December 31st, 2009 / 10:00 am
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Guest Post: Dave Clapper on New Editorial Directions at SLQ

Blake had a post a while back about the problems that slush presents for every lit mag. When magazines start out, their slushes are pretty small, the editors are really excited about reading, and for the most part, they go into reading each piece with the hope of finding a piece to publish. As lit mags get older, their slushes get larger, the editors get a bit more burnt out, and because the amount of space the mags have is the same, they can’t accept as high a percentage of subs, and tend to start reading each sub with an eye toward finding a reason to reject. It’s kind of horrible and numbing. How do mags avoid this?

In the case of magazines affiliated with MFA programs, they have a steady supply of new readers in their students, so the burn-out factor isn’t nearly as high in the initial readers of the slush. But either stuff gets passed up from the slush that doesn’t really fit the original aesthetic, or the readers read with an eye less toward what wows them personally and more toward trying to match what they think the senior editors like (more often the latter). Consequently, established magazines like these tend to print less and less “risky” material. Not ideal.

In the case of independent magazines, a lot of them just burn out and close down. Or they keep expanding and expanding their staffs and operate in much the same way the affiliated mags do.

From a writer’s standpoint, he suggested such things as submitting bags of shit. For editors, he suggested replacing walls with cottage cheese. I guess I’m not that brave.

So… how could SmokeLong stay fresh? How could we continue to grow, avoid editor burn-out (and frankly, I’ve been burnt out for a few years now), and at the same time, take lots of risks?

What would other folks who love flash would cull from the slush? What would Scott Garson or Sean Lovelace or Roxane Gay or Michael Cyzyniejewski or Todd Zuniga or Ellen Parker or… what would one of them love that one of SLQ’s staff might not?

My thinking is that we bring in one person every week to read slush until they find something they want to accept. And then they’re done. We take the piece and we run it in SmokeLong Weekly, just the piece itself, no interview yet. While we’re getting 13 pieces in a quarter through this method, the regular staff is out looking for seven more to bring the issue to 20 (probably via solicitation), and putting together the interviews, etc. for the Quarterly issue.

I talked about the idea with Ellen Parker, Todd Zuniga (when I saw him at Literary Death Match), and Tara Laskowski (when she was briefly in town). Ellen and Todd seemed to really like the idea of being a guest for such a brief period, and of being able to read what other magazines get in their slush (and Tara liked the idea on more general principles). I also talked about an editor exchange idea on Fictionaut (well before coming to this weekly idea) with some editors like Scott Garson, Roxane Gay, and Ben White, and we all thought it’d be really interesting to jump into other magazines’ slushes for limited periods. And if any one on the permanent staff wanted to be the “guest” for one of those weeks, they’d be added to the schedule.

Having subs read by ONE person who has absolute power in a given week will, I think, result in a much wider array of material that we publish. The pieces published in SmokeLong Weekly will also be in SmokeLong Quarterly, but will also have interviews.

There are so many reasons I love this:

  1. Slush-pile reading burn-out becomes a thing of the past.
  2. We take more risks and offer less homogeneity.
  3. Submitters hear back within a couple weeks.
  4. We’re publishing new material every week.
  5. We get to work with tons of great people.
  6. Through solicitations, we still get to put our own imprint on what we think is great.
  7. I love transparency, the idea that writers and readers will know exactly how the material we’re printing got into the magazine.
  8. It frees current staff up to germinate and implement new ideas for what we’d like to see in an online lit mag. More interviews? More articles about flash? Social networking? Readings, videos, something nobody else is doing yet? We have time.

