Friday, April 8, 2022

Six Questions for Colleen Rothman, Editor, Nurture

Nurture publishes flash prose and poetry that explores the complexities of care. New work is published every two weeks. Submissions for fiction, creative nonfiction, hybrid work, poetry, and micros are open on a rolling basis. Read the complete guidelines here.


SQF: Why did you start this magazine?


Colleen Rothman: I started Nurture in December 2020, during the long slog of the pandemic’s first year. I was feeling stuck creatively, unable to write much or read anything lengthy, but I often found solace in the words of others I’d discovered online. Often, these pieces were connected to caregiving in some way, a topic some outlets don’t embrace, though many reported trend pieces on parental despair had begun to circulate. I hoped for Nurture to become a literary complement to this wider conversation, one that could explore care and caregiving in new ways.



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


CR: As the editor of a publication with a theme, albeit a broad one, I read a submission first for its connection to the journal’s mission. I tend to prefer work that connects to the theme (the complexities of care) more obliquely, or challenges it in some way. I love speculative and surreal interpretations and wish I saw more of them in the queue. It’s a delicate balance, and I often pass on work that I think connects to the theme too literally, or if the connection is too difficult for me to grasp. 


Voice is also critical. If I connect with a voice, I’ll follow it anywhere. There’s no formula for this, and it’s subjective, of course. But I think it’s important, especially for writing published online, which has to build that connection quickly to sustain the reader’s attention. I look for a voice that feels distinctive, with a certain degree of authority, precision, and specificity that makes the piece feel like something only that author could have written.


Finally, I’m looking for some element of surprise. I want to read poems, essays, and stories that bring something new to the conversation, though this, too, is not a simple formula. Sometimes, it begins with the piece’s title, or a subject that might at first seem unrelated to the journal’s theme, or a great description or turn of phrase. Sometimes, an accepted piece portrays a facet of care that the journal has not yet explored.



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


CR: Within the submission, I’m most turned off by physical violence. I’m also not wild about pieces that include long, uninterrupted blocks of back-and-forth dialogue, and I have a particular aversion to pieces that begin with dialogue before the reader has been introduced to the character(s).  


Before I even read a piece, I’m often thrown off by a lack of adherence to the journal’s guidelines, including cover letters that tell me what a piece is about before I’ve read the work. "Dear Editor" is also not a great look.



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


CR: I want to see some conflict or tension in the opening paragraph/stanza. I love pieces that explore ambivalence. A hint of humor also helps — if you’ve made me laugh, I’ll keep reading. 



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


CR: Physical violence against humans or animals is the toughest sell. Actually, I would love to read more submissions that explore sexuality. In deference to the journal’s mission, submitters send me a lot of work about parenting and family relationships, which I love, but there are so many other types of relationships that involve some aspect of care that are (in my view) under-explored.



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


CR: I think it’s important to ask how writers are compensated for their work. Like many other markets for flash prose and poetry, Nurture does not pay its contributors, a decision I hope will evolve as the journal’s audience grows. However, as a writer who has published in several non-paying outlets, I've seen firsthand that money is not the only way a publication can support authors. Enthusiastically promoting the work, making it look nice, and archiving it in perpetuity go a long way. Because Nurture does not pay, I aim to support contributors by promoting their pieces on Twitter and Instagram, as well as a periodic email newsletter, and nominating published work for literary awards. During the journal’s first year, I nominated pieces from Nurture for the Best Small Fictions and Best Microfiction anthologies, Best of the Net, and the Pushcart Prize. I'll keep searching for opportunities to recognize the work of Nurture contributors.


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


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