Editor Interviews
Members' Area: You are not logged in. You need to
log in to access this feature.
Sign up if you haven't already. All new accounts start with a free trial.
Read all the editors' answers to Duotrope's interview question: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process? Learn more.
Free Preview
Here is a small sampling from our recent Editor Interviews. We have interviewed over 2,250 editors.
Q: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?
A: The following are mistakes made by submitters to Eggplant Emoji: Submitting a piece that is 1,000 words or less. Submitting a premise-based piece. Submitting an essay. Submitting a piece that is only one scene. Submitting a piece that only has one joke.
A: We don't respond to rejections. Depending on the contest/general submission period, paying member or not, submissions get reviewed in a set amount of days. If accepted, we'll notify you. If not, we won't. Please, don't ask about the status of your submission! =)
A: They don't read and follow the guidelines.
A: They do not follow the guidelines.
A: Sometimes, submitters hyper-fixate on 1 or 2 errors. We're human just like you and are not going to judge you for a mistake or two! But being mindful and even sending a correction check in email is always appreciated!
A: What I see go wrong isn't really about the process, but more about the submission itself:
Sometimes we get writing that makes us feel like we're in school --- it tries very hard to teach or preach, and makes a reader feel like there will be a test at the end of this lesson. We don't want that. We want a good story or poem that will demonstrate Bible truths. Illustrate them. This is very different than, say, a straight forward dialogue between a parent and child about right and wrong. There is a place for that kind of work, but at Pure in Heart, we want more imagination and storytelling.
A: They don't read the guidelines and send things that we would never actually consider, wasting both of our time.
A: Not stating their foster care background in the submission bio. We don't need a full life story, but a brief "in foster care/group homes/child welfare etc" is necessary for us to publish. We need this so we can stay true to our mission. Pieces that don't include that information will be assumed to come from non-foster youth and rejected. If you're worried about privacy and anonymity, please contact us so we can support you!
A: The guidelines ask for poems full of music, using natural words in natural order. I sometimes receive submissions with refrigerator magnet word jumbles or prose poems, which are poor fits.
A: .5 Writers have not read the submissions guidelines
1. Sending a submission meant for/addressed to another market.
2. Submissions exceed our 5000-word limit or artwork that is not correctly sized.
3. Writers who attempt to submit via social media or other channels.
4. Cover letters that include a summation of the work.
A: They forget to attach a file.
A: They submit with multiple emails and documents; considering we get hundreds of submissions, this is a no-no because work will get lost in translation. Then, we don't have a happy writer because we used the wrong email address they used to submit work to us. We have strict guidelines to follow on our website; if they are not practiced, we must overlook a submission.