So that’s what we’re doing. We’ve already started. Ellen Parker, Roxane Gay, Nadine Darling, and I were the readers the first four weeks. The four pieces we picked out all are by authors who’ve not appeared in SmokeLong before (which suggests to me that the idea is working pretty damned well). Here’s the schedule for the first quarter of subs:

Reader Subs open Subs closed Subs responded Story published
Dave Clapper Nov. 1 Nov. 29 Dec. 6 Jan. 4
Ellen Parker Nov. 30 Dec. 6 Dec. 13 Jan. 11
Roxane Gay Dec. 7 Dec. 13 Dec. 20 Jan. 18
Nadine Darling Dec. 14 Dec. 20 Dec. 27 Jan. 25
Ania Vesenny Dec. 21 Dec. 27 Jan. 3 Jan. 25
Tiff Holland Dec. 28 Jan. 3 Jan. 10 Feb. 1
Tara Laskowski Jan. 4 Jan. 10 Jan. 17 Feb. 8
Jonathan Redhorse Jan. 11 Jan. 17 Jan. 24 Feb. 15
Barry Graham Jan. 18 Jan. 24 Jan. 31 Feb. 22
Sean Lovelace Jan. 25 Jan. 31 Feb. 7 Mar. 1
Michael Czyzniejewski Feb. 1 Feb. 7 Feb. 14 Mar. 8
Dan Wickett Feb. 8 Feb. 14 Feb. 21 Mar. 15
Andrea Kneeland Feb. 15 Feb. 21 Feb. 28 Mar. 22

Quarterly issue will be published March 25.

Sorry if this comes off as a bit of a press release. It sort of is one. But hopefully, it’s relevant in considering the question of how lit mags can handle subs, regardless of size, in a way that still honors the writers submitting.

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89 Comments

  1. Rebekah Silverman

      Great post. Over at Artifice we’ve talked a lot about the issue of how to maintain interest in slush; we’re young, and we’ve had surprising success getting great subs early on, but we want to set up a long-term workable system so we don’t burn out. You know the idea of lesbian bed-death? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesbian_bed_death, fyi) I’ve seen that at a lot of mags I worked at before Artifice.

  2. Rebekah Silverman

      Great post. Over at Artifice we’ve talked a lot about the issue of how to maintain interest in slush; we’re young, and we’ve had surprising success getting great subs early on, but we want to set up a long-term workable system so we don’t burn out. You know the idea of lesbian bed-death? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesbian_bed_death, fyi) I’ve seen that at a lot of mags I worked at before Artifice.

  3. Clapper

      Man, lesbian bed death is exactly what seems to happen between editors and slush after a while. Would also make a pretty good name for a mag.

      Best of luck with Artifice generally, and with the slush particularly. Would love to hear more about what y’all figure out in dealing with keeping the interest level high.

  4. Clapper

      Man, lesbian bed death is exactly what seems to happen between editors and slush after a while. Would also make a pretty good name for a mag.

      Best of luck with Artifice generally, and with the slush particularly. Would love to hear more about what y’all figure out in dealing with keeping the interest level high.

  5. Rebekah Silverman

      Thanks, man. Honestly, eventually we’re going to have to bring other folks on to help, and not just with slush. But we need some way to indoctrinate them into the aesthetic we’re going for, which is why this SmokeLong system might not work as well for us – we’re going for this super-specific thing, trying to build a very specific argument w/ the work we choose, and how can other people know what JTA and I are looking for? Sheeit, they can’t! Will, of course, keep everyone way-too-posted on the goings-on.

  6. Rebekah Silverman

      Thanks, man. Honestly, eventually we’re going to have to bring other folks on to help, and not just with slush. But we need some way to indoctrinate them into the aesthetic we’re going for, which is why this SmokeLong system might not work as well for us – we’re going for this super-specific thing, trying to build a very specific argument w/ the work we choose, and how can other people know what JTA and I are looking for? Sheeit, they can’t! Will, of course, keep everyone way-too-posted on the goings-on.

  7. Brad Green

      You’ll do nothing but improve Smokelong by doing this. Good ideas and a good mix of editorial influence there. I like that you’re taking the risk. Shake it up!

  8. Brad Green

      You’ll do nothing but improve Smokelong by doing this. Good ideas and a good mix of editorial influence there. I like that you’re taking the risk. Shake it up!

