EDITOR SPOTLIGHT!
Here at S.A.V.A. Press, we believe that turnabout is fair play. Our Editor-In-Chief, Jesse, likes to put authors on the spot with his probing “Infrequently Asked Questions” segments. And, true to his own convictions, Jesse doesn’t mind being put on the spot in return. As such, we’ve reached out to all of the fantastic authors that we’ve published this quarter and collected a batch of equally probing questions for our humble editor to chew on. We think that this’ll be a great way to end this quarter, and we hope that you’ll agree.
And now, without further ado, S.A.V.A. Press is proud to present: Jesse Rucilez!
John Patrick Robbins (Author of “Pop Goes The Princess”): “What’s your vision for S.A.V.A. Press for its growth, and do you see yourself ever publishing books, and why do you not return my calls anymore?”
Jesse: “Excellent question to start this interview, John! My vision for S.A.V.A.’s growth is that hopefully, through my own and our authors’ efforts, we’ll gain a decent online following as I outlined in my Phase One video. From there, I’d like to eventually start publishing every month, and paying authors for their work. As far as publishing books, that’s a possibility down the line, depending upon where the initial project winds up. As for not returning your calls, I mean, now that I’m a big-time editor, I’m constantly on the phone with reps for Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Danielle Steel…
“I told my assistant’s assistant to send you a fruit basket, though. Didn’t you get it?”
Jesse “Heels” Rawlins (Author of “Skin Flicks”): “I recently read that your libation of choice while writing is water. With a lifestyle choice like that, how the hell did John Patrick Robbins wind up publishing you at The Rye Whiskey Review and The Abyss? And what’s up with the aqua? Does the water that you drink spring from a magic aquifer with hallucinogenic properties?”
Jesse: “Well, although I’m rarely at the bar, I’ve been known to toss a few back in my time. I consider myself fortunate that Mr. Robbins enjoys my work enough to have published me several times in his various e-zines. As for drinking water while writing…well, allow me to explain. See, while alcohol is a stimulant that lowers inhibitions and fuels creativity for many artists, it’s a pure depressant for me. Puts me out like a light. Luckily, though, my id, my Jungian shadow-self is fairly well integrated with my waking self. I’ve always believed in cultivating both my intellect as well as my animal instincts. Thus, I don’t need substances to lower inhibitions or fuel creativity—and I’m terrified of hallucinogens. So, no magical properties in the aqua. My imagination is vivid enough.”
Mick Rose (Author of “The Friend Request”): “S.A.V.A. Press accepts stories up to ten thousand words long—which presents writers with a tremendous opportunity to showcase their work. But so-called conventional writing wisdom often states that writers submitting to a publication for the first time hold a greater chance of getting published if they keep their maiden submission ‘short.’ Since you’re the head honcho, Jesse, what’s your preference or advice to submitting writers whose work you’ve never read?”
Jesse: “Great question, Mick. I can’t speak on ‘publishing industry rules’ because, frankly, I’m here to break them into tiny pieces. But for writing in general, yes, it’s best to begin writing shorter fiction and work your way up. I tried to jump into writing novels waaay too soon, and it netted me a ton of frustration as I ended up rewriting several of my longer works over and over and over…
“Now, that being said, my advice to writers that I’ve never read is this: Send me your best stuff! As long as you’ve read the submission guidelines (and hopefully watched my explanatory video), I don’t care if it’s a flash piece of five hundred words or ten thousand words on the dot. Just, whatever you do, don’t bore me with mundane fiction. A good writer can make any situation seem profound.”
Special Guest, Scott Simmons (Editor-In-Chief of The Dope Fiend Daily): “Jesse, what are you currently wearing? And is it form-fitting?”
Jesse: “Mr. Simmons…welcome to S.A.V.A. Press. You’re always consistent, if nothing else. But I’m happy to answer this farcical question, because I’m currently wearing a Cobra Kai t-shirt that was given to me by my beloved paramour (shoutout to ‘Babes McBabesly’). And while it fits my form well, it isn’t skintight, as I’m sure you were hoping.”
John Patrick Robbins: “As an editor, how has it enriched your life publishing John Patrick Robbins, who often speaks about himself in third-person because he didn’t refill his meds? And why are you never wearing a shirt on our multiple Skype sessions (that are ultra-secret; that's why I’m mentioning them in a public forum)?”
