A submission to Embark: A Literary Journal For Novelists consists of two parts: the opening of your novel (2,500-4,000 words) and an Author’s Statement of 250-500 words. “The novel in question must be unpublished at the time of submission. It may be partially or completely written, but in either case you should have a firm sense of its overarching themes and structure. We are looking for polished, confident work that reflects clear authorial intention.” Read the complete guidelines here.
SQF: Why did you start this magazine?
Ursula DeYoung: I really enjoy working with emerging novelists, both as a teacher and as an editor. I also know from experience that, aside from Embark, there are very few (if any) literary journals dedicated to novelists. Unlike short-story writers, novelists necessarily have to work on a project for months, if not years, before they have a completed work that they can show to the public. I wanted to give them an arena in which they could share their projects even if they were unfinished, in order to receive feedback, encouragement, and a sense of belonging to the literary world.
SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?
UD:
(1) Confident, eloquent writing. Prose that is stilted, clichéd, repetitive, or riddled with typos and errors makes it almost impossible for me to sink into the story. Good writing doesn’t have to be elaborate, but it does have to be clear, well-paced, and articulate: the writer should be able to express his or her points easily and memorably.
(2) Engaging characters. A character—or two, but no more than three—who is distinct and individualized within the first few paragraphs, with some form of physical presence in my mind, a clear aim (no matter what it might be), and vivid emotions, will always grab my attention.
(3) Action. The single most common mistake in novel openings is to frontload them with exposition and explanations before getting the story started. Trust your readers, and work to engage them. Starting with action means that readers are pulled immediately into the story; usually only a line or two of back story is needed to provide the necessary context. Once you’ve hooked your readers, then you can build up the book’s world in more detail.
SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?
UD: The opposites of my answers to the last question. In other words:
(1) Clumsy, clichéd writing.
(2) Generic, indistinct characters without clear aims and vivid emotions.
(3) Excessive exposition that delays the actual beginning of the plot.
SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s) of a submission?
UD: It may seem a little early, but even in the very first paragraph (even in the first sentence!), I’m looking for the three qualities I mentioned in my second answer. A novel works best when it starts clearly and decisively at the true beginning of the story, without excessive preamble.
SQF: Many editors list erotica, or sex for sex’s sake, as hard sells. What are hard sells for your publication?
UD: Certainly erotica would be a hard sell for me, though I don’t mind sexual elements in submissions. I also don’t like excessive or gratuitous violence (especially rape scenes), unremittingly depressing stories, and novels that feature only despicable characters. None of these elements is inherently bad in fiction, but they turn me off as a reader and editor, and I believe that usually they act as impediments in creating a fully successful novel.
I hope it’s needless to say that I also would never accept a submission that promotes racist, homophobic, or otherwise bigoted views.
SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I’d asked that I didn’t? And how would you answer it?
UD: I would have liked you to ask the question “What is your favorite genre?” so that I could answer, “I don’t have one!” One of my favorite parts of editing Embark is reading the wide variety of genres we receive, from science fiction to mysteries to historical novels to contemporary dramas, and more. We try to include a diversity of genres within each issue, to emphasize that we don’t believe quality exists only in certain types of books. You can find great writing in any fiction category, and analyzing what makes a novel excellent within the conventions of the different genres is consistently inspiring and illuminating for me.
Thank you, Ursula. We all appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.
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