Six Questions for Melissa Martini, Editor-in-Chief, Moss Puppy

Moss Puppy publishes prose to 3,000 words, flash to 1,000 words, poetry, and visual art. “We are curly haired swamp creatures howling into the moonlight, doggy paddling and barking at toads and flies. We want your weird, muddy, and messy - the turtles without shells, boiled frogs, & mushroom-capped fairies. Show us what's in your swamp.” Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Melissa Martini: After graduating, I dove right into full-time work. I was a project coordinator for an executive search firm for two years. I was making good money, but I found myself craving creativity. After studying creative writing for four years in undergrad and then two more years in graduate school, I wasn't used to my life lacking literature like that.

I was volunteering for indie lit mags, writing on the side, and submitting my work, but I missed my entire life revolving around creative writing. It didn't help that my full-time job was bordering on abusing me and the pandemic left me ambitious and looking for more out of life than just waking up, working, and then going back to bed. So, I quit my full-time job and started Moss Puppy Magazine.

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

MM: For prose:

1) Fully developed characters that are complicated, complex, and memorable: I want to be thinking about the characters after I finish reading. I want to be invested in their lives both on and off the page.

2) Sentences that are pleasant to read: I love prose that reads like poetry, is beautifully written, and flows effortlessly.

3) Specific details: Rather than describing things generically, I find that specific details can really bring stories to life.

For poetry:

1) That it doesn't feel forced: I enjoy poetry that feels natural when read rather than like the words were bullied into their stanzas against their will.

2) Length: I don’t necessarily have a preference for long or short poetry, but I do look for a length that works with the subject matter. I don’t want to be left wanting more out of a poem, but I also want to be fully invested throughout if the poem has length to it.

3) Format: Again, I don’t necessarily have a preference for poems that are formatted traditionally or non-traditionally, but I like when it works with the subject matter.

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

MM: Incorrect formatting, excessive spelling errors, and incorrect grammar. There are certain formatting errors that make submissions incredibly hard to read. I’m okay with a typo here and there or a missing comma, but when it impacts the reader’s experience, I find it difficult to continue reading. 

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

MM: I want to know what the piece is about right off the bat. Teasing doesn’t exactly work in writing for me; I’d rather know at the start and then have it built up as we go. I love when a piece throws me right into the situation in the first paragraph or stanza, and then I’m hooked. 

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

MM: As long as it’s not encouraging anything harmful, I’m pretty open. Life is layered and complicated, and there are so many aspects of life that we all experience. If you don’t want to read or write about sex, then don’t read or write about sex. It’s all good - all writing will find its audience.

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

MM: What not to do as a submitter. I didn’t realize prior to starting this publication that I would need to deal with disrespectful people - from pieces that promote negative/violent behavior to submitters blatantly ignoring submission guidelines and failing to include trigger warnings for sensitive topics. Please respect our staff’s time and energy by reading our guidelines, including content warnings, and not sending us work that promotes violence.

Six Questions for Ai Jiang, Fiction Editor, Orion’s Belt

Orion’s Belt publishes fiction to 1200 words, poetry, and cover art. “We specialize in the strange and poignant and awe-inspiring, stories that have a cosmic scale and intimate personal stakes.” Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: How did you become a part of this magazine?

Ai Jiang: I noticed a call that Joshua Fagan put out on Twitter in hopes of expanding the Orion's Belt team, so I sent in an application!

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

AJ: A strong opening is a must, I would say—one that grounds readers in both the world and the point of view character/main protagonist without being too expository. With that said, I'd love to be familiarized with a character through their actions and thoughts before diving into what is at stake. In relation to motivation and stake, it doesn't have to be something high tension necessarily, but the feeling of a forward momentum and emotional buildup and development draws me further into a story—strong world building is nice, but it shouldn't dominate over the character's personal narrative in my opinion. 

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

AJ: When the opening is too expository and feels almost like a prologue of sorts but for a short story. Though for mythic/folkloric/fairy tale-esque stories, I wouldn't mind brief lines of omniscient narration that is characteristic to the genre. 

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

AJ: Where we are, who we're following, and why—or at least hints at the listed elements mentioned first in the opening, then are further developed after. 

SQF: Are there certain types of stories you’d like to receive more of?

AJ: Psychological horror with speculative elements, perhaps! 

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

AJ: I think it would be one that I, as a writer, would ask: "What is the most common reason a writer might be rejected after passing through the first round/multiple rounds/final round?" 

I would say not only might fit be a big part of the selection process, but with so many good stories to narrow down, it might come down to minuscule details. Does one story's experimental attempts work just a bit better than another of a similar style? Did we already publish a piece that is quite similar in tone and premise? Does one story speak louder—at the moment—than another? It all comes down to preference as much as we try to be as objective as possible when it comes to how well crafted a story is. And I urge writers not to get discouraged because what one market may reject, another market might see it a gem. 

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

Six Questions for J.D. Harlock, Poetry Editor, Orion’s Belt

Orion’s Belt publishes fiction to 1200 words, poetry, and cover art. “We encourage boundary-pushing, experimental poetry. What we care about is subject matter.” Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: How did you become a part of this magazine?