Jesse: “Publishing Mr. John Patrick Robbins has been both a life-affirming and life-changing endeavor. I’m no longer welcome in most social circles and/or polite society as a result, however. And concerning the alleged Skype sessions; I’m not at liberty to speak of any such sessions, if they did in fact exist…”
Jesse “Heels” Rawlins: “Since S.A.V.A. Press is an online magazine, it’s obvious you’re not profiting financially from this operation, Jesse. So what motivated you to launch S.A.V.A. when you could be engaging in other pastimes, like writing and drinking water?”
Jesse: “Honestly, I’d kinda given up on writing. My original goal had been to try to break into as many short story markets as I could, and build up an online audience. Then, hopefully, draw that audience to my self-published novels. I figured that if I could make a name for myself, I could eventually land a book deal with an established publishing house. But more and more, I saw the short story markets becoming infused with identity politics (meaning that the authors’ identity/intersectional status was more important than their goddamn writing). Shit you not, I once saw a call for submissions from a Canadian literary journal that only published work from Canadian women writers. That’s pretty specific! And on the novel front, it seemed that only clones of Twilight, Hunger Games, and 50 Shades were getting major market attention. And since I don’t enjoy teen fiction, and since I don’t ever want to churn out formulaic pap in the tradition of what my favorite writer, Harlan Ellison, called ‘creative typists,’ (Tom Clancy, Nora Roberts, Danielle Steele, etc.), I decided, to hell with it…
“But my creative juices still flowed. Once, while being interviewed on the podcast, Off The Wagon, by my friend, John Patrick Robbins, John said that he got into the publishing game after some negative experiences with other publishers, and he wanted to show those assholes up. He wanted to do the thing better than them. That always inspired me. It also helped that John has been encouraging me to start my own publishing platform for quite a while. So I said, ‘Fuck it! Let’s give ’em hell!’
“And you’re right that I’m not profiting financially—yet. As I explained in my Phase One video, S.A.V.A. Press is still trying to make a name for itself. But, one day, I hope to be able to start paying writers for their work—probably out of pocket at first. Then, hopefully, the return for the investment and time will come back in the form of crowd funding and ad revenue. Once I’ve earned my bones as an editor, I’ll also start offering services for editing other authors’ work outside of S.A.V.A. Press.”
Mick Rose: “Your taste in literature and stories is eclectic, Jesse. And S.A.V.A. Press publishes tales in quite a few genres. I consider stories a lot like pizza. The toppings folks flavor them with always remains a matter of personal taste. I don’t care much for pineapple, ham or black olives on my pizza. But if someone offers me a slice with these toppings? I won’t turn them down. Anchovies however are a deal breaker. If a story is well-written but by chance you don’t like it? Would you likely be inclined to publish the story—or consider the piece a furry fish deal breaker? Alternately, might you offer the writer a chance to make revisions should the author feel inclined? Since I’m a bit of a whore, I’m usually happy to revise!”
Jesse: “Another great ‘nuts and bolts’ question, my man! As an editor, but as a person in general, I feel that it’s of paramount importance to be as objective as you can about everything, and especially when it comes to art. Your pizza analogy is apt, and I agree with what you said about how some things you don’t really care for, but you wouldn’t turn them down if offered.
“Now, as it specifically relates to writing…it’s hard to imagine getting a well-written story that I didn’t like. Mainly, the first thing I judge any story or novel on is how much I enjoy the writing. Everything else—plot, characters, setting, etc.—is secondary. Hopefully, I’ve carved out most of this problem by clearly defining the genres that I don’t publish in the submission guidelines. But, yes, I fully intend to publish work that I don’t personally like if it’s well-written and I think it has literary merit, such as delving into the depths of the human experience, or expertly slaughtering a sacred cow…
“As for the second part of your question, absolutely. If I feel that if a story could benefit from being revised, I’ll contact the author with my suggestions and we’ll go from there. The first and only time that happened with me was with my first published story, ‘Meal of a Lifetime,’ at Empty Sink Publishing (and a big shoutout to everyone at Empty Sink). My editor, Suanne, returned my manuscript with editing software that had highlighted my typos, and she offered her advice for strengthening the story. I’d adopted an omniscient narrator style, and in Suanne’s words I’d done a lot of ‘head hopping’ with my characters. So, with her suggestion, I made the main character, Ida Humboldt, the Main Character, and stuck with Ida’s point of view, and it made the story stronger. I’d like to do a bit of that kind of collaboration as an editor myself.”
