The 504 publishes fiction, non-fiction and poetry to 5,000 words and flash fiction, flash non-fiction and poetry to 1,000 words. Read the complete guidelines here.
SQF: Why did you start this literary magazine?
Devin and Rosa: We went to school together, and we thought it would be nice if there was a place where writers could submit their work and not be charged a “reading fee.”
SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?
Devin and Rosa:
We want to feel something. Most submissions have no emotion in them, or evoke no emotional response in us.
We want to feel invested in the characters.
We want to be surprised. For most submissions, we can tell from the first paragraph how the story will end. We don’t like that.
SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?
For Devin it’s an excessive use of “ly” adverbs that do nothing for the story.
For Rosa it’s a lack of readability. It needs to have been proofread a few times. If she can’t understand the meaning on the first read, it gets set aside.
SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s)/stanza(s) of a submission?
Devin and Rosa: We look for a subconscious question to be posed. We want the opening to pose a question and add tension while setting the tone that will carry through the work. These things are necessary for a good work of writing and mark a writer who has spent time studying their craft.
SQF: You offer Master Classes and Services. What classes and services are currently available?
Devin and Rosa:
Rosa offers an editing service for manuscripts and short stories.
Devin offers a private, one-on-one class to authors seeking to strengthen their social media following. She also offers a class on the basic structure of story writing for new writers.
Thank you, Devin and Rosa. We all appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.
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