August/September News Roundup & TOC Preview

Betwixt‘s official launch is fast approaching, and we’re very excited to give the world a preview of the table of contents for issue 1. But first, here’s what we’ve been up to lately.


An interview with Joy appeared on the blog Six Questions For . . . on August 6. Here’s a snippet:

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

JC: Quality writing, first of all. Of course, quality is an inherently subjective term. To me, a well-written story is one that grabs the reader’s attention at the beginning and holds on to it throughout, has a full and well-developed narrative with no missing or superfluous chunks, flows well, and acknowledges the rules of grammar and punctuation before trying to break them. . . .

Read the full interview here.


For those who like numbers, we’ve once again put together a brief overview of our submission statistics, this time taking into account the data from the entire first reading period (May 20–September 1). Read it here.


Finally, we’re very pleased to announce that the following stories will appear in issue 1 of Betwixt:

  • “The Hind” by Ian Hamilton
  • “Said the Axe Man” by Tam MacNeil
  • “Mayor of a Flourishing City” by Mark Rigney
  • “Beyond, Behind, Below” by Betsy Phillips
  • “Long-Distance Call” by Benjamin Sherlock
  • “The Golden Coins of Victory” by Marlys Jarstfer
  • “The Red Danube” by Bernie Mojzes

The issue will launch on the site on October 1 and will be available for purchase in electronic and print-on-demand form shortly thereafter.