  9. david erlewine

      hmm, interesting concept but the wikis are pretty trim on their explanation. i’m surprised i’ve never heard of lesbian bed death. i agree it would be a great title for a new journal.

  10. david erlewine

      hmm, interesting concept but the wikis are pretty trim on their explanation. i’m surprised i’ve never heard of lesbian bed death. i agree it would be a great title for a new journal.

  11. Gabriel Orgrease

      Sounds to me like a good plan.

  12. Gabriel Orgrease

      Sounds to me like a good plan.

  13. Sam Ligon

      This is a really smart idea. I edit Willow Springs, and while I don’t think we’re heading for LBD, we certainly have problems handling the slush, which is where I always want to find the next great thing. Any work I solicit I already sort of know something about, so it seems like the slush is the source of vitality. And while we are affiliated with an MFA program and therefore have new readers coming in every year, those readers don’t necessarily have the authority to choose what we’ll publish. What I like about this SLQ approach is that the reader for the week is the de facto editor, choosing the work that will be published. Makes for a broader aesthetic. The danger might be an aesthetic that’s so loose as to not exist, but that seems unlikely since you’re picking the readers. And the staff still picks 1/3 of the quarterly content. Very cool idea.

  14. Sam Ligon

      This is a really smart idea. I edit Willow Springs, and while I don’t think we’re heading for LBD, we certainly have problems handling the slush, which is where I always want to find the next great thing. Any work I solicit I already sort of know something about, so it seems like the slush is the source of vitality. And while we are affiliated with an MFA program and therefore have new readers coming in every year, those readers don’t necessarily have the authority to choose what we’ll publish. What I like about this SLQ approach is that the reader for the week is the de facto editor, choosing the work that will be published. Makes for a broader aesthetic. The danger might be an aesthetic that’s so loose as to not exist, but that seems unlikely since you’re picking the readers. And the staff still picks 1/3 of the quarterly content. Very cool idea.

  15. KevinS

      This is a cool game plan.

  16. KevinS

      This is a cool game plan.

  17. Clapper

      It’s that 1/3 of the quarterly content that I think will most reflect whatever aesthetic we want to portray. And I’m not sure how helpful/harmful an easily definable aesthetic is, frankly. For instance, the issue Jim Ruland guest edited felt really, really different in terms of its content from what we’d been publishing to that point. Honestly, I wasn’t super-crazy about some of the pieces at first. Over time, though, that’s come to be one of my absolute favorite issues.

      Going forward, I’d actually like to see the content chosen by the guests veer even further afield. My temptation, in fact, is to approach some folks who have specifically pointed out things about SLQ they dislike, let them have a crack at it.

  18. Clapper

      It’s that 1/3 of the quarterly content that I think will most reflect whatever aesthetic we want to portray. And I’m not sure how helpful/harmful an easily definable aesthetic is, frankly. For instance, the issue Jim Ruland guest edited felt really, really different in terms of its content from what we’d been publishing to that point. Honestly, I wasn’t super-crazy about some of the pieces at first. Over time, though, that’s come to be one of my absolute favorite issues.

      Going forward, I’d actually like to see the content chosen by the guests veer even further afield. My temptation, in fact, is to approach some folks who have specifically pointed out things about SLQ they dislike, let them have a crack at it.

  19. Clapper

      Also, about this: “And while we are affiliated with an MFA program and therefore have new readers coming in every year, those readers don’t necessarily have the authority to choose what we’ll publish.”

      I mostly understand this sentiment. It’s the prevailing attitude at pretty much every affiliated lit mag, I believe. But I wonder: what would the harm be in letting those readers have that authority?

  20. Lincoln

      Sounds like a neat idea.

  21. Clapper

      Also, about this: “And while we are affiliated with an MFA program and therefore have new readers coming in every year, those readers don’t necessarily have the authority to choose what we’ll publish.”

      I mostly understand this sentiment. It’s the prevailing attitude at pretty much every affiliated lit mag, I believe. But I wonder: what would the harm be in letting those readers have that authority?