John Patrick Robbins: “I have watched and enjoyed your YouTube videos often, so thank you for staying sexy in these uptight times. And also, how do you shoot lasers out your fingers? Please tell me your secrets, oh, sexy sorcerer…”
Jesse: “Thanks for watching the vids! They’re fun to do, and not something that I see other publishers/editors doing. So, hopefully, the YouTube channel will grow and make an impact on the short story market. I don’t know how ‘sexy’ I am in those vids, but you’re welcome. As for the electricity in my fingertips, that’s just something that happens when I get really intense about a project. I just have to be careful not to short out my laptop.”
Jesse “Heels” Rawlins: “Since you’ve survived the experience, Jesse, besides sticking a fork in a lit toaster, what kind of advice can you offer writers who get an invitation to do an author interview with Scott Simmons at The Dope Fiend Daily?”
Jesse: “Interesting question. First of all, big shoutout to Mr. Simmons, who’s been kind enough to publish my work. As for his author interviews…any writers who’re invited to do them should be prepared to take a deep plunge into the rabbit hole of Scott’s twisted psyche! His questions will make you think that reality is melting around you!”
Mick Rose: “Why did you choose the name Subject And Verb Agreement Press as the name of your online mag?”
Jesse: “So, coming up with a name that hasn’t been used already was incredibly hard. Every time I had an idea, I’d Google it and find out that it had been taken. I quickly realized that I’d best come up with an acronym. I chose ‘subject and verb agreement’ because it’s a vital part of grammar, and S.A.V.A. seemed like a pleasant and easy to remember name. Also, I thought that writers would find a little humor in it…”
John Patrick Robbins: “What’s the best and worst part of being an editor in your opinion?”
Jesse: “Perfect question to close out this hopefully entertaining and thought-provoking interview. I feel a bit odd answering since I’ve only been publishing stories for a few weeks, but I’m not one to be evasive. To end on a more positive note, I’ll answer this question in reverse…
“The worst part of being an editor, in my opinion (thus far), is simply the time it takes to edit and post everything. Granted, I’m making my life harder by doing the videos and being active on so many sites, but I accept that.
“The best part of being an editor, in my opinion (thus far), is reading messages of gratitude from my fellow authors. I know how much it can suck writing and submitting work, only to get rejection after rejection. And even after you get accepted (usually for no money), the publisher posts your story and bio, and that’s kind of it. You’re in the spotlight for what feels like a day or so. I want the authors at S.A.V.A. Press to feel as valued as possible; that their talent is appreciated to the fullest; that they’re not just vessels to promote my site. It’s all about THEM, which is how I feel that it should be.
“And, with that, I’d like to say ‘thank you’ to anyone and everyone who’s taken the time to read this interview. If you haven’t read the previous author interviews, I urge you to take the time to do so as well. The authors are far more interesting than myself.”
Jesse: “Excellent question to start this interview, John! My vision for S.A.V.A.’s growth is that hopefully, through my own and our authors’ efforts, we’ll gain a decent online following as I outlined in my Phase One video. From there, I’d like to eventually start publishing every month, and paying authors for their work. As far as publishing books, that’s a possibility down the line, depending upon where the initial project winds up. As for not returning your calls, I mean, now that I’m a big-time editor, I’m constantly on the phone with reps for Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Danielle Steel…
“I told my assistant’s assistant to send you a fruit basket, though. Didn’t you get it?”
Jesse “Heels” Rawlins (Author of “Skin Flicks”): “I recently read that your libation of choice while writing is water. With a lifestyle choice like that, how the hell did John Patrick Robbins wind up publishing you at The Rye Whiskey Review and The Abyss? And what’s up with the aqua? Does the water that you drink spring from a magic aquifer with hallucinogenic properties?”
Jesse: “Well, although I’m rarely at the bar, I’ve been known to toss a few back in my time. I consider myself fortunate that Mr. Robbins enjoys my work enough to have published me several times in his various e-zines. As for drinking water while writing…well, allow me to explain. See, while alcohol is a stimulant that lowers inhibitions and fuels creativity for many artists, it’s a pure depressant for me. Puts me out like a light. Luckily, though, my id, my Jungian shadow-self is fairly well integrated with my waking self. I’ve always believed in cultivating both my intellect as well as my animal instincts. Thus, I don’t need substances to lower inhibitions or fuel creativity—and I’m terrified of hallucinogens. So, no magical properties in the aqua. My imagination is vivid enough.”
Mick Rose (Author of “The Friend Request”): “S.A.V.A. Press accepts stories up to ten thousand words long—which presents writers with a tremendous opportunity to showcase their work. But so-called conventional writing wisdom often states that writers submitting to a publication for the first time hold a greater chance of getting published if they keep their maiden submission ‘short.’ Since you’re the head honcho, Jesse, what’s your preference or advice to submitting writers whose work you’ve never read?”
