Six Questions for Katherine Schmidt and Natalie Wolf, Co-Founders/Editors, Spark to Flame

Spark to Flame publishes collaborative poetry (preferably to 300 words). “We pair poets to co-author poetry anonymously through submissions of poetry fragments (sparks). If a fragment is accepted, it is then sent to another author, who turns it into a cohesive poem (flame).” They just published their first issue and are open for submissions from August 15, 2023 to October 15, 2023 for Issue Two. Read the complete guidelines here.

 

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

 

Katherine: We started Spark to Flame to elevate and create space for collaborative poetry. Natalie and I had written collaborative poetry together in the past, and it was just so much fun. One day I suddenly thought: what if there were a journal that not only wanted to publish fantastic co-authored poems, but also had a mechanism to get more collaborative poetry out in the world? That’s why we run a process where poets can submit poetry fragments–or “sparks”–and can sign up to write a final poem–or “flame”–off of a different poet’s spark. We are as much about the final poem as we are about the process! We want poets to play with ideas and language they may be unfamiliar with, to lean into their creativity, to really embrace the improv concept “yes and…”

 

Natalie: I think Katie pretty much said it, but what I’ll add is that, when I had thought about starting a literary journal before, I hadn’t felt like I really had anything novel to contribute. But when Katie mentioned her idea for Spark to Flame, I hadn’t heard of anything else doing something similar (although we now know that Icebreakers Lit also runs a similar process). I thought that it was a really cool idea and was excited to help her with the journal!

 

 

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

 

Natalie: I look for vibrant and surprising imagery, interesting language choices, and ideally (although not always) something of a narrative/through line. They’re things that I enjoy when reading poetry, so hopefully our readers will enjoy them as well. And for sparks specifically, I look for things that feel like they have enough substance (in terms of language/imagery, ideas, and actual word count) for flame writers to work with, but that don’t feel like they’re already complete poems. For our first issue, we received some sparks that were nice but felt like they were already complete works.

 

Katherine: I love co-authored poems that surprise me, use inventive language, and play with form. I love playfulness and rhythm. I love thinking about new things in old ways or old things in new ways. For sparks, poets need to give their co-author something to work with! Often that looks like interesting imagery or a clear theme. We have a word count suggestion of 50-100 words for the spark because, like Natalie mentioned, there needs to be enough ideas for the flame writer to really work with it.

 

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

 

Katherine: We had a couple of submissions of single-authored poems, which is just silly and leads to an automatic rejection (we don’t publish single-authored poems!). Other than that, for our first issue, I was really touched by poets’ willingness to take part in our process. We can tell when poets sincerely want to be part of what we are creating and we are here to help that process go smoothly.

 

Natalie: I’ll second what Katie said about single-authored poems. Also, if sparks seem like they’re too short to provide much for a flame writer to work with (sparks that are only 2-3 very short lines, for example). Or if a submission doesn’t have anything that makes it stand out in terms of language choice, ideas, imagery, etc. Make it interesting! Make it you!

 

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

 

Natalie: Yes! For me, it’s about communication and respect. If you submit something that doesn’t meet the basic guidelines of what a journal is looking for because you didn’t read the guidelines page, that wastes your time and yours. Everything is a lot smoother and more efficient if everyone’s on the same page (metaphorically and literally). Also, if you took the time to read and follow the guidelines, that shows you are invested in your writing and the submission/publication process. With that said, journals rejecting work just because of small formatting errors seems a little silly to me personally.

 

Katherine: Reading the guidelines is 100% necessary. We not only accept submissions of sparks, which themselves are a new concept (how many poetry journals do you know take not-yet-fully-formed poems?), but we also have a process to pair sparks with flame-writers. The process relies on back-and-forth between us as editors and the spark and flame writers. Think of it in two ways: our guidelines are our way of being upfront with poets about the type of communication and pacing we need from them; our guidelines also let poets know what they should expect from us as editors. Setting these expectations is how we attempt to build a foundation for trust and respect, which our whole process relies on.

 

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

 

Katherine: For co-authored poems, anything NSFW, in addition to excessive violence. We welcome tough themes, but they must be handled sensitively and appropriately. For sparks and flames, even more sensitivity is needed. Spark-submitters should think about how their sparks will be given to a stranger. And I want to see flame-writers respect and honor their sparks.

 

Natalie: I’ll basically just second what Katie said: graphic/unnecessary violence, graphic sexual content, and anything promoting bigotry, hatred, or violence. We’re open to submissions on difficult themes, but they need to be handled with care. 

 

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

 

Natalie: What would we say to people who may not have submitted to journals before and are nervous about submitting? And I would say go for it! We want to read work from poets of all levels of experience and backgrounds. And if you have any questions, we’re here to help. We’re excited to read your work!