J.D. Harlock: Before I came on as the poetry editor, I was already a poetry editor at Solarpunk Magazine and had been a fan of Orion’s Belt for a while. I’d submitted plenty of times, and our EiC Joshua Fagan was kind enough to send quite a few personalized responses that made my day– especially for stories that no other publications had bothered with. When I saw that they were planning on expanding into poetry and were looking for a poetry editor to spearhead that, I was overjoyed and knew that I had to apply. The magazine’s mission resonated with me, and I wanted to elevate speculative poetry beyond the niche it is by championing experimentation and elevating the form. Even in the SFF community, it doesn’t get the attention it should, and I hope in time, the work we're doing here will change that. 

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

JDH: Suitability, skill, and style.

Suitability - Orion’s Belt is open to any topic or speculative genre, but we want these poems to be boundary-pushing and experimental.

Skill - Experimental and boundary-pushing done poorly is just as bad as bland and cliche as far as I’m concerned. 

Style - We call ourselves a “literary speculative magazine.” What “literary” is, in this case, can’t be pinned down with a simple definition, but like our founder says, “we specialize in the strange and poignant and awe-inspiring stories that have a cosmic scale and intimate personal stakes.” 

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

JDH: What most often turns me off to a submission is poetry that peddles the same tired tropes again and again. The number of romance poems that we’ve gotten that compare love to “cosmic symmetry” or whatever are underwhelming to say the least, and have become tedious to sift through. Not that these kinds of poems can’t be good, but if your poem uses some science-y concept as a metaphor for love, chances are it won’t last long in the slush.

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

JDH: I love opening lines that grab your attention and set the tone. You’d think that’s a given, but it’s rare that I spot one.

SQF: Is there a particular style of poem you’d like to receive more submissions of?

JDH: Contrary to what most poetry editors would say, I actually want more poetry that rhymes. I can’t recall many that we’ve gotten, and the few we did were pretty mediocre. If you can pull it off well, I’d love it if you submitted it to us. 

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

JDH: How do you feel about comedic poems?

I cherish comedy as much as I do drama and experimentation. Some of the most gut-wrenching drama and boundary-pushing experimentation can come from humorous pieces either because you’re caught off-guard by the tragic turn of events or because humor thrives on surprises and unexpected detours. 

So, if you have a comedic speculative poem that’s just too out there for other magazines, try us out! You never know!

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

Six Questions for J.D. Harlock, Poetry co-Editor, Solarpunk Magazine

Solarpunk Magazine publishes fiction (500-7,500 words), poetry (to 5 pages), nonfiction (2,000-3,000 words), cover art, and interior art. Issues may be themed. Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: How did you become involved with this magazine?

J.D. Harlock: I got to know the magazine's EiC and founder Justine after my poem  "A Ceremony Centuries in the Making"  was published in the first issue of their anarchist magazine Black Cat. The pieces I submitted for the second issue were rejected, but I noticed that he had a call out for editors for his solarpunk-themed magazine. Considering that he chose to publish my poem and not the flash fiction piece I sent him (i.e., Dear Comrades, eventually published in Every Day Fiction), I applied to be the poetry editor even though I would've been just as interested to be one of the fiction or nonfiction editors. I was that excited about the prospect and was dying to contribute to the solarpunk movement in any way I could—even if I was stuck in the crumbling Middle East. After I passed the interview, I was asked if I was comfortable sharing editorial duties with another poet, M. Darusha Wehm, and considering that she was a Nebula-nominated writer, I had no trouble saying yes. For a nobody from (and stuck in) the Middle East, getting to work alongside a team of diverse, talented writers and editors has been a dream come true.  

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

JDH: Suitability (1), skill (2), and style(3).

1. If it's not solarpunk, we just can't publish it. We're Solarpunk Magazine, after all, though we are flexible on what that could be since the genre hasn't been around that long, and we want to push the medium forward.

2. Art to me is a demonstration of skill, not a “pot of message.” I care more about whether the poet is competent than if he/she/they is/are saying anything profound. The main determinant of that competency is whether the poet achieves his aim with that poem. If someone sets out to make something fun and silly and actually accomplishes that (it’s a lot harder than it seems), then that, to me, is as great a work of art as any gut-wrenching tragedy out there.

3. You need to put some thought into the writing style you use for each piece and make sure that it helped you achieve your aim. Workmanlike prose and poetry bore me to no end, and I consider plenty of lauded genre fiction figures to be mediocre, if not outright bad, writers because of it. But, even though I might be a “style over substance” kind of reader, I’ll always prefer and even champion works that are in possession of both. 

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

JDH: With Solarpunk Magazine, it's submissions that aren't even spec-fic. I can see how some of the spec-fic submissions we get can be construed as solarpunk, but when it's not even SFF, why would you even bother submitting it to us?!

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

JDH: Because of how much of a problem getting submissions that aren't solarpunk has become, I immediately scan the poem for signs that it's SFF, at the very least, before I read it properly. 

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

JDH: As long as it’s solarpunk (or even lunarpunk), the sky is the limit with us. We’re even open to both humor and poetry that rhymes and were seriously considering a humorous poem that we thought could work as a solarpunk piece for the first issue before that fell through.

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

JDH: I wish you’d asked me what my favorite solarpunk work of art is, and it’s the criminally obscure manga Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou that’s never been translated into English before! If you want to read it, you have to find a fan translation online, but trust me, it’s worth it!

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