse and Rattle would be up there among favorites.

I have many favorites. Among contemporary American poets I might list Dorianne Laux, Terrence Hayes, Naomi Shihab Nye, Dick Allen, and Martha Silano.

We publish poetry collections by single authors, and have also done a few anthologies. As a very small press, each publication gets a great deal of individual attention during the publication process. We are open to newer as well as established writers, as long as the quality of the work stands out.

Do not try to rush into publication. Make sure that you are widely-read and that your work is as polished as you can make it. It is assumed that a number of your poems have been published previously. In a collection, it isn't enough to have a few outstanding pieces. All of the work must be excellent and the pieces should speak to each other.
We have a couple of contests each year. Follow the rules carefully. Contact us if you have a question. We usually receive several submissions of publishable quality; unfortunately we can't publish them all.
We accept queries with a sampling of about half a dozen poems. We read these carefully. A select few are asked to follow through by submitting a complete manuscript.

It has an original perspective. It may show a certain playfulness with language. It moves the reader without resorting to sentimentalism. It makes the reader eager to read on. It can be full of variety and surprise, but in some way it must hold together, show a certain cohesiveness.

Actually, the majority of people who submit to us seem to be very careful about following the guidelines.

The most important thing is the work itself.
It is interesting to read cover letters, though. It helps to have some good publication credits.

The better the submission, the more we read. With some poetry collection submissions, half a dozen poems is enough to show that it isn't right for us. If it is very good we will read the whole thing. The hardest part is selecting the best among the very good submissions.

We think about how it will reflect our press.

A day in the life of an editor often extends into late at night. There seem to be hundreds of little details to take care of. However, it is always a thrill to bring a really good manuscript through the publication process. To hold the "hot off the press" book in the hands is still a delight. It is also a pleasure to follow the successes of the author in the months and years after we publish that person's book.