  22. Lincoln

      Sounds like a neat idea.

  23. Rebekah Silverman
  24. Rebekah Silverman
  25. Rebekah Silverman

      I do agree. It’s a stand-out mix of editors.

  26. Sam Ligon

      I think you’re right about a definable aesthetic — I never reject something because it’s not the kind of work we normally publish. That’s what I’m looking for. But I do think the staff is sometimes looking for “our” kind of story in the slush, which will lead us straight to LBD.

  27. Rebekah Silverman

      I do agree. It’s a stand-out mix of editors.

  28. Sam Ligon

      I think you’re right about a definable aesthetic — I never reject something because it’s not the kind of work we normally publish. That’s what I’m looking for. But I do think the staff is sometimes looking for “our” kind of story in the slush, which will lead us straight to LBD.

  29. Sam Ligon

      That’s exactly what you have me thinking about.

  30. Sam Ligon

      That’s exactly what you have me thinking about.

  31. Adam Robinson

      Hey, I loved reading this. The business models of publishers is infinitely interesting to me, and I think this is a particularly interesting one.

  32. Adam Robinson

      Hey, I loved reading this. The business models of publishers is infinitely interesting to me, and I think this is a particularly interesting one.

  33. Lincoln

      Some magazines have very cultivated aesthetics and some have broad ones. There is room (and need) for both.

  34. Lincoln

      Some magazines have very cultivated aesthetics and some have broad ones. There is room (and need) for both.

  35. Lincoln

      Which is to say, I disagree that having a specific aesthetic necessarily leads to LBD death. Some journals have been doing a great job with that for years.

  36. david erlewine

      thanks! will check this out when i have, um, access.

  37. Lincoln

      Which is to say, I disagree that having a specific aesthetic necessarily leads to LBD death. Some journals have been doing a great job with that for years.

  38. david erlewine

      thanks! will check this out when i have, um, access.

  39. Clapper

      Maybe not even every time, but… hmm. Looking at your site, you currently have 35 editorial assistants and come out twice a year. Current issue has 15 writers. So you have more readers than you have pieces published in a year. That makes it impossible for every single one of them to be able to have the authority to pick a piece.

      What if there were space reserved in each issue for one piece that specifically is chosen by one of the readers? Let each of them pitch their passion for his or her own favorite piece from the slush. Whoever is clearly the most passionate about his or her piece, that’s the piece that gets run?

      I dunno. Tough when the staff is so big and space is so limited…

  40. Clapper

      Maybe not even every time, but… hmm. Looking at your site, you currently have 35 editorial assistants and come out twice a year. Current issue has 15 writers. So you have more readers than you have pieces published in a year. That makes it impossible for every single one of them to be able to have the authority to pick a piece.

      What if there were space reserved in each issue for one piece that specifically is chosen by one of the readers? Let each of them pitch their passion for his or her own favorite piece from the slush. Whoever is clearly the most passionate about his or her piece, that’s the piece that gets run?

      I dunno. Tough when the staff is so big and space is so limited…

  41. Clapper

      Thanks, Brad and Rebekah. It surprised me how fast we filled the schedule. And we’ve really only scratched the surface of people we want to approach. At first, it seemed like it might be tough to pick out 13 people to edit every quarter. Now, it feels like 52 slots a year isn’t near enough to bring in all the people we want.

  42. Clapper

      Thanks, Brad and Rebekah. It surprised me how fast we filled the schedule. And we’ve really only scratched the surface of people we want to approach. At first, it seemed like it might be tough to pick out 13 people to edit every quarter. Now, it feels like 52 slots a year isn’t near enough to bring in all the people we want.

  43. Clapper

      I agree, Lincoln. Even within these comments, Artifice is clearly going for a specific aesthetic, and that’s awesome. I think for that to work, there has to be a driving passion for that aesthetic, though. It has to be, as you say, cultivated. If an aesthetic develops that is more fallen into (and then adhered to for no other reason than because that’s what people know), that’s where the danger of LBD lies.

