Six Questions for Curtis Deeter, Editor, Of Rust and Glass

Of Rust and Glass publishes fiction, nonfiction, poetry, artwork, photography, music and film from creatives with roots in the Midwestern United States. Select issues are themed. Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Curtis Deeter: If I’m being honest, Of Rust and Glass started as an idea in a bar. As an author myself, I’ve always been passionate about the arts, and I saw a thriving (visual) arts scene in our area. I didn’t, however, have any connections to a greater lit scene. As most ideas in a bar go, I forgot about it for almost three years. Then, with a loving wife and newborn baby, neither of whom were overly interested in hearing about my protagonist’s character arc or the second scene’s flow in chapter twelve, I realized I needed writer friends. Thus, Of Rust and Glass was officially born, and we published our first magazine issue 1/15/2020 with no idea what we were doing.

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

CD: Since we’re a Midwest regional pub, we first and foremost look for Midwestern voices. This is incredibly diverse and expands every year, but it’s the foundation of everything we do. Then, we look for passion. Last, we want to publish works (poetry, fiction, nonfiction, etc.) that show an individual creator’s handle on their craft. This is important because if you’re going to break the rules (especially the submission guidelines) you better d--- well know what you’re doing.

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

CD: Misogyny (which we’ve gotten too much of, surprisingly) and pretentiousness. We’re circling a flaming ball of fire with nearly 8 billion others. We don’t need to know how much you hate women or think you’re better than us. Thanks 😊

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

 CD: Everyone always says hook us with your first sentence/stanza. For us, we read everything in its entirety. If the first paragraph needs a little work but the rest is phenomenal, we’ll work with you. What we really look for is cohesiveness. Does where you start jive with where you end? 

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

CD: Negativity against any category of person for negativity’s sake. A lot of our writers are blue collar, but we don’t discriminate based on class, race, sexual orientation, color of hair, attitude towards different branches of literature, etc. We have a bit of everything, like most families do, and don’t tolerate hate for hate’s sake.

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

CD: Why Of Rust and Glass?:

We’re a relatively small publishing company run by four people who work full-time jobs, raise families, and don’t make a dime in profit. We’re building a community (we’ve always branded as “more than a publisher, a community”) and have people from all walks of life involved. Contributors become part of the family, so to speak, and we get work across the creative spectrum. From art and photography to fiction and poetry to nonfiction and biographies, we’ve featured a little bit of everything.

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