 

Katherine: Who should submit to Spark to Flame? Our answer: everyone. The only requirement right now is 13 years old or older. Like Natalie said, we want to be a place where both new and established poets connect across backgrounds and cultures.

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

Six Questions for Kristen Csuti, Founder/Editor, The Lit Nerds

The Lit Nerds publishes fiction (no word count limit) with feel-good or hopeful elements and nonfiction articles on writing and pop culture. “Send us your happy endings, your good triumphing over evil, your stories where the dog doesn’t die. Romanticize everyday life until we have no idea how we never saw the magic ourselves. Make us laugh, give us hope, restore a little bit of our faith in humanity.” Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Kristen Csuti: I started The Lit Nerds years ago to feature articles about writing, literature, and pop culture. Over the years, as I spent more time exploring other literary magazines, I realized there was a hole in the market for short fiction that wasn’t gritty, wasn’t dark, wasn’t centered around a sad protagonist getting sadder—for fiction that cared about all the technical aspects of writing and storytelling but was also fun to read. The final straw came for me when I found a story in a respected magazine that featured a plot point involving a man making puppies into coats. I knew there must be people out there writing stories with the same attention to detail and quality prose who focused instead on hope and friendship and joy. So I decided to start publishing those, and The Lit Nerds shifted into a fiction magazine that also occasionally publishes articles on writing and pop culture.

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

KC: Technical proficiency, a compelling voice, and an interesting concept.

Pretty obviously, I initially look for whether or not a submission shows proficiency in the technical aspects of writing: does the word choice seem intentional? Is all the punctuation in the right spot? Does it show more than tell? Does the piece make sense? etc. 

Since most people who are submitting fiction have a decent grasp on writing craft, the next two things that will pull me in are a compelling voice and an interesting concept. An interesting concept doesn’t necessarily have to be a new concept, it just has to be an author’s unique take, whether that’s accomplished through a vivid world or authentic characters or some other twist. A compelling voice is harder to define. I’m looking for pieces that don’t sound like all the other pieces, whether that’s through unexpected metaphors or word choice, musical language, or just a compulsively readable narrative.

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

KC: Weak writing and bad vibes.

The best story in the world can be ruined by unintentionally repetitive sentence structure, poor grammar, confusing dialogue, an abundance of telling, too much or too little worldbuilding, etc. I want to be immersed in a story, not told that this thing happened and then this thing happened and then suddenly this other thing happened while characters stand around either overreacting or underreacting.

Bad vibes is definitely more subjective. Since The Lit Nerds is focused on feel-good and hope-filled fiction, any piece that prioritizes pain, anger, hate, sadness, death, etc. is going to be a hard sell for me. There are definitely stories that can feature bad things happening or people experiencing negative emotions that still focus on hope and strength and love, but it’s a rarity. The key for me is if a story is going to include negativity, it can’t dwell there and it can’t glorify it.

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

KC: Similar to what I look for in an overall piece, I want the opening paragraph of a submission to show me that the writer has a unique and compelling voice and a proficient grasp of the technical aspects of writing. Do the opening sentences draw me in? Do the details matter to the story? If there’s a character in the first paragraph, are their actions/thoughts believable? If there’s not a character, is there a good reason for it? Is the word choice intentional or does it feel like the piece is regurgitating what’s popular in the genre?

I also want the first few paragraphs to give me a good idea of what the piece is about. This isn’t to say that I want to be able to predict how it ends or know exactly what’s coming, but if I’m confused about the setting or characters or conflict at the end of a few paragraphs, it’s going to be a hard sell.

SQF: If The Lit Nerds had a theme song, what would it be and why?

KC: It was way too hard to only choose one, so here’s a trio of songs that encompass the vibe of The Lit Nerds and the vibe of the types of stories we’re looking for:

• Life’s What You Make It – Graham Colton

• We Battle Giants – Bandits on the Run

• Cheers! – Jukebox the Ghost

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

KC: What’s your stance on literary fiction vs genre fiction?

There seems to be a misconception that fiction that deals with the dark depths of humanity is somehow more important or necessarily of better quality than fiction that deals with romance or magic or joy. When reading for The Lit Nerds, I hold all stories, regardless of genre, to the same standard: is it well-written? is it interesting? 

I love stories that bend genre and can’t be neatly classified. I love stories that fit perfectly into genres and are masterfully written. I think the world needs more romantic short stories, more cozy short stories, more quirky, fun, and fantastical short stories. I think the world also needs more literary short stories that don’t dwell on the horrors of humanity but instead glorify the strength, resilience, and compassion of humanity. That’s why The Lit Nerds exists.