  44. Clapper

      I agree, Lincoln. Even within these comments, Artifice is clearly going for a specific aesthetic, and that’s awesome. I think for that to work, there has to be a driving passion for that aesthetic, though. It has to be, as you say, cultivated. If an aesthetic develops that is more fallen into (and then adhered to for no other reason than because that’s what people know), that’s where the danger of LBD lies.

  45. Clapper

      When I was writing it up, I was actually thinking a bit about Everyday Genius, Adam. I know, for example, that Joe Young guest edited for a month. Was curious about that: how much of that was reading the slush and how much solicitation?

  46. Clapper

      When I was writing it up, I was actually thinking a bit about Everyday Genius, Adam. I know, for example, that Joe Young guest edited for a month. Was curious about that: how much of that was reading the slush and how much solicitation?

  47. Sam Ligon

      My fear of a too clearly defined aesthetic is becoming blind to work I never imagined before. But I agree that it totally depends on the magazine.

  48. Sam Ligon

      My fear of a too clearly defined aesthetic is becoming blind to work I never imagined before. But I agree that it totally depends on the magazine.

  49. Charles

      An exciting and inventive idea.

  50. Charles

      An exciting and inventive idea.

  51. mike young

      sweet news. good thinking and good work, dave clapper. you are an action man. i have been thinking re: NOÖ about taking more advantage of what an online magazine can do via its format, and a lot of the criticisms i’ve been reading lately (“why should an online magazine only come out a few times a year? that’s stupid” etc.) have been hitting pretty close to home. so it’s cool to see you whip up such an elegant model, one that doesn’t sacrifice anything and doesn’t feel redundant. i might just wholesale steal it, haha.

      kudos on once again making smokelong awesome!

  52. mike young

      sweet news. good thinking and good work, dave clapper. you are an action man. i have been thinking re: NOÖ about taking more advantage of what an online magazine can do via its format, and a lot of the criticisms i’ve been reading lately (“why should an online magazine only come out a few times a year? that’s stupid” etc.) have been hitting pretty close to home. so it’s cool to see you whip up such an elegant model, one that doesn’t sacrifice anything and doesn’t feel redundant. i might just wholesale steal it, haha.

      kudos on once again making smokelong awesome!

  53. Clapper

      Any time Mike Young says he might steal an idea of mine, I figure I got it right. Thanks, Mike.

  54. Clapper

      Any time Mike Young says he might steal an idea of mine, I figure I got it right. Thanks, Mike.

  55. Roxane Gay

      I think this is a great idea. Finding effective ways to deal with slush is such a challenge. I have yet to find a reader system where the readers don’t drop the ball after a few weeks. Reliable staffing in general for an all volunteer magazine is challenging. What I really like about the SLQ model is that no one gets burned out because they’re only reading submissions for such a specific time frame. I don’t know if that system would work for PANK but it’s awesome and it has me thinking.

  56. Roxane Gay

      I think this is a great idea. Finding effective ways to deal with slush is such a challenge. I have yet to find a reader system where the readers don’t drop the ball after a few weeks. Reliable staffing in general for an all volunteer magazine is challenging. What I really like about the SLQ model is that no one gets burned out because they’re only reading submissions for such a specific time frame. I don’t know if that system would work for PANK but it’s awesome and it has me thinking.

  57. mjm

      this post and its following comments are gold.

  58. mjm

      this post and its following comments are gold.

  59. Tim Horvath

      I like what Bill Pierce of AGNI once said regarding that magazine’s aesthetic–that they seek pieces that could have only been written by that author. In a sense, vague, and yet it sort of circumscribes a loose aesthetic with plenty of room for the heretofore unimagined.

  60. Tim Horvath

      I like what Bill Pierce of AGNI once said regarding that magazine’s aesthetic–that they seek pieces that could have only been written by that author. In a sense, vague, and yet it sort of circumscribes a loose aesthetic with plenty of room for the heretofore unimagined.

