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.
No comments:
Post a Comment