The Literatus publishes prose (300-12,000 words), poetry and plays (2,500-3,000 words). Genre published include slice of life, drama, romance, fantasy, science fiction, and LGBTQ+. “We want work that is optimistic and generates an empathy for people in the world.” Read the complete guidelines here.
SQF: Why did you start this magazine?
Ananya Dhawan: I believe the world can never have enough stories, and one should be able to tell his or her story without the harsh scare of judgement. Be it poetry, stories or plays, English Literature has always fascinated me and for a long time I have wanted to begin a venture that explores various dimensions of the field. This is how and why The Literatus took shape. It is inspired by life, and all things that make us human. I want to showcase as many writers and artists to the world as I can and help in getting rid of their inhibitions.
SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?
AD: The top three things we look for in a submission are
Clarity - Is the writer able to say what he or she wants in clear terms? Also, is the writer able to paint a picture with words? Will the readers be able to perceive the writing visually? The concept of ‘show, don’t tell’ comes into play here.
Simplicity - Word choice is important. Though we appreciate good vocabulary, is it important not to use words that are too difficult and would not be easily understood by a layman.
Uniqueness - We appreciate work that has a distinctive voice, and not written on repetitive subjects.
SQF: What most often turns you off in a submission?
AD: We encourage new writers to submit their work, and it is completely understandable that newbies require a lot of editing. As editors, what mostly turns us off in a submission is when a writer sends the very first draft of his or her work without putting any effort into the editing aspect (we can tell!). Albeit we are here to polish and refine writings, a basic revision/rewrite/edit is needed from the writer’s end. This saves us a lot of time. I urge the writers to make basic edits, before sending in their work.
SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s)/stanza(s) of a submission?
AD: The first paragraph should essentially set the theme for the story/article/essay/poem and bring energy into it. It should be able to pique the interest of the reader, maybe offer something unexpected.
SQF: : What other services do you offer?
AD: We offer content writing, book review and editorial services for full-length manuscripts (fiction, non-fiction and poetry).
SQF: : What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?
AD: Well, this is a difficult one! I believe there isn’t one question in particular that I would have liked to answer. You could have asked me anything and I would have answered it in the best way I could.
Thank you, Ananya. We all appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.
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