Sledgehammer Lit publishes previously unpublished flash fiction to 1,000 words and poetry. “We appreciate technicolour imagery, geographical settings brought to life, and acrobatic turns of phrase.” Read the complete guidelines here.
SQF: Why did you start this magazine?
J. Archer Avary: I started Sledgehammer on a whim, during the second lockdown. It’s not like there’s a dearth of literary magazines out there, but I have a mean DIY streak and had a vague idea that I could create something unique.
SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?
JAA: There’s an old quote attributed to a supreme court hearing on pornography: 'I can’t tell you what it is, it but I know it when I see it.’ I don’t go into the reading process with specific criteria I expect a writer to meet, I’m just looking for well-written pieces that connect with me on some level, something that breaks conventions, or takes me by surprise. Our motto is ‘throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks’ because we are open to whatever, as long as it moves us. I hope this answers your question, if only obliquely.
SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?
JAA: First off, my reading mindset is to find a reason to say YES to a particular piece. While I take a pretty open-minded approach to Sledgehammer, some things are a tough sell for me. Rhyming poetry, for example, is not my cup of tea. I prefer direct and accessible writing, so overwritten pieces are also a tough sell. While I appreciate introspective work, I find self-pity to be a turn-off.
Poetry that relies on visual formatting might be declined even if I love it, due to the limitations of our website.
SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s)/stanza(s) of a submission?
JAA: Nothing in particular, but a strong title can really set the tone for a piece.
SQF: Many editors list erotica, or sex for sex sake, as hard sells. What are hard sells for your publication?
JAA: Hate speech in any form gets an automatic rejection.
SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?
JAA: Submission etiquette:
Van Halen famously requested a bowl of green M&M’s in their dressing room before every show. It wasn’t because the green ones taste any better, it was to show the band that the venue had read through the contract. If those green M&M’s weren’t in the dressing room, it was a red flag to the band that the other, more important details were missed.
Why is this relevant? Submission guidelines are in place to help us maintain efficient turnaround times (and our sanity). It’s obvious and kind of annoying when our guidelines are ignored. We understand that it takes time and effort to send your work to a dozen journals, so please do us a favour and give us our green M&M’s.
Now that I think about it, I may stipulate in our next submission window that the subject line for all submissions must read ‘green m&m’s'
Thank you, J. Archer. We all appreciate you taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.
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