Six Questions for Grace Black, Founding Editor, Ink In Thirds

Ink In Thirds is a boutique literary magazine established in 2016. Publishing Poetry, Prose, and Photography/Art. The focus is on the emotive, visceral layers of the human condition, bringing artists and writers together in cohesive fluidity. 

“Our only absolute requirement: Make us feel something!” Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Grace Black: This magazine began as a passion project. In 2014, I ran a weekly poetry prompt challenge called Three Line Thursday as an online contest via Blogspot. It ran for two years with a wonderful group of artists and writers. As that chapter came to a close, I knew I wanted to continue championing talented artists and writers, so I thought, why not start a lit mag? So, in 2016, I did just that. Meh…

Ink In Thirds had much success early on, and TLT's supportive following was the impetus for resurrecting TLT as a weekly inspiration feature on the website of Ink In Thirds Magazine.

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

GB: Our only absolute requirement: Make us feel something! Sad, fine. Tormented, better. Angst, gah. Happy, meh, we’ll take it. Just remember to move us with your words.

Obviously, we want submissions that take the art of writing seriously, work you know someone has taken the time to craft. A typo happens to the best of us, but when I read a submission and forget my editor hat entirely, lose myself bit by bit as I marinate in the language of the submission, I know it’s going straight into the to-be-published box!

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

GB: I’m not a big fan of forced narrative. I love stories that unfold slowly, layer by layer, and deliver a value of surprise near the end. For poetry, it's all about language: usage, flow, and what is left unsaid.

SQF: You like brevity in your writing given the 333 word limit, as well as 100 Word Wednesday, and Three Line Thursday. What drew you to short fiction/poetry?

GB: Ahh… yes! Brevity, my beloved. While I enjoy vivid imagery, emotional depth, and creative language in all writing, I adore the idea that less is more regarding actual word count. Something about the craft of evoking all the senses and creating an entire story or scene with the fewest possible words excites me. I’m not sure exactly when it became a conscious decision I set out to curate. Still, it has evolved and seems particularly relevant given the times we live in currently, with attention spans getting shorter and shorter. Why not pack a punch.

SQF: If you could share a meal with any three authors (dead or alive), who would they be and why?

GB: Don Delillo, the man, can craft a sentence like no other. One sentence, and you can see, touch, taste, and smell the smallest intricacies of the mini worlds DeLillo creates. I’d like to pick his brain and learn to craft a sentence that can transport people the way he does.

Sylvia Plath, hands down. I am tired of the trite, “she’s a novice,” “it’s so cliche,” “schoolgirl nonsense,” I couldn’t care less what stuffy-shirted academics want to pontificate about and their preferred heralding of writers I am not a fan of. Plath makes you feel like you are in the room with her, a fly on the wall, even as sad as it was in the end. It’s no secret (to those who know and follow my personal writing) that I am a big proponent of Mental Health Awareness and abuse survivors. I’d jump at the chance to sit with Plath and dive deep about the cloying darkness that hovers like the unwanted buzzing wasp in Spring and the energy it requires to plaster on smiles day after day when you feel out of place inside your own skin.

Anaïs Nin, where to begin—a sensual woman of remarkable strength and presence who wrote freely and without fear. I first read Henry and June years ago and was transported in a literary vehicle fueled by curiosity. I’d love to share a bottle of champagne and listen to her life story firsthand, the good, the bad, and the ugly. After all, writers, the good ones, are all a little mad.

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

GB: Why submit to Ink In Thirds?

• We are kind
• We are inclusive of all
• We respond to all submissions
• No submission fees
• Fast turnaround time (typically under 5 days)
• We are a full-color Print Mag (also available in digital download)

You can submit once each open reading period. We also encourage those we previously declined to submit again and keep writing. That is the only way to improve your craft: keep at it!

One last PSA: We do this for our love of all things art and writing. We don’t air our petty grievances across SM. We never limit inclusion based on any criteria. And we believe wholeheartedly in kindness. Voices need to be heard and art acknowledged, and we want to help get them out there for more to enjoy!

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

Six Questions for C. E. Hoffman, Editor-in-Chief, Punk Monk Magazine

Intro updated per editor’s request 3/15/2024.

Punk Monk Magazine publishes poetry, flash fiction (micro considered), creative non-fiction, reviews, op-eds, and more!