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

Six Questions for Cristina Deptula, Executive Editor, Synchronized Chaos

Synchronized Chaos publishes “diverse work in a variety of styles – photo essays, travelogues, digital artwork, dance, theatre, formal and free verse poetry, short fiction and nonfiction, humor, memoir, and critical theory. We accept work of all styles from people around the world and then develop our monthly theme based on what we have received. That way, people come back to read the issue after they are published to see how their work fit into our theme! ” Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Cristina Deptula: I launched Synchronized Chaos during the financial crisis of 2008, when many people were struggling. I wanted to see what I could do to help others during that time and found that many people were grateful for a place to be able to express their thoughts and be heard. We can't pay people and are simply offering them a platform, but we receive an overwhelming number of submissions each month from people of many countries and backgrounds and walks of life. I initially thought that another lit mag would be far down the list of things that the world needed, but people continue to submit and to read Synchronized Chaos, so it must be fulfilling a purpose. 

What makes us different is that we determine our semi-monthly theme after we've received the submissions. That way, we have a theme and aren't just a copy of the many other magazines that publish whatever the editors define as quality literature, but we don't have to turn away work we like simply because it doesn't fit a predetermined theme. 

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

CD: We look at work in context rather than simply looking at pieces in themselves. For example, we have a semi-regular contributor who's an Egyptian national and she reviews movies and TV shows from both the Western and Arab worlds. I find it fascinating what she identifies as worthy of review and commentary in Western culture, what resonates with her across the world. Another editor might go recruit someone with more experience or credentials, but I find the international cultural concept intriguing, educating me and the readers about the culture of different parts of the world as well as touching on the idea of what might have universal resonance. 

So as for three things we love? Some kind of interesting or unique context and awareness of not just what you're writing, but what it means that you're writing that particular piece at this particular time. 

Also, we appreciate attention to craft. Not in the sense of following someone else's standard, but of understanding of the piece you're trying to create and creating the best version possible of your own vision. We'll publish gumdrops as well as four course meals, but we love to see the best examples of both. 

And, we're about building community on our site and feedback for the writers and artists. So if you read the issues and comment on the published work, or even contact another writer and craft something in response to or in conversation with one of their pieces, that would definitely catch our attention. 

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

CD: We don't get turned off by much, honestly. I'm human and have my own artistic preferences, as does our co-editor Kahlil Crawford. But I figure that if something doesn't resonate with me, then perhaps it wasn't written for me. We're all in different places in our life journeys, and maybe something will resonate with someone else if it doesn't do much for me. 

We don't publish work that "punches down" or otherwise supports racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, or any other "ism" or that is straight up porn with no literary or artistic value. 

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

CD: Opening paragraphs? I'm a trained journalist so I always look for a hook to catch my attention, then an orientation to who/what/when/why/where/how. That may come more naturally for nonfiction than fiction, but even in fiction, too many nagging minor questions or plot holes can be distracting. 

However, we understand that different places have different writing conventions and we don't impose styles or craft on our contributors. I've been surprised by pieces that leave me wondering or go in unexpected directions. 

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

CD: Sexual content without a literary or artistic purpose would be a hard sell, not because I'm opposed to sex, but because that sort of work has a different purpose than what we intend. Would be the same thing if someone sent us a highly detailed advertisement for dental floss. If the advertisement were written in a clever way or designed with impressive artistic graphic design, great. However, we don't exist to sell either sex or dental floss. 

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

CD: Sure. I'd like to share what I'd do with a blank check of time as well as money. 

We'd love to provide writing coaching and basic/developmental editing for students and emerging authors from around the world. There are plenty of people who find their way to us who have interesting ideas or worthwhile things to say but don't have the craft or promotional support to reach a larger audience. We'd love to provide them with the support they need to learn their craft and get published without having to change their voice or style or point of view. 

Ideally people could contact each other through our site and offer to mentor each other, and we'd love to see people do that! But I'd love to become more intentional about that, set up some kind of connecting message board where people can ask for and volunteer and be matched with mentors in their genre. Being able to offer a stipend would enable many more non-wealthy talented writers around the world to be able to serve as mentors. 

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

Six Questions for Jill Khoury and Jen Stein Hauptmann, Editors, Rogue Agent

Rogue Agent publishes poetry to 10 pages. “What is it like to live in your body? We want work that answers this question.” Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Jill & Jen: We believe that sharing embodied experiences with each other across gender, race, sexuality, dis/ability, and other identities increases understanding between those with disparate experiences. At the time we started, there were very few literary journals that dealt with embodiment. Now I feel like there are many more.