Jesse: “Great question, Mick. I can’t speak on ‘publishing industry rules’ because, frankly, I’m here to break them into tiny pieces. But for writing in general, yes, it’s best to begin writing shorter fiction and work your way up. I tried to jump into writing novels waaay too soon, and it netted me a ton of frustration as I ended up rewriting several of my longer works over and over and over…
“Now, that being said, my advice to writers that I’ve never read is this: Send me your best stuff! As long as you’ve read the submission guidelines (and hopefully watched my explanatory video), I don’t care if it’s a flash piece of five hundred words or ten thousand words on the dot. Just, whatever you do, don’t bore me with mundane fiction. A good writer can make any situation seem profound.”
Special Guest, Scott Simmons (Editor-In-Chief of The Dope Fiend Daily): “Jesse, what are you currently wearing? And is it form-fitting?”
Jesse: “Mr. Simmons…welcome to S.A.V.A. Press. You’re always consistent, if nothing else. But I’m happy to answer this farcical question, because I’m currently wearing a Cobra Kai t-shirt that was given to me by my beloved paramour (shoutout to ‘Babes McBabesly’). And while it fits my form well, it isn’t skintight, as I’m sure you were hoping.”
John Patrick Robbins: “As an editor, how has it enriched your life publishing John Patrick Robbins, who often speaks about himself in third-person because he didn’t refill his meds? And why are you never wearing a shirt on our multiple Skype sessions (that are ultra-secret; that's why I’m mentioning them in a public forum)?”
Jesse: “Publishing Mr. John Patrick Robbins has been both a life-affirming and life-changing endeavor. I’m no longer welcome in most social circles and/or polite society as a result, however. And concerning the alleged Skype sessions; I’m not at liberty to speak of any such sessions, if they did in fact exist…”
Jesse “Heels” Rawlins: “Since S.A.V.A. Press is an online magazine, it’s obvious you’re not profiting financially from this operation, Jesse. So what motivated you to launch S.A.V.A. when you could be engaging in other pastimes, like writing and drinking water?”
Jesse: “Honestly, I’d kinda given up on writing. My original goal had been to try to break into as many short story markets as I could, and build up an online audience. Then, hopefully, draw that audience to my self-published novels. I figured that if I could make a name for myself, I could eventually land a book deal with an established publishing house. But more and more, I saw the short story markets becoming infused with identity politics (meaning that the authors’ identity/intersectional status was more important than their goddamn writing). Shit you not, I once saw a call for submissions from a Canadian literary journal that only published work from Canadian women writers. That’s pretty specific! And on the novel front, it seemed that only clones of Twilight, Hunger Games, and 50 Shades were getting major market attention. And since I don’t enjoy teen fiction, and since I don’t ever want to churn out formulaic pap in the tradition of what my favorite writer, Harlan Ellison, called ‘creative typists,’ (Tom Clancy, Nora Roberts, Danielle Steele, etc.), I decided, to hell with it…
“But my creative juices still flowed. Once, while being interviewed on the podcast, Off The Wagon, by my friend, John Patrick Robbins, John said that he got into the publishing game after some negative experiences with other publishers, and he wanted to show those assholes up. He wanted to do the thing better than them. That always inspired me. It also helped that John has been encouraging me to start my own publishing platform for quite a while. So I said, ‘Fuck it! Let’s give ’em hell!’
“And you’re right that I’m not profiting financially—yet. As I explained in my Phase One video, S.A.V.A. Press is still trying to make a name for itself. But, one day, I hope to be able to start paying writers for their work—probably out of pocket at first. Then, hopefully, the return for the investment and time will come back in the form of crowd funding and ad revenue. Once I’ve earned my bones as an editor, I’ll also start offering services for editing other authors’ work outside of S.A.V.A. Press.”
Mick Rose: “Your taste in literature and stories is eclectic, Jesse. And S.A.V.A. Press publishes tales in quite a few genres. I consider stories a lot like pizza. The toppings folks flavor them with always remains a matter of personal taste. I don’t care much for pineapple, ham or black olives on my pizza. But if someone offers me a slice with these toppings? I won’t turn them down. Anchovies however are a deal breaker. If a story is well-written but by chance you don’t like it? Would you likely be inclined to publish the story—or consider the piece a furry fish deal breaker? Alternately, might you offer the writer a chance to make revisions should the author feel inclined? Since I’m a bit of a whore, I’m usually happy to revise!”
