A CLOSER LOOK AT ON SPEC EDITOR, CONSTANTINE KAOUKAKIS

THE FOLLOWING GUEST POST IS BY CONSTANTINE KAOUKAKIS WHO RECENTLY JOINED our On Spec team as an editor. As with Eileen Bell, I asked him:

1). What kinds of stories appeal to you most? Do you lean towards a particular type of story or style? Original and thought-provoking stories appeal to me. Fascinating and complex characters enhance and make the story.

2). What types of stories don't appeal to you? What are your pet peeves, writing-wise? I loathe clichés and overused plots. Sometimes, authors try too hard to impress, and that backfires. I believe the craftsmanship of the writing is equally important to the plot. I have read stories with intriguing plots but poor writing. In the end, it defeats the goal of the writer. I abhor sexist, racist, ageist, and homophobic stories. I am not a fan of stream-of-consciousness stories.

3). What advice would you give to a writer submitting to us? Proofread, proofread, and proofread!  Don’t be afraid to alter the story in order to improve it. I find some writers tend to resist editing. Writing is like painting. One has to try different colours, hues, and combinations to create a story. Writing is a process, a discovery, and an evolution. The writer should research properly and have the correct information when writing about science-related stories. I realize it's science fiction, but it has to be believable. Readers today are very sophisticated. If an author insults their intelligence, they will never forgive him or her for it.

4). Please list any credits you'd like mentioned (i.e. book pubs, editing/publishing involvement), followed by a small bio: I am thrilled and honoured to be a new editor of On Spec magazine. I have degrees in Education, English, and Classics which have enabled me to teach Latin, ancient and modern Greek, ESL, English literature, ancient Greek and Roman literature at the high school, college, and university levels: Concordia University (Montreal), Queen’s University, and minor colleges. I have founded The Wisteria Lodgers – the Sherlock Holmes Society of Edmonton. My interests include comic books (Marvel & DC), Sherlock Holmes, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Greek mythology, Doctor Who, British murder mysteries, ancient history, and literature. I am currently writing a murder mystery.

Thanks, Constantine. It's great to have you on board. For those of you who want to see what the rest of us like and don't like, check out these previous posts:

For Diane Walton
For Barb Galler-Smith
For Ann Marston
For Eileen Bell
For Barry Hammond (poetry)
and for myself, Susan MacGregor.)

NEW EDITORS AT ON SPEC MAGAZINE

Cover by Lynne and Steve Fahnestalk

WE'VE BEEN EXPANDING at ON SPEC MAGAZINE. With the switch to Submittable software to handle the mountain of slush we received during our last submission's window, I'm happy to announce we've taken on four new editors at On Spec. Please join me in welcoming Brent Jans, Laurie Penner, Constantine Kaoukakis, and Eileen Bell!

 Brent Jans is a lifelong, unapologetic sci-fi and fantasy geek. He's that guy you know who re-reads The Lord of the Rings every year, yes, including The Silmarillion. When not copy-editing, proofing, or dipping his toe into the slush pile for On Spec, he freelances as an editor for independent game publishers (such as Mystic Ages Publishing's Foreign Element RPG). If you have ever read, loved, or hated a Tweet from @OnSpecMagazine, Brent wrote it so blame/praise him. Being able to learn on the job from some of the best writers and editors in Canada is why Brent feels fortunate to work with the folks at On Spec.

Full-time desk jockey Laurie Penner pushes papers around for the Alberta government during the day and proofreads for On Spec Magazine at night. Somehow, she also finds time to volunteer for the Millwoods Bread Run, play way too many video games, and attempt to find the best bowl of bo kho in Edmonton. 

Constantine Kaoukakis was born and raised in Montreal. His interests include comic books (Marvel & DC), Sherlock Holmes, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Greek mythology, Doctor Who, British murder mysteries, ancient history, and literature. He has degrees in Education, English, and Classics which have enabled him to teach Latin, ancient and modern Greek, ESL, English literature, ancient Greek and Roman literature at the high school, college and university levels: Concordia University (Montreal), Queen’s University, and other minor colleges. Not only is he a former member of The Bimetallic Question - the Sherlock Holmes Society of Montreal, but he has also founded The Wisteria Lodgers - the Sherlock Holmes Society of Edmonton.

Eileen Bell has written most of her life (usually as an antidote to whatever day job she had) and has had short fiction published in magazines and several anthologies, including the double Aurora Award winning Women of the Apocalypse. Recently, she and three other writers had a collaborative novel, The Puzzle Box, published through EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing. In 2014, she will have her own paranormal mystery, Seeing the Light, published through Tyche Books. When she’s not writing or editing or thinking about writing, she’s living a fine life in her round house (even if it is in a perpetual state of renovation) with her husband, two dogs, and a gold fish.

Of course, we couldn't function without the talents of Isaac Calon, our Proofreader,  Cat McDonald, our Production Editor, or Jen Laface, our Publisher's Assistant. I would also like to bid a fond farewell to Robin Carson, who we will miss greatly as a fellow editor, and who knows he can return to us any time, once his day job isn't so demanding. 

And while I'm on the subject of the On Spec staff, I may as well include links for those of us who make up the old guard. If you want to know more about what Ann, Barb, Diane, Barry, or myself are looking for in manuscripts, you can find that information below:

For Ann Marston:
For Barb Galler-Smith:
For Barry Hammond:
For Diane Walton:
And for Susan MacGregor: 

So welcome, Brent, Laurie, Constantine, and Eileen! And a big thank you to all of you who support us at On Spec Magazine.