Photo of Strand being held hostage by the update on my computer! I cannot access my pictures folder to paste it into it and then transfer here! Will add magazine cover when I figure it out! Ha! Got it!
This is one of the two mystery magazines I subscribe to–I’d love to subscribe to more, but I can;t afford it it. I read widely what I can get online and buy single issues of magazines when a friend has a piece in it or if the issue generally appeals to me, but I’m limited by the level of green in my bank account.
Strand is a magazine I enjoy for several reasons–they print new fiction , (YAY!) but they also use articles about mystery, and they have an abiding love of the classics, in mystery fiction and fiction in general. I’m particularly fond of the newly discovered stories they publish by writers not usually thought of as mystery gurus. While I have not yet had success in placing one of my own mysteries with them, in all correspondence I’ve had with Managing Editor Andrew Gulli, he has been kind, and polite. He answers it all, from small questions to these questions for the blog. Give them a try–and let me know if you succeed!
Joan: Please tell us a bit about the history of your magazine and about the magazine’s goals present day? Particularly, can you define how your magazine differs from other crime magazines out there?
Andrew: We have been publishing since 1998—I know—where did my life go! And on average we publish 6 stories per issue. We like to keep things inventive, though we do know that readers like the traditional tale with a twist at the tail. I love all the crime fiction magazines out there and to be frank, I think we all end up learning from each other. We try to be more the type that has works that can be literary, at times we’ve published plays, or even articles.
Joan: What are you seeking in general and what especially delights you in a fiction manuscript submission?
Andrew: If I read someone who has read Stanley Ellin, then I know they understand how to construct the perfect short story. When I get jealous of a writer and feel I can never write like they are writing that makes me like I said jealous, but also leads me to email them and publish their work.
Joan: What is an instant turn-off in a fiction submission?
Andrew: Something sensational, formulaic, sex, four letter words, or plots that lead to nowhere.
Joan: How should a writer approach you on a non-fiction submission–review or interview? What do you want to see in a query?
Andrew: If they have something that is very interesting, unique and voice above everything I’ll take notice.
Joan: What are some of your favorite journals/magazines?
Andrew: EQ, Alfred Hitchcock, and sadly Mad.
Joan: How can writers contact you with questions and find out about submission calls?
Andrew: Best to email us via the website.
Joan: Do you ever consider reprints? (Fiction, non-fiction).
Andrew: Never, ever, never, ever!
Joan: Is there anything else you would like to say to writers who are considering submitting to you?
Andrew: Do your homework, pick up a magazine at the library and read it.
Joan: Is Strand a paying market? Please tell the readers rates and if there are unpaid sections where they can break in?
Andrew: We do pay, but we like to keep how much we pay between us and our authors.
Thank you, Andrew!
What Editors Want You to Know 