Six Questions for Chris Kosmides, Editor-in-Chief/Podcast Host, The Avenue

The Avenue publishes fiction and non-fiction to 5,000 words, and poetry. “The Avenue is a print, Mid-Atlantic-based literary journal open to the joy that is all things literary. We are committed to the quirky, the dark, the artistic, the tortured, the beautiful, the disenfranchised.” Issues are themed. Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Chris Kosmides: I started the magazine as an offshoot of a writer's group that I started hosting about ten years ago. Some of the members had the idea to start a journal so we could showcase our work. The journal has expanded well beyond that idea, which I found is usually the way things go.


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

CK: Number one is adherence to the theme. We often get really good pieces that have nothing to do with our theme. Next is engagement. In other words, do I like the story. And lastly is the professionalism of the piece, is it edited coherent and relatively tight. We have gotten several pieces that were pretty good but just needed more editing. Writers should think about what the theme of the piece is, and try to keep it relevant to that.


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

CK: Anything gratuitous or forced. Some writers are graphic, which I have no problem with, but it needs to be relevant to the context of the story. I love pieces that keep me talking or that stir up emotions.


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

CK: I like something that grabs me, or that puts me in the scene. Most of what we publish are short stories so extensive backgrounds are not that important. We have published some pieces that are almost academic in nature, but even those have some type of hook.


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

CK: As a small journal, everything seems like a hard sell. In terms of content, I talk with the editorial staff about certain pieces and we hash it out. On occasion we come across something that makes us take a step back and talk about it. It's usually the topics mentioned, (erotica, sex, violence) but in the right context any of that can work. I actually like the freedom to publish pieces that may not otherwise get a second look.


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

CK: Why do you do this, knowing journals, let alone small independent ones, offer no financial gains and take up a fair amount of time?

I think it's important to give writers a voice, especially the ones that are struggling. As a society we need to produce art to reflect and grow. While the journal is like a small venue, it might be enough to keep someone going and eventually break through to the next level. Voices need to get heard, I'm just trying to encourage the process.

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