Six Questions for Dan Hankner, Editor-in-chief, Story Unlikely

Story Unlikely publishes prose of all styles, stripes, and genres, preferably shorter works, but stories up to 10,000 words will be considered. “. . .we’re looking for good stories, measured both by the quality of the writing and the skill in storytelling. We prefer prose that elicits emotion. . .” Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Dan Hankner: The divide between the masses and the elites is growing, and it’s infecting every aspect of our culture, including literature. In fact, the arena of the written word may just be its origin. How often are the stories we’ve come to love – whether on the page or in the cinema – derided by the critics, while shallow titles devoid of purpose or meaning gobble up all the awards, accolades, and praise?

I’ve experienced a taste of this, only on a much smaller scale. For years I received positive feedback from editors who eventually declined my stories because ‘it just didn’t fit the theme,’ or ‘wasn’t quite the style we had in mind’. And I always wondered: who cares? Am I the only person who just wants good stories, regardless of whatever flavor of the month is currently trending?

Meanwhile, of what words of mine did manage to make it to the public eye, I began to witness the immense power that deep, meaningful literature can provoke. Do you know how many times readers have reached out to me, moved by the words I put to paper, weeping over their keyboards over a simple story? Me, a mere stranger, a million miles away, and they just let it all come out.

You don’t forget that - as a writer, and as a human.

While this continued, the industry took a radical turn, and I watched many authors - far more talented than myself - getting sidelined by mediocre pros. What was once a measure of writing and storytelling had been replaced by filling racial quotas, conjuring up new genders, and parking every dystopian plotline in the smarmy aftermath of global warming. I'm not saying these elements disqualify a story, but rather the story - in spite of whatever message you’re trying to sell - better be king. But it’s not…not anymore. And these publishers, either frightened to death by a prospective Twitter mob storming their virtual gates, or themselves having sworn fealty in religious-like fervor can no longer see past their own biases.

Somewhere along the way, an idea bubbled to the surface: what if I founded a magazine that shed all the pretense and just delivered the things I, as a reader, cared about? Forget rigid genre classifications, no more free passes to established authors coasting on past success, and to hell with the insanity of extreme politics. What would it look like if we just published stories because they were good?

Well, we did, and it’s working. We’re only two years in, and we’ve built an audience all over the world (we’re in 79 countries as I write this), with more people subscribing every day, every hour, and sometimes every minute. Like the American companies of yesteryear, we’re building our foundation on a reputation that delivers quality (stories and illustrations) every, single, time.

SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?

DH: 

1. Stellar openings (I’ll elaborate more on this in the later question)

2. Aptitude and artistry in the writing.  After all, writing is a form of art, and art worthy of closer inspection needs to be dripping with days and years laboring in obscurity, trial and error, the 10,000 hours it takes to create a mastery of the trade.  Put in the time and do the hard work and your skill will bleed through the letters.

3. Proper storytelling.  Generally, writers progress first in understanding what words to place in front of the other (which makes for aesthetic reading).  And although mastery of this is rare, even rarer is understanding how to turn those words into a delivery.  Think about your crazy uncle, your Grandpa Joe, or your best buddy from high school – we all have people in our lives who innately know how to tell stories, even if they’ve never put them to paper: pacing, buildup, suspense, character development and arcs, intriguing hooks and satisfying endings.  I believe proper storytelling transcends genre – or rather enriches it, which is why we’re not genre specific. Our ancestors knew how to do this, but somewhere along the way, we’ve forgotten.  If you can get back to telling stories so well that everyone stops to listen, then you’ve got what we’re looking for.

SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?

DH; Bad intros.  Like everyone, we’re busy and have limited time, so we can’t give every story a full reading – neither do we need to.  There are plenty of tells a writer will give in his opening page, and plenty of reasons for us to reject without reading further: poor mechanical (inability) writing, boring writing (no hook of any kind), cliches, formulaic writing, preachy writing/cultural or political dogma masquerading as stories, overly offensive (will elaborate later), and plot-lines devoid of character development are probably the ones we most often see.

SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s)/stanza(s) of a submission?

DH; We need to see that the writer has a firm command of language, and how to properly and poetically string words together – a signal letting us know we are in safe hands.  Alongside this, we need a hook.  By no means do we demand (as others often do) that the writer insert conflict into the opening.  Sure, that’s one way to hook us, but there are plenty of other ways: strong, engaging characters, descriptive, intriguing settings, humor, ‘the mystery box’ as JJ Abrams calls it; intros that give us a reason to read on.

SQF: Many editors list erotica, or sex for sex sake, as hard sells. What are hard sells for your publication?

DH; Obnoxiously political narratives, personal beliefs veiled as stories, excessive anything.  For us, PG-13 is great, R is fine if it’s part of the actual story, but we won’t go beyond that.

SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?

DH; “Why is Story Unlikely’s byline, “real people, real places, real stories (and plenty of fiction, too).”

Although we publish all styles and genres, we feel there’s a real absence in the market for true stories – call it narrative nonfiction, memoir, etc.  There’s something special about stories that really happened; not only have we felt this connection, but the biggest reactions we get from readers are often from the memoir-style stories that we publish.  Again, we desire literature of all stripes, but we have a certain affinity towards real life.  So much of our modern world is fake, yet we believe fiction is most powerful when it forces us to look within, and when it points us back to reality.     

Thank you, Dan. We all appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.

Six Questions for Skylar Burris, Editor, Ancient Paths Literary Magazine

Ancient Paths publishes poetry (12 to 60 lines), flash fiction (100 to 1,000 words), and art. “Most genres are acceptable, but literary fiction and contemporary, mainstream fiction will be given preference.” Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Skyler Burris: I founded Ancient Paths over two decades ago, in 1998. At the time, I thought there was a lack of quality markets for Christian-themed writing. Much of what was available often seemed heavily didactic, and I wanted to provide a forum where writers could explore spiritual themes in a more subtle and nuanced way. Although Ancient Paths contains predominantly Christian content, it publishes works from writers of all faiths and often explores universal spiritual themes.      

SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?

SB:

1. A great opening line (or two or three). This is most important when it comes to fiction submissions. After seeing hundreds of stories cross my desk, I need the first sentence or two of a story to hook me as a reader to propel me to keep reading.  

2. A smooth flow and a good "sound." In poetry, this means consistent meter or rhythm. In fiction, this means the prose should move along at a steady pace. In either case, the work should be enjoyable to read aloud.  

3. An emotional impact. Above all, I want to feel something when I read your poem or work of short fiction. Whether it moves me to think, ask deep questions, reflect nostalgically, laugh, or cry - a submission has a much greater chance of acceptance if it leaves a mark.     

 

SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?

SB: When it's clear the writer didn't bother to read the guidelines that are clearly posted and easy to access on the website. This is obvious when a writer sends a type of writing I don't publish at all, when a writer doesn't follow the format requested for submission, or when a writer sends a submission that is too long. An even worse turn-off is a cover letter that states, "I know your submission guidelines say ____, BUT...." 

The second thing that most turns me off is didacticism within a work. A work should communicate its theme or message without beating the reader over the head with it. 

SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s)/stanza(s) of a submission?

SB: As I mentioned earlier, a line (or lines) that will make me want to keep reading. I want to get a sense that I'm going to care where the story (or its characters) end up.   When it comes to poetry, I want to know from the first line that the writing is going to show a solid grasp of "sound."   

SQF: What would you like readers to know about your editing and writing services?

SB: I provide detailed line editing services to authors who plan to self-publish or who are honing their manuscripts for submission to traditional publishers.  I offer a free sample edit to allow prospective clients to evaluate my services.  

SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?

SB: Maybe - What sorts of works do you avoid publishing? In my case, I would answer stream-of-conscious writings, stories with explicit sexual content, devotions, nonfiction pieces, and simple retellings of Bible stories.

 

Thank you, Skylar. We all appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.

