The Vitni Review publishes poetry, fiction/creative nonfiction to 7,500 words—including flash— and book reviews. “Our intention is to publish writing that pushes against convention, which challenges, subverts, or skillfully manipulates tradition, and which serves to advance the understanding of human culture and experience via interesting metaphors, exciting diction, and engaging content.” Read the complete guidelines here.
SQF: Why did you start this magazine?
Garnet & Logan: We had wanted to collaborate on a project of this nature for quite some time, while we were studying in the MFA program at the University of Nevada-Reno. We wanted to participate in giving light to work by artists who are historically under- or misrepresented in literature. We’re also hoping to publish some local poets and writers, and even hope to have a prize of some sort for Nevada writers.
SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?
G: I like to be either excited by a piece, or made to go cry in the bathroom for a couple of minutes. I guess you could say I prefer a piece exhibit a degree of emotional daring.
L: I would say a unique sense of voice is important. I also think a good submission ought to end as strongly as it begins.
SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?
L: Clichés, stock ideas, sexism, closed-minded-ness.
G: Stereotypes (especially gendered ones), gratuitous violence against women and minorities, and unfortunately-conceived sex scenes.
SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s)/stanza(s) of a submission?
L: Imagery is one of the things I look for the most, particularly with poetry. In fiction, point-of-view is important, and character development.
G: I like an opening that makes me think, or even shocks me. I like pieces that open right in the thick of it, demanding attention to themselves through language, tone, form, etc. I also like openings that draw you in sneakily and make you complacent before wrecking your shit later.
SQF: Many editors list erotica, or sex for sex’s sake, as hard sells. What are hard sells for your publication?
G & L: If we’re talking about submissions we absolutely won’t take, we aren’t really looking for fan fiction or any kind of writing that doesn’t serve a literary purpose or in some way move its genre forward. We’re fairly open-minded when it comes to content and form, but we absolutely suggest writers consider our mission when submitting.
SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?
G & L: How about “What other projects are you interested in pursuing?” At The Vitni Review, we’re hoping to expand our publication capabilities to accommodate translations and full manuscripts. We’d also like to have more of an impact on our local arts community as we grow, as we think it’s important to support local writers. The prize for Nevada writers mentioned earlier is one possible element of this particular goal.
Thank you, Garnet and Logan. We all appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.
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