Susurrus publishes flash fiction/nonfiction to 1,000 words, fiction and creative nonfiction to 6,000 words, poetry to three pages, and photography. “We value lush imagery, vivid language, and imaginative, skillful writing.” Read the complete guidelines here.
SQF: Why did you start this magazine?
Michelle Champagne: It’s kind of an interesting question for me because, in some ways, I feel like I’ve been working towards this my whole life. You see, magazines were essential to my teen years. From Teen Vogue to Rolling Stone, in the era before social media, magazines were my gateway to the world and a place that, within its pages, introduced me to new ideas, art, and ways of being. They were important in my development as a young feminist and in my youthful aspirations as a writer and journalist. Through publications like Spin and Paste, I learned all about the Riot Grrrl movement, which led to my obsession with zines and handmade journals, intertwining my love of music with my political and social awakening. I joined my high school’s literary arts magazine, The Muse, where I read through submissions (and even submitted some myself) and crafted layouts for our print issues, combining my love of art journals with my love of creative writing. When we went on to win national awards, it felt like something I was meant to do.
At Mercer University, I met Michelle Meredith, our nonfiction and interviews editor, and CJ Triplett, our fiction and web editor, through our work on our university’s literary arts magazine, The Dulcimer. Together, we revitalized the publication, crafting The Dulcimer to where an issue itself was a work of art, where the writing and graphics flowed seamlessly to create an artistic experience with every turn of the page.
It wasn’t until my post-undergraduate years that I became interested in my own relationship with Southern identity. I was someone who had long been embarrassed or ashamed of those quirks that made me Southern, even though I still grew up in the South. It was something I often spoke about with CJ and wrote constantly about to Michelle, in the hopes that one day we would form our own magazine together. Through publications like the Oxford American and The Bitter Southerner in particular, I felt like this was something where there was an audience, where there would be others who longed for that creative outlet that took our work and identity to this complicated region seriously.
It wasn’t until after graduate school at Wake Forest, where I met our Poetry Editor Maddie Gallo and continued to seek out answers in my connection to the American South, that I realized how much I missed magazines. I decided on a whim one weekend that I wanted to dive back into that world. CJ was on board immediately, Maddie was my first and only choice for Poetry Editor, and I promised Michelle Meredith long ago that I would never do another magazine without her.
When we held our first meeting and all discussed our relationships to the South, we concluded that we wanted to create a space that celebrated Southern artists, that championed the dynamic and diverse voices of this complicated region that we call home. We may not be the first to do so, but I hope we aren’t the last. There’s so much talent down here and I hope we can provide a space that so many Southern artists need.
SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?
MC: I think aside from following the submissions guidelines and the artist being from the South, there aren’t necessarily particular things that we look for, but rather simply the quality of the text (or photos) before us. Because we’re a small staff and good friends, each respective editor combs through all of their submissions and chooses what they perceive are strong pieces, and then, after we all read through everything, we hold a meeting where we decide what makes it into the magazine. This, I would say, is really my favorite part of making the magazine because we get to discuss all of the wonderful writing we’ve received. So often, one editor illuminates something in a piece I didn’t see before or didn’t consider previously and it changes the way I look at the text. It really speaks to the quality of work submitted and the skill of so many writers out there.
I will say that because we are a Southern-based publication for Southern artists, there tends to be this misconception that you have to engage with those Southern questions or tease out your Southern identity in your submission. But that’s not necessary. If you’re a Southern science fiction writer, we want to hear from you, too. We value the array of talent and writing this region produces and we want to uplift that every chance we get.
SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?
MC: We currently accept submissions via email and I would say the most disappointing thing is when we can easily tell that a submission has been mass emailed to multiple publications. Often, these submissions don’t adhere to our guidelines or even the basic premise that we are a magazine for artists from the American South. It’s unfortunate, but it does happen and it’s a shame because we do work hard to create a beautiful magazine and reading experience.
SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s)/stanza(s) of a submission?
MC: This, much like the three things we look for, is sort of difficult to answer because we accept such a variety of voices. Sometimes, it can be a strong line or striking image. Sometimes, it can be the slow buildup of tension or the structure that underlies the pieces. It may be clichéd and vague to say, but I really think that it’s about drawing the reader in, pulling us on a journey. Whatever you write, if you believe in the strength of your work, send it along. We’d love to read it.
SQF: Is there a certain type of submission you’d like to see more of?
MC: We are definitely interested in seeing more photography submissions! But truly, we’re so grateful to the submissions we do receive. We wouldn’t be here without the works of our talented Southern artists.
SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?
MC: Perhaps maybe, why a magazine centering artists from the American South? And my answer would be why not?
Thank you, Michelle. We all appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.
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