Six Questions for Victor Morrison, Editor, Wrong Turn Lit

Wrong Turn Lit publishes fiction and creative non-fiction to 1,000 words. “Mission: To publish based on the quality of story and language above all else.” Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Victor Morrison: We wanted to provide a space for unapologetically good prose without regard to an author’s identity. We have no quotas, tokens, agendas, or what have you. We just want the best you can do within 1,000 words. Truly, that’s it.

SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?

VM: For both fiction and nonfiction, we’re looking for style, surprise, and superb sentences. Work with unique style stands apart and makes us feel confident the writer knows what they’re doing and has cultivated a strong voice to tell the story. We also want surprise—not necessarily by way of plot twists, but rather unexpectedness as to where the story goes. We love writers who take risks. If those first two are nailed, and the piece has some stand-out sentences, it’s likely to be a serious contender.

SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?

VM: We most revile preachiness. A good story should speak for itself without the author saying, in one form or another, “this is what I want you to think” or “this is what the story is about.”

SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s)/stanza(s) of a submission?

VM: We look for a reason to keep reading. Moreover, is the language clean and the momentum there? There really isn’t a lot of time to grab the reader’s attention in flash fiction, so it needs to start moving right away.

SQF: Submission Guidelines are so boring. Is it really necessary to read them?

VM:  It is if you want to be sure we’ll consider your story. You don’t need to memorize every single guideline, but make sure you’re not submitting a 2,000-word story when our cap is 1,000 or submitting poetry as we only publish prose.

SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?

VM: What’s your editorial process like?

Too many magazines, especially online journals, accept pieces “as is,” make no editorial comments whatsoever, and move on to the next piece. We are not like that at all. We want to work with a writer to make the piece reach its full potential. That may mean two, three, or even more passes back and forth with one of our editors. An editor’s job is to unlock the writer’s potential. If you’re uncomfortable or unwilling to work through that process, we’re not the journal for you.

Thank you, Victor. We all appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.

Six Questions for Elou Carroll, Editor-in-Chief, Crow & Cross Keys

 Crow & Cross Keys publishes flash fiction to 1,000 words, short stories of 1,001 to 5, 000 words, and poetry. “In the tradition of oral folk tales, we want work that sounds as good when read aloud as it reads on the page.” Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Elou Carroll: I have always wanted to run my own literary venue, but I never quite had the time to do the initial set up. Then, the Year That Shall Not Be Named (aka 2020) rolled around and all of a sudden, I had a lot of time on my hands and it felt right. I wanted to create a beautiful place to house beautiful words—the kind of words I seek out and read over and over again—so I did! 

CCK began with a name, a vibe and a muted greyscale colour palette. I had no idea what to expect when I opened up submissions, but it bloomed quite spectacularly into something strange and lovely.

SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?

EC: 

1. Beautiful writing. This is the foundation that CCK is built upon. We don't just want good fiction and poetry, we also want it to be beautifully told. 

2. Best fit. It's not in the best interest of the piece if we accept it, and it doesn't fit with the work we're already publishing. Fit is so important, it's how you manage reader expectations and how you reach the right readers for any particular piece. There are so many stories and poems that we absolutely love but cannot accept for this reason. We understand that not every writer can read every piece in every magazine, but understanding the fit of a venue is, in my opinion, one of the most valuable skills a writer can have when submitting. (That said, we love a surprise—but a surprise that fits.)

3. A really good title. We've yelled about how much we love incredible titles on social media quite a lot, and we really do mean it. If your title makes me want to read your submission, I will already be excited before I even open the file. There really is no downplaying the importance of a good title. 

SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?

EC: If you've never read anything we've published, or even glanced beyond the submission guidelines, we can tell. Opening a submission and wondering why it's been sent to you is never a good feeling. (See Best fit above.)

SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s)/stanza(s) of a submission?

EC: If you can wow us with your title or your first sentence, you're already on good footing. (We love an excellent title, and a long title.) How do you wow us? Be striking. Read your title/opening aloud and really listen to how it sounds—our preference for beautiful writing extends to lyricality too. Read your work aloud—we do. 

It's important, too, to bring us into the moment; stories with a lot of preamble are unlikely to be accepted.  

