Six Questions for Jason B. Crawford, Editor-in-Chief, The Knight’s Literary Magazine

The Knight’s Literary Magazine publishes poetry, flash fiction under 1,000 words, fiction of 1,000-4,000 words, and creative nonfiction less than 3,000 words. Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: What is the mission of The Knight’s Literary Magazine?

Jason B. Crawford: We are here to help artists find a place within their field. We focus on giving like-minded individuals a medium for their work to be critiqued & published by people who want their voices to be heard. Truthfully, what we mean by this is, the publication world is tough. When you are a marginalized or “different” type of writer, it can be difficult to find spaces that will deem your work worthy. We want that work! We want the weird and the unruly! 

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

JBC: The first thing I look for is the uniqueness within the style of the submitter. How is this work stepping away from what we normally see within that medium?

The second thing is the purpose of the piece. We like to include pieces that invoke change in some way whether in mood or in government. How does the piece ignite feeling?

The third thing we look for is the flow of the work. How well does the piece flow from beginning to end? What ways or movements are made within the piece to connect the start to the finish?

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

JBC: Mostly, overarching arrogance. If the piece seems like it was written for the high class to exclude anyone that is not in that class of writing, we don’t want it. Not every great writer has studied at NYU or the University of Michigan. Not every great writer has defended a dissertation on their work. We want the writers that remind us that we all have the potential to be great writers.

Also, too many typos in a document is bothersome.

SQF: Are you interested in submissions of certain genres? Perhaps asked another way, are there genres you’d like to see more submissions of?

JBC: Even though most of the staff focuses on poetry, I know the influx of poems we get as compared to our other mediums (Fiction, Nonfiction, Flash, Playwriting, Art) can be a bit disappointing. I say this only because we would love to see more of the other genres come across our desk. Of course we enjoy the poems piling in, but poetry is not the only thing this magazine does. Truthfully, we would highly enjoy more art in the inbox to give our issues more of a pop. 

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

JBC: I think more than a hard sell we take a hard stance on racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, transphobia, dismissal of mental health importance, things of that nature. We will never accept pieces from those standpoints, our anything idealizing this current administration.

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

JBC: This has been one of the most interesting and thought-provoking set of questions I’ve ever answered, and I think we’ve covered a wide range of topics/ideas that should give our readers and submitters a better understanding of the magazine. Thank you so much for this and everything you do.

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

Six Questions for Avery Myers, Editor-in-Chief, -Ology Journal

-Ology Journal publishes fiction, essays, and poetry to 2,500 words. Issues are themed. 

(Ceased publication)

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Avery Myers: I started this magazine because I was bored. That's the honest answer! I know most people would give some poetic and beautiful response -- a look into the past, if you will -- but that wouldn't be the truth, coming from me. I started it as a young girl in high school, and since I'm still bored, I'm still rolling with it. -Ology Journal's historia is pretty lame.


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

AM: Creativity is a must!! I don't like to see carbon-copied-angst-prose on a daily basis. I don't think any of our submissions managers do either. I find myself gravitating to pieces that are made with love -- you can tell the difference between a piece that truly means something to the author, and a piece that they're shelling out in order to submit. And lastly, be personal. Metaphors are nice until the poem or story has no substance underneath it all. The words we use are important, but the meaning is even more so.


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

AM: The most common question I find myself asking when I read a piece is, "did this person even read the submissions page?" To me, it's the simplest, and really, the most polite thing to do. Why waste your own time in submitting, since you don't care to know what we're looking for? That's the surefire way to land yourself in the rejects pile.


SQF: If you could have dinner with three authors, who would they be and what is the first question you would ask each of them?

AM: My first would have to be C.S. Lewis. "'Till We Have Faces" is my favorite book ever written on this planet. I'd like to hear him tell his life story, even though I've read it. I just want to hear him talk. I'd love to sit with Homer, even though he was more of an orator, and I think I'd ask him, "What do you think life all adds up to?" Lastly, let's go with Harper Lee. I think I'd ask her, "Can you help me find my very own Atticus?" Ha!


SQF: What magazines/zines do you read on a “regular” basis?

AM: Truth be told, I don't read a lot of literature journals. I try not, because I have a tendency to get jealous and want to copy, which is never a good thing. But I love The Paris Review, and I think I can read it partly because there's no underlying competition between the two of us (TPR would clearly beat us in a fight.)


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

AM: I'd like to see you ask what makes a good poet. I know that the notion of "good" can be quite subjective, but I believe that in order to be a good writer, you need to not rush it. There's thousands of catty blog posts on the Internet, talking about how real writers work every day, all day, and if you're waiting for inspiration to strike, well...you're simply not a real writer. Reject this. My grandmother has been writing a book for 40 years about her time in Korea before the political schism. She called me last week to tell me she's sending me a draft soon (I've heard that before...). But what I've seen is truly beautiful, and from deep inside her heart. Don't push yourself into making something sub-par because you want to join the rat race of writers out there in the big, old world. This patience upon patience upon patience will make anyone good at their craft, no matter what it is.

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