Editor Interviews

Read all the editors' answers to Duotrope's interview question: How important do you feel it is for publishers to embrace modern technologies? Learn more.

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

A: Eggplant Emoji is a modern publication and we do our best to take advantage of the technologies available to us, so long as those technologies serve to expand our reach, and certainly excluding any artificial intelligence designed to generate content.

A: To each his own. We don't use social media because we don't think it's a good use of our time for the magazine, but we utilize all sorts of tech that helps boost our efficiency. Each publisher has to make those decisions for themselves.

A: Traditional publishing is more real and honest. It is their opinion that counts.

A: Traditional publishers have been tried and tested over many years and can be relied upon to give honest feedback.

A: I think being contemporary is crucial. There is a lot of stagnation in the literary community by typically men of very specific social backgrounds dominating and dictating policy and in some cases, treating their staff badly. We believe in transparency at Fahmidan and share all details on both sides of Fahmidan from pricing breakdowns of books to money paid to authors and staff. We believe that using social networks is key to reaching out to writers in the modern era. This is also essential to let folks know about developments at Fahmidan like our Gen-Z & Writers over 45 free Mentorship program!

A: I wouldn't say it is "important," but I will say it is awfully convenient for both the writer and the publisher. I don't know if this convenience is for better or worse, but for us, it is the only way we are able to operate. We only take electronic submissions, we often use online social networking, and we use POD as one of our publishing options. It works very well for a ma-and-pop shop like us, though I don't believe a traditional route is lesser in any way.

A: Not important at all. But we are a non-commercial magazine, so our priorities may be different. We do not take in any money (we do not even accept donations). We pay our authors and operate at a permanent loss. As such, we are full non-commercial and do not have to do some of the things that commercial magazines must do. We do not advertise, we do not follow trends, we do no chase numbers. We publish good stories and that is it. As such, we do not tend to have a need to use a lot of new tech. I write the website and our ebooks by hand in a terminal-based text editor (vim). We have a mastodon account, but that is the only concession to modern trends in that regard. We use e-mail and a 90s-style website. I think people over-complicate things and use unnecessary tech all the time.

A: My first published poems were typed on a typewriter and sent through the mail, in an envelope with a stamp on it. I much prefer electronic submissions and think it is essential to adopt them, since otherwise you greatly limit the pool of potential contributors. I like electronic publication due to the low cost, ability to accommodate longer poems, and worldwide reach, but think traditional print journals must endure, since electronic journals can vanish without a trace overnight. Beyond the submission and delivery processes, I don't see much use for technology in poetry--the basic problems are emotional, not technical.

A: We accept and review submissions in any electronic format.

A: It is very important for publishers to embrace modern tech. It actually makes the accepted submissions and the slush pile easier to manage! POD saves you time and money as well.

A: Very important! I feel that electronic submissions are standard these days -- I've never known a world without the internet or email, so postal submissions are something I've never had to contend with (and don't really wish to).
I also feel that a social media presence is very important for any kind of publisher -- everything is so online these days that, unless a publication is already well-established, it's the best way to reach new readers and submitters. I've never been great with being consistent on social media, but I do enjoy making graphics for posts!
The Mersey Review doesn't have a physical issue, at the moment, but I've never been too keen on print-on-demand services. It may be a level of perfectionism in me, but unless I could oversee the process at least once, I'd worry to no end. Digital issues that you can flick through are great too, they always look so 'official' -- for lack of a better word -- I just prefer our on-site layout, as that's the kind of thing most places did when I started out submitting.

A: As a print journal coming out of a twenty-year revival, we’ve had to start from scratch and build our community from the ground up. Platforms like Twitter and Instagram have been crucial for us; it’s where we interact with our contributors and promote their work. It’s where we advertise our call for submissions. It’s also given us a feel for what various poetry communities are wanting and needing. CLMP has also been a good resource for us. And without electronic submissions, our response time would be much slower.