Six Questions for Lorraine Sears, Managing Editor, The Oddville Press

The Oddville Press publishes fiction to 5000 words, poetry to 500 words, and artwork. Read the complete guidelines here.

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

Lorraine Sears: 

1. Something unique.
2. A piece that's confident and unapologetic.
3. Something that will grab our readers' attention and refuse to let go. 

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

LS: Monotonous pieces that drone on and on without direction. Short stories need to grab the reader within that first vital paragraph. If they don't, they risk being overlooked.

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

LS: The minute something is published on a public area of the internet, be it a blog, forum or website the first rights are gone. And many magazines, including Oddville want those first rights; because we want it to be an exclusive unveiling.

That said, if something is fan-freaking-tastic, and everyone on the editorial team is jumping up and down to accept it, we can make an exception. But it's a rare writer or artist who can float our collective boat like that.

SQF: Based on your experience as an editor, what have you learned about writing?

LS: Many of the Oddville team are published authors in their own right, myself included. And the one thing we all agree on, is that as a writer you're always learning.

But what I've learned as Managing Editor for Oddville, is that people often interpret odd as dark or scary, which in itself is just … odd.


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

LS: We had a lot of fun with this question. I asked the team and we came up with various suggestions, but the one we agree on is Puttin' on the Ritz by Taco – but you need to watch the video as well.


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

LS: Is The Oddville Press accepting submissions right now?

A: The Oddville Press is always accepting submissions. Our doors are flung wide open. Read our submission guidelines here. And submit!

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

NEXT POST: 2/6—Six Questions for Meg Pokrass, Founder and Managing Editor, New Flash Fiction Review