SQF: Submission guidelines can be—well—long and boring. Is it really necessary to read them?

EC: If nothing else, you should read the hard sells, the formatting instructions, and the word/poem count information before you submit to avoid your submission being returned unread or partially read. If it's in bold, it's important. Everything else is there to help, and to manage expectations. We do appreciate it when writers read the entire page though—we did spend a lot of time crafting it, after all.

SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?

EC: "What do you see too much of in your submission queue?"

Crows. We're not a themed venue, you do not need to send us your crow stories/poems. When it comes to pieces about corvids, you have to really surprise us. We read a lot of them. For a greater chance of success, send us something else. 

Thank you, Elou. We all appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.

Six Questions for Fiona Livingston, Editor and Creative Director, Foyer Magazine

Foyer Magazine publishes pieces between 600 and 800 words and a limited number of photo essays and artworks/illustrations. We publish contributions from the point of view of people who are second-generation, mixed-heritage, third-culture, or displaced. “FOYER is run by a combination of commissioned and open submission content. We believe in giving both established and emerging writers and artists the opportunity to contribute” Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Fiona Livingston: I come from a mixed cultural heritage background (Scottish-Dutch), and was always looking for a magazine which discussed life and culture from people with this unique perspective. Even though there are articles in many magazines which feature the odd article from these points of view, there wasn’t a dedicated space for these stories, ideas and opinions to be heard, and celebrated. I wanted to take on that challenge by creating a dedicated print magazine for these audiences, and to explore these experiences through poetry, fiction, essays, memoirs, photo-essays, artwork and reportage.

SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?

FL: Firstly, I am looking for new perspectives, something original, and an imaginative way of addressing the topic; looking not just at the topic directly, but also around it to consider other factors. We are very open to articles of all shapes e.g. memoirs, reportage, fiction, science reports, poems, photo and art essays, and experimental layouts. We want to connect with readers on all levels, so the more imaginative you can be with communicating your story the better!


Secondly, we are specifically looking for voices from people from our target audience. We get lots of submissions from people not from the cultural backgrounds we are looking for, and therefore do not get accepted. So, in your submission I really like it when contributors include a short sentence introducing themselves and their cultural background, and how their submission fits into the magazine. This helps to give context to your submissions and really sets the scene.

Finally, clarity of voice and writing style is really important. Everyone needs to connect with and understand your submission. We want a submission where the concepts and ideas are balanced with clear and concise writing style, no flowery language please! 


SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?

FL: I am most put off when a submission doesn’t have the theme or ethos of the magazine in mind, for example an author has submitted a piece they have on file and are just sending it everywhere. We often receive submissions approaching the theme from a very unexciting or ordinary perspective, and this can give the impression of a lack of effort or thought has gone into the submission, which can be quite disappointing. 

SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s)/stanza(s) of a submission?

FL: I want to read something that grabs my attention, already shows me that the author has considered the theme from a different perspective, and has a strong individual author voice. Make me think about the theme from an unexpected perspective, and I need to see that early in the submission. 

SQF: Submission guidelines are often long and boring. Is it really necessary to read them?

FL: 
Submission guidelines should not be treated with fear, they are there to help you. We endeavour to make our submission guidelines useful, relevant and there to guide you so you know exactly what it is we are looking for, how we would like you to consider the subject theme, and also what we are not looking for. Our guidelines are made to be easily ‘scannable’ using bullets points so you can pick out the most relevant information. Our guidelines not only cover what we would like to see from you, but are also there to answer any basic questions such as will I get paid and how much, how will I get paid, what is the schedule etc. It saves both you and the editor a lot of time and makes the process of submitting and being accepted so much easier and quicker. So yes, please do read submission guidelines! 

SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?

FL: Why did you call the magazine FOYER?



FOYER has a dual meaning in English and French, which seemed perfect for a magazine dealing with mixed cultural heritage. In English it means a place where people can wait and meet each other, and in French it means a hearth or home. I loved the combination of these two meanings, both bringing people together but also in a place of comfort. 

Thank you, Fiona. We all appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.