 

 

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

Jill & Jen: Does it conform to our theme “what is it like to live in your body?” Using fresh language / taking risks with language. Strong and surprising imagery.

 

 

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

Jill & Jen: Besides the obvious things like racism, homophobia sexism, ableism, and other hate speech— we don’t like when people send writing about somebody else’s embodied experience. Like when you write a poem about your father’s Alzheimer’s or your son’s autism, that may be fine for other journals, but we are looking for your embodied narrative. Secondly, objectifying women. From our end, it seems like men write women as sex objects so frequently that they don’t even notice they’re doing it. Lastly, when embodiment isn’t evident… like someone writing metaphorically about Sisyphus or a more obscure Greek mythic figure. Those poems never make it in.

 

 

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

 

Jill & Jen: We just want to be invited into the poem to read the rest of it. There has to be something that piques our interest. If you have to spend two stanzas explaining the situation of the poem, it’s less likely to be published by us.

 

 

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

 

Jill & Jen: I think the example of gratuitous sex is a good one. The same with over-the-top violence. Fatphobia is also a hard sell.

 

 

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

 

Jill & Jen: What do you wish submitters would pay special attention to? And the answer would be our theme. Please read some back issues to get an idea for how we define embodied poetry. 

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

 

Six Questions For Halle Merrick, Editor-in-Chief, Haunted Words Press

Haunted Words Press publishes short stories of 1,000-5,000 words, flash fiction of no more than 1000 words, poetry, and visual art. Any and all genres are considered. Issues are themed. The audience is young adults and middle grade readers. Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Halle Merrick: Haunted Words Press was started, amusingly, to procrastinate. Well, amongst other things, but it started as I was mid-dissertation season for my undergraduate degree, writing a middle grade novel about witches. To take a break from it, I started Haunted Words Press, the idea for which came earlier in the year. Whilst looking at the possible dissemination and publishing routes for my projects, it was difficult to find the kind of small press publisher that would publish the strange and peculiar stories for young adults and middle grade (9-12 year old) readers that I wrote and wanted to see on the shelves. So I started it!

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

HM: We’ve started getting a lot of submissions for recent issues, which is fantastic, but it means there’s a lot to read and a lot to shortlist and go through and respond to. So when I first read through a submission, I like to look for characters that are going to stay with me after I’ve read the piece. Characters from our first issue still exist in my head because they were so well written and felt real to me, and I wanted to read more about them. 

I want a plot that will grab me, something I’ll remember and be able to recall when I go back to the second read-through of submissions. Can I see the submission email and title and know what the story was - has it made an impression that I can pick it out and know that it should go onto the shortlist? Good endings are also key - the scope of the story needs to be right for its length. It should be a fully contained story in its length when it’s submitted, not an extract from a novel or the first few stanzas in an epic.

Also, in much less academic and professional terms, the vibe of the piece. Does it fit with the issue that it’s been submitted for? I get a lot of really great pieces but they just aren’t the right fit for that issue, or they don’t fit the dark and strange and witchy atmosphere that I try to create across the pieces in each issue.

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

HM: A piece that doesn’t know the audience it’s for. We publish for both young adult and middle grade audiences and I need to be able to categorise the pieces so that I know which part of the issue they’ll fall into. A piece that knows which audience it’s catering for, and can do that well, is great. If it’s a middle grade story, how old are the characters? What are their lives like? Is this something a 9-12 year old with a penchant for darkness and the ghostly side of life would read and enjoy? The same goes for a young adult piece - are the characters in this fully grown adults, and does that fit the audience it’s being published for? What are the concerns of a teenager or young adult and how are these made tense and dramatic without feeling like a melodrama? What’s the dialogue like? Do teenagers really speak like this?

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

HM: A hook, especially in the opening paragraph of a story/flash piece. I think short stories need to be able to hook their reader in, in a different way to novels, which have a lot longer to be able to set out their characters and settings. It needs to be believable too - it’s a story likely with some form of the ghostly or supernatural or occult, but I like for it to still be grounded somehow in what people can relate to.

SQF: Why did you decide on a target audience of young adult and middle grade readers?

HM: Quite selfishly, because I write about witches and ghosts for young adult and middle grade, and I wanted to find others that did too to build up that community.

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

HM: I’m not entirely sure, actually. Maybe something about what plans Haunted Words has for the future? I’d love to be able to move more into print and physical spaces, and to publish novels and single-author short story or poetry collections, whilst still keeping our themed digital issues so that we still have our free-to-read, free-to-submit model that I think is really important, because people should be able to read about the gothic and the dark and the things that go bump in the night even if they don’t have the money to order a physical copy. I’d really like to do some more middle-grade work with schools eventually, which is a project I’m working on at the moment.

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