  61. Meg Pokrass

      As a staff editor at SmokeLong I have never been more excited about the magazine. This new direction allows the editors to do what they love to do and to avoid burnout. It allows us time to do our own writing. Dave Clapper is an awesome boss. I love being part of this amazing publication.

  62. Meg Pokrass

      As a staff editor at SmokeLong I have never been more excited about the magazine. This new direction allows the editors to do what they love to do and to avoid burnout. It allows us time to do our own writing. Dave Clapper is an awesome boss. I love being part of this amazing publication.

  63. darby

      good to see jonathan redhorse in there. i’ll have to see if i have something to send that week.

      good luck with this change, seems like a positive thing.

  64. darby

      good to see jonathan redhorse in there. i’ll have to see if i have something to send that week.

      good luck with this change, seems like a positive thing.

  65. Jason Cook

      When our poetry editor dropped out, I decided to replace him with a rotating cast of poets we’ve published in the past. It’s led to some cool selections because, usually, these people haven’t been editors before and each issue is radically different, which is part of our driving aesthetic. Now if I can only find a guest fiction editor, guest rejector, guest cover designer, and guest layout guy, I won’t have to do anything.

  66. Jason Cook

      When our poetry editor dropped out, I decided to replace him with a rotating cast of poets we’ve published in the past. It’s led to some cool selections because, usually, these people haven’t been editors before and each issue is radically different, which is part of our driving aesthetic. Now if I can only find a guest fiction editor, guest rejector, guest cover designer, and guest layout guy, I won’t have to do anything.

  67. Mitzi McMahon

      Exciting news! I’m impressed with your willingness to keep it fresh and to take risks.

  68. Mitzi McMahon

      Exciting news! I’m impressed with your willingness to keep it fresh and to take risks.

  69. Jamey Genna

      Good to know–the editor thing–I think that’s a great idea. I do know about lbd; however, I am wondering about animals that mate for life. What about cranes? Crane bed death? Or Puffin Bed Death? Swan Bed Death? Do just birds mate for life? What do they call it when a heterosexual couples’ bed dies? My bed is on at its last springs–it has a dent in the middle. I’ve lost a couple of dogs down that dent.

  70. Jamey Genna

      Good to know–the editor thing–I think that’s a great idea. I do know about lbd; however, I am wondering about animals that mate for life. What about cranes? Crane bed death? Or Puffin Bed Death? Swan Bed Death? Do just birds mate for life? What do they call it when a heterosexual couples’ bed dies? My bed is on at its last springs–it has a dent in the middle. I’ve lost a couple of dogs down that dent.

  71. Ben White

      I still think this is fresh, great idea. Not only are the editors and the slush treated more humanely, but the weekly content is–I think–the right step for an online publication. The internet keeps moving, so while the logistics of print dictate bigger, less frequent issues, it makes sense to give readers content more regularly and give more stories more of the spotlight. And, it’s really, really interesting to see how one editor will handle the selection of a single piece for another magazine.

      Well done.

  72. Ben White

      I still think this is fresh, great idea. Not only are the editors and the slush treated more humanely, but the weekly content is–I think–the right step for an online publication. The internet keeps moving, so while the logistics of print dictate bigger, less frequent issues, it makes sense to give readers content more regularly and give more stories more of the spotlight. And, it’s really, really interesting to see how one editor will handle the selection of a single piece for another magazine.

      Well done.

  73. Richard

      what ben said, RG, fantastic idea, really opens SLQ up a bit

  74. Richard

      what ben said, RG, fantastic idea, really opens SLQ up a bit

  75. Blake Butler

      this is cool, Dave. I’m excited to see how it runs. I’d even like to see guest editors that have nothing to do with anybody. Such as, a musician, or a painter. Or a marathon runner or a cat. Anyway, nice to hear and think about this.

  76. Blake Butler

      this is cool, Dave. I’m excited to see how it runs. I’d even like to see guest editors that have nothing to do with anybody. Such as, a musician, or a painter. Or a marathon runner or a cat. Anyway, nice to hear and think about this.

