Variety Pack publishes flash fiction to 1,000 words, short fiction of 1,001 to 9,000 words, non-fiction to 5,000 words, poetry, reviews/interviews, and visual arts. “We want something short that kicks through the door and pushes against the literary grain. We crave gripping, haunting work that is hard to turn away from once we dig in. We accept both genre and literary work.” Read the complete guidelines here.
SQF: Why did you start this magazine?
JBS: I started Variety Pack as a means to expand the literary community in a city I have called home for the past 12 years—Buffalo, NY. I saw the work wonderful spaces like Just Buffalo, Peach Mag, and Foundlings Press were doing and wanted to start something that expanded this. When I thought of the concept I sort of thought of how I view my own literary pursuits. Not just aiming for one particular style, or form, or genre to hone my craft in, sort of like a variety pack for literature. I think for me the space I am providing, the aims of the space I hope to cultivate in our weird, and beautiful literary community are extensions of my own personal mission statements.
SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?
JBS: I oversee a good portion, but this is an answer best left to my fellow editors .
Ben-Flash Fiction—Something new. A clear, distinct voice. A flow that takes me from the beginning all the way to the end of the piece without break.
Asela-Poetry—Not being afraid to play with words and language. Bringing themselves out through their writing whether it’s being vulnerable about an important moment in a poet’s life or a reflection. Just having fun with poetry.
Ian-Short Fiction—A character that is well developed with their own voice. A setting that makes me want to go and experience that location. A piece that drives itself forward. I want to be pulled into the work.
Skyler-Essays/CNF—To learn something, feel intrigue about a topic. Distinct and creative forms of writing within a non-fiction piece. Movement! I want to read from beginning to end, knowing there was patience and precision put into the story. That every part of what is written down was necessary and made me want to keep reading.
SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?
JBS: Another best left to my fellow editors.
Ben—Clunky writing. Flash fiction is a short drift down a raging river. The voice of the piece should flow as naturally. Writing that’s unsure of its voice, or is using its voice for a contrived purpose, often results in choppy rhythm for the reader.
Asela—It’s either submissions that include racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, colorism, xenophobia, etc., or people sending their work when our submission calls have passed.
Ian—Anything that inspires hate or goes against what Variety Pack's goals are. Along with this, any submissions in which the submitter clearly has not read the guidelines.
Skyler—A missing voice. Creative non-fiction shouldn't lack personality. It shouldn't read like all the textbooks I skimmed over the years. Too often, writers lose themselves in their non-fiction pieces and the writing comes across as dull and lacking spark, when all it needed was a little more of what the writer really has to offer.
SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s)/stanza(s) of a submission?
Ben—A reason to keep reading. I want to publish your work. Make me.
Asela—Nothing too specific--If that stanza has a great opening line or has language that adds something unique to their work.
Ian—I want the piece to set an atmosphere that pervades through the whole story.
Skyler—A reason to care. The beginning needs to make me think, "well, I really can't put this down until it's over."
SQF: Is there a particular type/genre of work you’d like to see more of in your submissions?
JBS: When we say we love to see BOTH genre and literary work we absolutely mean it! As for more of our submission categories! We definitely would love to see more Essays, Reviews/Criticisms (Theater/Art/TV/Film/Books/Music) and Visual Art (especially comics!). We are also always looking for more short fiction, flash fiction, and poetry of course! We also would definitely love to see more genre work sent our way (Mystery/Suspense, Horror, SFF).
SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?
JBS: I think for me a question I love to be asked is where do you see your publication going? Long term goals? I think for me over trying to eventually move to print we eventually want to be a space that pays our contributors, maybe finally expand into having contests with guest judges, even have some digital anthologies set up. This is a process I am actively pursuing, because writing is a labor, and I think we are transparent about not being able to pay for such at this time, but again we want more than anything to not only be a space that cultivates both new, emerging and established writers, but pays them a fair honorarium for their work. For me, being a space that continues the level of accessibility and being a space that actually pays it’s writers is one I aspire for the most in our future.
Thank you, J. B. We all appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.
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