[the Writing of Kuypers] [JanetKuypers.com] [Bio] [Poems] [Prose]
 This week Sapling speaks with speaks with Janet Kuypers @ Down in the Dirt. * 
Sapling: What should people know who may not be familiar with Down in the Dirt?Janet Kuypers: We are a magazine that looks for good writing from anyone (from University professors to people in prison, to people literally from all walks of life from around the world). Read some back issues to see the style of what writing we publish and look over our guidelines - covering the basics, poets, don’t send us rhyming poetry, prose, because everyone loves the name so much and wants to send us their life stories for publication, we have had to cap word counts to 2,000. Sapling: How did the name for Down in the Dirt come about? JK: On a whim, in the second year of production of the magazine cc&d (“Children, Churches and Daddies”: the UN-religious, NON-family oriented literary and art mag). cc&d magazine started in 1993. In the middle of 1994, cc&d ran a few issues of poems in a supplement section called “Down in the Dirt.” That section didn’t appear much, but after I had gone through a serious life-threatening car accident, I tried to piece my life back together, and did so by immersing myself with cc&d magazine. After getting a domain name for Scars Publications (http://scars.tv), and not being able to keep a job after the accident, I decided to take that once-minor supplement section of cc&d, Down in the Dirt, and make it its own magazine Sapling: What do you pay close attention to when reading submissions for Down in the Dirt? Any deal-breakers? JK: In any writing, give us a good story. Make us feel like we’re living through a scene. Oh, when it comes to prose, PLEASE watch your grammar. We regularly have to correct multiple grammatical errors in prose submissions, and it’s tedious when writers should never have sent such errors for consideration for publication. Sapling: Where do you imagine Down in the Dirt to be headed over the next few years? What’s on the horizon? JK: I have absolutely no idea. Right now, I edit two literary magazines and already publish one 108-page perfect-bound paperback book through Amazon for each magazine. I publish issue collection books, annual collection books, and even perfect-bound ISBN# datebooks of poetry and micro-prose. When I work full-time for this and don’t get paid, I can’t imagine where things may go in the future, when I am working full-time just to keep up with the present. Originally cc&d was snail-mail. I was in the first years of Internet release for Scars Publications, and I have also spear-headed print-on-demand for global book releases. Doing all of these things takes time and dedication, all with very little reward (financial or otherwise). In the past I dabbled in CD releases, but that takes even MORE time with even LESS return. People have asked in the past if e-books could be sold but because we design the books too much this is not an easy process to undertake. We do offer online issues for free. Sapling: As an editor, what is the hardest part of your job? The best part? JK: The hardest? Having to correct the errors of many. The best? Seeing an author copy of an issue before it is released to the public, and being please with the quality of the cover designs. I’m a designer and a photographer. It’s nice to see a quality product when it is completed. Sapling: If you were stranded on a desert island for a week with only three books, which books would you want to have with you? JK: The crazy thing is, with the number of submissions I have to read and the amount of work I have to do, I don’t have time to think of other books. If I was trapped on a desert island for a week, I think I’d just be pleased with time where for once I wouldn’t have to read. Sapling: Just for fun (because we like fun and the number three) if Down in the Dirt was a person what three things would it be thinking about obsessively? JK: How stupid people are, how cruel the world is, and what I could do about it. Professional performance artist and publisher, Janet Kuypersis a writer and photographer, editing 2 literary magazines through Scars Publications (http://scars.tv). She has 100+ books published of her work (poetry, prose, novels, art), most available globally through Amazon. She hosted the Café Gallery Chicago poetry open mic (http://scars.tv/thecafe), and hosts the monthly Poetic License Austin, TX open mic (http://scars.tv/Poetic_License) via a global Zoom meeting. Performing spoken word and music nationally, she sung in 3 bands, and her 40+ CD releases appear on iTunes, Amazon, and others. Profiled in such magazines as Nation, Kuypers won the Poetry Ambassador award and Poet of the Year, has been nominated for multiple Pushcart Prizes, and frequents radio, national and local television. * For more info: http://scars.tv/dirt http://www.facebook.com/janetkuypers http://twitter.com/janetkuypers http://www.youtube.com/ccandd96 https://www.pinterest.com/janetkuypers https://instagram.com/janetkuypers All info on how to publish or what types of material work for Down in the Dirt magazine can be found on the guidelines link, one click away from the main page at http://scars.tv/dirt |
All rights reserved. No material
Copyright © Janet Kuypers.
may be reprinted without express permission.