Jesse: “Another great ‘nuts and bolts’ question, my man! As an editor, but as a person in general, I feel that it’s of paramount importance to be as objective as you can about everything, and especially when it comes to art. Your pizza analogy is apt, and I agree with what you said about how some things you don’t really care for, but you wouldn’t turn them down if offered.
“Now, as it specifically relates to writing…it’s hard to imagine getting a well-written story that I didn’t like. Mainly, the first thing I judge any story or novel on is how much I enjoy the writing. Everything else—plot, characters, setting, etc.—is secondary. Hopefully, I’ve carved out most of this problem by clearly defining the genres that I don’t publish in the submission guidelines. But, yes, I fully intend to publish work that I don’t personally like if it’s well-written and I think it has literary merit, such as delving into the depths of the human experience, or expertly slaughtering a sacred cow…
“As for the second part of your question, absolutely. If I feel that if a story could benefit from being revised, I’ll contact the author with my suggestions and we’ll go from there. The first and only time that happened with me was with my first published story, ‘Meal of a Lifetime,’ at Empty Sink Publishing (and a big shoutout to everyone at Empty Sink). My editor, Suanne, returned my manuscript with editing software that had highlighted my typos, and she offered her advice for strengthening the story. I’d adopted an omniscient narrator style, and in Suanne’s words I’d done a lot of ‘head hopping’ with my characters. So, with her suggestion, I made the main character, Ida Humboldt, the Main Character, and stuck with Ida’s point of view, and it made the story stronger. I’d like to do a bit of that kind of collaboration as an editor myself.”
John Patrick Robbins: “I have watched and enjoyed your YouTube videos often, so thank you for staying sexy in these uptight times. And also, how do you shoot lasers out your fingers? Please tell me your secrets, oh, sexy sorcerer…”
Jesse: “Thanks for watching the vids! They’re fun to do, and not something that I see other publishers/editors doing. So, hopefully, the YouTube channel will grow and make an impact on the short story market. I don’t know how ‘sexy’ I am in those vids, but you’re welcome. As for the electricity in my fingertips, that’s just something that happens when I get really intense about a project. I just have to be careful not to short out my laptop.”
Jesse “Heels” Rawlins: “Since you’ve survived the experience, Jesse, besides sticking a fork in a lit toaster, what kind of advice can you offer writers who get an invitation to do an author interview with Scott Simmons at The Dope Fiend Daily?”
Jesse: “Interesting question. First of all, big shoutout to Mr. Simmons, who’s been kind enough to publish my work. As for his author interviews…any writers who’re invited to do them should be prepared to take a deep plunge into the rabbit hole of Scott’s twisted psyche! His questions will make you think that reality is melting around you!”
Mick Rose: “Why did you choose the name Subject And Verb Agreement Press as the name of your online mag?”
Jesse: “So, coming up with a name that hasn’t been used already was incredibly hard. Every time I had an idea, I’d Google it and find out that it had been taken. I quickly realized that I’d best come up with an acronym. I chose ‘subject and verb agreement’ because it’s a vital part of grammar, and S.A.V.A. seemed like a pleasant and easy to remember name. Also, I thought that writers would find a little humor in it…”
John Patrick Robbins: “What’s the best and worst part of being an editor in your opinion?”
Jesse: “Perfect question to close out this hopefully entertaining and thought-provoking interview. I feel a bit odd answering since I’ve only been publishing stories for a few weeks, but I’m not one to be evasive. To end on a more positive note, I’ll answer this question in reverse…
“The worst part of being an editor, in my opinion (thus far), is simply the time it takes to edit and post everything. Granted, I’m making my life harder by doing the videos and being active on so many sites, but I accept that.
“The best part of being an editor, in my opinion (thus far), is reading messages of gratitude from my fellow authors. I know how much it can suck writing and submitting work, only to get rejection after rejection. And even after you get accepted (usually for no money), the publisher posts your story and bio, and that’s kind of it. You’re in the spotlight for what feels like a day or so. I want the authors at S.A.V.A. Press to feel as valued as possible; that their talent is appreciated to the fullest; that they’re not just vessels to promote my site. It’s all about THEM, which is how I feel that it should be.
“And, with that, I’d like to say ‘thank you’ to anyone and everyone who’s taken the time to read this interview. If you haven’t read the previous author interviews, I urge you to take the time to do so as well. The authors are far more interesting than myself.”
Rock on Jesse Rucilez and S.A.V.A. Press!
ReplyDeleteCheers, Jesse Rawlins