"We Want to Share the Best." A Chat with Joseph Levens, Editor of The Summerset Review

Founding Editor of online mag takes us behind the scenes

Ahoy! I come with tidings of a new editor interview, freshly wrapped.

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Joseph Levens, Editor of The Summerset Review.

The Summerset Review is a literary journal released quarterly on the 15th of March, June, September, and December on the Internet, and periodically in print form. Founded in 2002, the journal is exclusively devoted to the review and publication of unsolicited fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

Jospeh started the magazine initially as a home for prose. His thinking was simple: “Let’s give good writers an opportunity to get their words out there.”

Now, Summerset Review publishes fiction, nonfiction and poetry quarterly. Joseph said that roughly 95% of their prose submissions are fiction, so if you are a writer of personal essays, this is something the magazine actively seeks more of.

As for what type of fiction they like, Joseph mentioned a special interest in character-driven work and coming-of-age stories. Surreal elements are welcome. Style is especially important. Humor is always welcome. Joseph also particularly likes to see the inclusion of true information in fiction, whether that’s facts about a place, a time period, history, etc.

All work submitted goes directly to Joseph and Erin Murphy, the Poetry Editor. All published work comes through emailed submissions; nothing is solicited. “There is no slush pile.” Cover letters are unimportant, as are author bios. But, at times, preference may be given to writers who have never published work before. Also, if you read something you like in the magazine, Joseph wouldn’t mind hearing that in the cover letter!

In evaluating prose submissions, Joseph typically looks at 10-15 stories at once, comparing the opening paragraphs. Those first three paragraphs are crucial. What will quickly turn him off as a reader are such things as excessive violence and/or foul language, repeated words and poor grammar. It would be a good idea to read your work out loud at least once before submitting, as such mistakes are common and easily fixed.

As for subject matter, Joseph prefers to avoid stories about illness and death. There are just a lot of them, and it’s not really his thing. For more information on what is his thing, be sure to read this Advice for Writers Submitting Prose.

Summerset Review is a commendably simple journal. The website is easy to navigate and is extremely straightforward. They do not do a ton of social media outreach. They have also managed to keep their overhead low—just $100/year to maintain! They do not charge submission fees and all work is submitted through email. Joseph attributes the longevity of the magazine to its simple design and the editors’ focus purely on reading submissions, responding in a timely manner and publishing work on schedule. Plus, he loves the work of finding and publishing great writing.

If he likes a work, will he work with the writers on revision? If you have a story set in a particular time of year, is there an ideal season to submit? Is there anything that should not go into a cover letter? And what else has kept Joseph motivated and inspired for over ten years at the helm of this humble little mag?

For all that and more, dear friends, you will have to watch the video!

Summerset Review reads year-round. They have a quick turnaround time, with work generally appearing in print 3-4 months after acceptance.

To everyone who came out today, thanks for tuning in! Your faces are the cool blueberry smoothies on my unseasonably hot day!

And, of course, thank you to Joseph for taking the time to peel back the curtain of another lovely little lit mag.

Happy viewing!

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