“We are excited to elevate femme/queer voices, though all (within the realms of moral sanity) are welcome. We're especially interested in a feminine perspective w/ edge- that which our EIC has dubbed "femmepunk" in reference to their own work.” Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

C.E. Hoffman: My motivation has changed over time! Punk Monk began as Visceral Uterus Magazine, launched by me and an internet friend. We were co-EICs, and had no clear vision on what kind of work we wanted to publish. When my pal left the Masthead, I re-invigorated the publication as a strictly feminist, strictly poetic zine. Since rebranding as Punk Monk Magazine, we publish poetry, flash fiction, CNF, music features, and more, and recently have begun accepting review requests! I try to publish things I actually want to read (or wish I’d written!) Above all, I want to cultivate a space for writers like me, who don’t quite belong anywhere, but sure as fuck have something to say.

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

CEH: Lack of pretentiousness. Simplicity. Sincerity.  We like things that are easy to read/relate to.

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

CEH: Pretentiousness. Wordiness. Obvious refusal to read the guidelines/figure out what we’re about. 

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

CEH: Simple words. Raw emotion. Real life. Femme experiences written by femmes! 

SQF: If  Punk Monk Magazine had a theme song, what would it be and why?

CEH: Rock n Roll by Avril Lavigne. Laugh if you want: “I don’t care about my makeup/I like it better with my jeans all ripped up/don’t know how to keep my mouth shut/you say so what/I don’t care if I’m a misfit/I like it better than that hipster bullshit/I am a motherfucking princess/you still love it” 

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

CEH: I’m content! 

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

Six Questions for Suzanne Craig-Whytock, Editor-in-Chief, DarkWinter Literary Magazine

DarkWinter Literary Magazine publishes short fiction (under 2000 words) and poetry (500 words max) with a twist. “Whether you're emerging or established, we want your weird, your traditional with a twist, your humour, your dark thoughts, or your elation.” Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Suzanne Craig-Whytock: It's often difficult for emerging writers to get their work published--many literary journals around here only publish a couple of issues each year or once a month, and have limited space. We wanted to create a platform where anyone with a strong story or poem could see their work out there in the world for others to enjoy, despite perhaps not having a resume full of publishing credits. We feature two different writers twice every week (Mondays and Thursdays), so there's lots of space for a wide variety of stories and poems.

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

SC: The top three things we look for are first, an original story. We don't publish fan fiction, or "the true story of" an existing character (unless it's REALLY different), or stories that have already been explored ad nauseum. We're interested in weird and twisty tales, or stories with a strong emotional arc. Second, we're suckers for a punchy ending--we love a story where the last line makes us sit back and say, "Wow." For poetry, we like pieces that aren't so personal/abstract that only the author understands the references; other than that, we publish free verse, rhyme, prose poetry, and so on--again, anything that leaves us with a powerful reaction. Third, clean copy. We're willing to do some editing, but we appreciate it when submissions aren't full of typos and obviously haven't been given a second look before being sent.

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

Our inclusivity statement makes it very clear what we don't publish (no racism, sexism, homophobia, or transphobia), so anything that contravenes that policy would immediately be rejected. We also don't like anything with a lot of gratuitous violence, anything with gratuitous animal cruelty in it, or anything explicitly sexual.

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

SC: A really strong hook--something that grabs our attention right away and makes us want to engage in the story. For poetry, we look for vivid images or compelling ideas.

SQF: You also host two presses, DarkWinter Press and Baxter House Editions. Please explain how these differ.

DarkWinter Press is our main imprint and we publish new work (poetry collections, short story collections, novels, and novellas) from both emerging and established writers. Baxter House Editions was launched at the beginning of February to support some writer friends whose publisher dissolved and their books were "unpublished". It's our reprint press; that is, Baxter House republishes valuable work that through no fault of their own, are no longer available. Baxter House has reprinted three different publications already and submissions are always open to anyone whose work has gone out of print.

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

SC: A lot of people ask if they have to pay to publish with us and the answer is no. We're a small press but still traditional. We have a Frequently Asked Questions document on our Press submissions page that addresses any concerns a potential submitter may have and explains our processes.

