Six Questions for Carolyn Keogh, Editor, Miniature Magazine

Miniature Magazine is a quarterly online magazine dedicated to creating a platform for writing that isn’t undermined or jeopardized by its small stature. We aim to publish writing that makes the most of being what some might call miniature. In addition to fiction, poetry, essays and prose, we also publish art and illustration. All written content falls near or under the 1,000-word range, showing how much can be done with a little.

(ceased publication)

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

Carolyn Keogh: I think the first thing I look for in a submission is that there is something unusual or unexpected about the piece. I like being surprised -- either by the content or the way a poem or story is framed or even by how it looks on the page. I think this element of surprise is important when working within the confines of 1000 or so words.

The second would be humor. Even in the saddest or most serious submissions, I look for a hint of wit. The third thing I look for is efficiency of space and length. I'm often most impressed by short submissions that utilize every single word. I look to make sure no word is wasted in the submissions we accept.

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

CK: Anything that has a completely bland first line. This is totally subjective but if it doesn't grab me right at the beginning, I will often loose interest pretty quickly. 

SQF: Will you publish a submission an author posted on a personal blog? 

CK: We'd prefer material that hasn't been published but would be open to reading submissions that have been posted on personal blogs.


SQF: What is it that drew you to the miniature form?

CK: I've always been more inclined to read novellas than tomes. I think there's something impressive about being able to pack a real narrative punch without taking up too much of the reader's time or the page's space. I also wanted the magazine to take the form of a small treat -- something that readers could enjoy in one sitting and relish for a moment.


SQF: What makes you laugh?

CK: This is an extremely difficult question because I feel like I'm almost always laughing but something that makes me laugh the most is language humor -- plays on words and bad translations always get me. I'm also an unabashed lover of puns.


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

CK: I think I wish you'd asked about our art submissions -- we accept comics, illustrations, paintings and photographs.

Thank you for your questions, I had a wonderful time answering them. More info can be found on our website. 

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

NEXT POST: 5/16--Six Questions for Shinjini Bhattacharjee, Editor, Hermeneutic Chaos Literary Journal