more back to:

Overcoming

Editorial Selection Procedures

cont’d from January 13, 2k15

Cheap Seats Ticket to Ride: Cheap Seats falls primarily into the Somewhere…category; the actual, chosen, submitted pieces being cut and fit into page templates as they are sent to us.

Selection: Depending upon schedules, one of our three “editors” (publication mendicants) will opt to initially select pieces based upon the incoming types and themes (if theme threads become evident at an early stage in the schedule.) Initial selection is based upon our likes, dislikes and our poetic/technical background.

1.)  Is the “poem” of such a physical dimension that it will fit our template? (an actual high-techie piece of chip-board cardboard with a rectangular opening cut into it.)

2.)  If the text provided falls outside of this template opening: is it at least close? Sometimes some care in the page lay-out can save an, almosty.

3.)  Does the “poem” begin with “I”? Yes?—usually deep-sixed, right now!

4.)  Does the “poem” have an inordinate number of “I’s” in the first stanza or evident throughout (content at this point, still has not come into play)—usually discarded. If we’re familiar with the author, and suspect, perhaps that the author is making a point by using a rash of empirical personal pronouns, we try to scan the piece on the way to the shredder.

5.)  Is the writer exercising their repertoire of foul language; glee in oozing, seeping, squirting  bodily fluids, fascination with their private parts or those of others, cruelty, pain, mayhem, shock value, and the worst: confessional whining. Out. Damn spot, out!

6.)  Is the “poem” concise and to the point (after all, it is a “short form” publication)? Is it concise? without juvenile elimination of: articles, definite articles, prepositions, conjunctions. Over use of adjectives, adverbs, interjections (yikes!) Godzilla B-movie like dialog will not make the grade—all you 17 syllable haikuists out there, take note. 

7.)  Is the “poem” written in an accessible (even conversational) manner. Is it easy to read and understand?

8.)  Is it interesting?

9.)  Hopefully at this point, there are no glaring grammatical or spelling errors.

10.) Is the type clear and crisp? Are the selections clear, isolated and laid out with enuff room to clip-n-snip.

11.)      Is your name located as requested one space below each “poem” and flush right to the column of that poem’s text?

12.)  As a general policy, Cheap Seats does not request changes—and we, ourselves, certainly do not make changes in any way. Sometimes, pl gets carried away trying to save a piece and will contact the author with a question or suggestion. The response to this has been heartening; most writers respond quickly and with reasonable “corrections”…or, they just don’t respond at all. (Sigh) Also good.

Hope these insider hints will help in improving your submittals to Cheap Seats, and perhaps to other publications. Tried to list our procedure from top to bottom as if a piece had just come into the Ford van office here in the meadow…we’re not really Hessians, but want to present your works with equivalently polished works—so everything is lookin’ so goood, plaits neatly together and is complimentary.

Looking forward to reading your “poems”,
Max tdc

Cheap Seats Ticket to Ride

P.O. Box 249

Empire, CO  80438-0249