  77. sasha fletcher

      i just finished editing for december and out of 23 pieces, 5 were from the slush pile.
      on the other hand i sort of had an idea of what i wanted to do, in terms of an issue that would be structured and sort of lead from one piece into the next.
      i have no idea how much anyone else took from slush though.

  78. sasha fletcher

      i just finished editing for december and out of 23 pieces, 5 were from the slush pile.
      on the other hand i sort of had an idea of what i wanted to do, in terms of an issue that would be structured and sort of lead from one piece into the next.
      i have no idea how much anyone else took from slush though.

  79. Clapper

      Yup, Blake, I’m thinking that way, too. Not quite that far afield right off, but there are a couple old friends (teachers, actually) who I think would be great. Henry Sampson was an English teacher of mine in high school, and is big into the Poetry Slam scene (mostly in Chicago, but was part (I think) of organizing the last national slam). David Downs was one of my acting professors in college, and is a huge fan of the mag. Would love to see his take as well. He and I have chatted about how similar flash often is to monologues/soliloquies. And some actor friends, screen/TV writers. Musicians would be incredible. I wish I knew more. Ditto painters. Marty Ison’s definitely on my early list of folks I want to do this.

  80. Clapper

      Yup, Blake, I’m thinking that way, too. Not quite that far afield right off, but there are a couple old friends (teachers, actually) who I think would be great. Henry Sampson was an English teacher of mine in high school, and is big into the Poetry Slam scene (mostly in Chicago, but was part (I think) of organizing the last national slam). David Downs was one of my acting professors in college, and is a huge fan of the mag. Would love to see his take as well. He and I have chatted about how similar flash often is to monologues/soliloquies. And some actor friends, screen/TV writers. Musicians would be incredible. I wish I knew more. Ditto painters. Marty Ison’s definitely on my early list of folks I want to do this.

  81. Clapper

      Thanks, Sasha. Is EG a different guest ed every month, then? Seems like a very cool way of doing things, especially considering how much content gets published.

      We’re asking our guests to look to the slush first, but we’re allowing for the fact that there may well be a week’s worth of submissions that doesn’t elate a given reader. In those cases, we’re asking that the editor only solicit someone we’ve not published before. And we’d really like prefer it come from the slush, if at all possible.

  82. Clapper

      Thanks, Sasha. Is EG a different guest ed every month, then? Seems like a very cool way of doing things, especially considering how much content gets published.

      We’re asking our guests to look to the slush first, but we’re allowing for the fact that there may well be a week’s worth of submissions that doesn’t elate a given reader. In those cases, we’re asking that the editor only solicit someone we’ve not published before. And we’d really like prefer it come from the slush, if at all possible.

  83. Clapper

      Love that, Jason. Do you feel like the poetry portion of the mag since this change has been more daring than the fiction?

  84. Clapper

      Love that, Jason. Do you feel like the poetry portion of the mag since this change has been more daring than the fiction?

  85. sasha fletcher

      my direction was, i think, get me enough pieces for the days and make them good.
      adam, feel free to add to this.
      i am saying i am not anti slush. that’s just how this one worked out.
      and the slush pieces i got pretty much blew me the fuck away.

      but yeah i’m pretty sure adam has sort of been farming it out a bit each month.
      adam feel free to add to this.

  86. sasha fletcher

      my direction was, i think, get me enough pieces for the days and make them good.
      adam, feel free to add to this.
      i am saying i am not anti slush. that’s just how this one worked out.
      and the slush pieces i got pretty much blew me the fuck away.

      but yeah i’m pretty sure adam has sort of been farming it out a bit each month.
      adam feel free to add to this.

  87. mjm

      a cat? that’s just racist

  88. mjm

      a cat? that’s just racist

  89. New Year Linkage | Andrew Roe

      […] Dave Clapper talks about some new editorial changes at SmokeLong Quarterly. […]