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

Six Questions for Veronica Kirin, Cofounder, Anodyne Magazine

Anodyne Magazine publishes poetry, flash fiction to 1,000 words, long-form fiction, and nonfiction to 5,000 words, artwork, photography, video, and music/audio. “We are a magazine focused on personal health experiences, including (but not limited to) physical health, doctor visits, mental health, chronic illness, and more.” Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

Veronica Kirin: Katarina [Yepez] and I both struggle with medical conditions that are not well-recognized or well-supported by the medical establishment. We both have experience with two health systems — the American and the German system. While general access is improved in the German system, we both found that the same gaps in treatment applied. Frustrated, but also wanting to use our situation to the benefit of others, we decided to create Anodyne Magazine. We know FLINTA* (female, lesbian, intersex, nonbinary, trans, agender) people all over the world face similar problems, and we believe the community will find relief in seeing their concerns, discoveries, and wins published in a compassionate periodical. We are delighted to find the community supportive and hungering for this kind of discourse!

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

VK: First, we look for a fit with our theme. We exclusively publish work by those identifying as FLINTA* and addressing the topic of our health in some way. Then, we consider quality. At Anodyne, we believe everyone deserves support, and work with some contributors on fine-tuning their pieces within reason; still, there is only so much guidance we can offer when processing 100+ submissions each round. We ensure all selected works adhere to our guidelines and meet our quality standards. Finally, we consider the content. Does the piece have depth? How does it make us feel? Does it linger on the inside of our skulls and compel us to tell all our friends about it?

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

VK: It drives me nuts when people don’t look to submission guidelines. We try really hard to be supportive and provide information if a new submitter needs it. But we also worked to make the basics clear so busy creatives can submit quickly. For example, a recent submission was 1,500 words longer than our guidelines allow. I didn’t even read it (Katarina believes I’m a bit of a stickler that way). I’ve been on both sides of the process and know sometimes mistakes are made, but I view disregard for guidelines as disregard for the effort we’re making to publish and promote your work.

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

VK: Are we hooked? Is the basic thesis clear early in the piece? I don’t need to know everything that’s going to happen, but a well-thought-out piece will seed their idea very early, and then build it throughout the piece. I love that!

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

VK: Of course, if it’s not on the theme of FLINTA* health, it doesn’t fly. If the work is extremely explicit, we may be weary of publishing the piece. Otherwise, we’re pretty open to whatever we’re sent. We understand that it can be difficult to encapsulate the emotions of health conditions and related experiences, and we’re a diverse community. Put together, we get some pretty creative stuff and love it.

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

Why do you pay in dividends?

VK: First of all, Anodyne Magazine represents an underserved community, not just in healthcare, but in all walks of life. We firmly believe that creative endeavors ought to be paid, and paid well, and perhaps we can play a role in changing the way money flows in the literary world. We pay in dividends so we are able to pay even our first contributors and guest editor. But it also means that we can continue to pay them, even years into the future. As long as the issue they worked on sells, they will receive payment for it. If we the founders of Anodyne do our jobs well, everyone will benefit. Here’s to hoping!

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

Six Questions For: A Farewell

They say you’ll know when it’s time. December 31 marked the end of my 15th year of providing editor interviews on Six Questions For. . . (https://sixquestionsfor.blogspot.com). It’s been a grand run, but it’s time for me to move on.

I want to thank Randall Brown (https://www.randall-brown.com) for planting the seed for the project. He responded to an online rant of mine suggesting I “publish a series of interviews in which editors list, in excruciating details, all that each editor desires in his/her stories.” I don’t remember my response the first time I read this. I know it wasn’t positive. I spent a few weeks attempting to talk myself out of passing go and posting interviews. Obviously, I failed.

I also want to thank all the editors who participated. Over the course of this project, I contacted 2,409 editors and published 955 interviews. That’s a 40% return rate, which remained steady throughout.

WHAT I WILL DO BEFORE COMPLETELY STOPPING 

1.    There are still a few editors who expressed an interest in participating but haven’t responded yet. If/When they do, I will post those interviews.

2.    I’ll also consider posting an interview from an editor who contacts me directly.

3.    Perform a final scan to mark publications that have ceased publication.

WHAT I WON’T DO

1.    Solicit new publications.

I’ve received many kudos over the years from editors and authors. I considered including a few here, but the greatest testimony would be for someone (or a group/class) to take over the project. I’m willing to assist in the transfer and share what I’ve learned over the span of the project. In the meantime, the current site will remain active for as long as Google allows.

Thanks for all your support over the years.

Jim Harrington

SixQuestionsFor@gmail.com