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.

A CLOSER LOOK AT ON SPEC EDITORS: BARRY HAMMOND

And now it’s Barry Hammond’s turn to answer my questions. If you’re a poet, sit up and take notice. Barry is our Poetry Editor and one of On Spec’s ‘old guard’. He has been with the magazine since 1991. (Wow, how time flies—twenty-two years!):

1). What kind of poetry appeals to you most, Barry? Do you lean towards a particular type of poem or style?

The type of poetry that appeals to me is generally when the writer has something fresh and original to say (or at least from an original viewpoint) and says it with a voice of their own and with style and brevity.

2). What types of poems don't appeal to you? What are your pet peeves, writing-wise?

My pet peeves are rhyming poetry and writers who try to use an 'antique' style of language from what they consider 'the olden days' —not any specific period.  I prefer writing in a contemporary or fairly neutral style.

3). What advice would you give to a poet submitting to us?

My advice is to read contemporary poetry and try to find your own voice.

4). Please list any credits you'd like mentioned (ie. book pubs, editing/publishing involvement), in a small bio:

Barry's Bio: I am a professional freelance writer and editor, based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. My film, music, book reviews, interviews and writing on popular culture have most recently appeared on the Gig City website and have been in such diverse publications as The Edmonton Journal, Vue Weekly, See Magazine, Vex, Pacific Rim Review, Legacy and Independently Reviewed. I’m also a music, book, and DVD reviewer for Penguin Eggs (Canada's Folk, Roots, and World Music magazine). I’ve appeared as a guest on Booked.tv, an interactive television show in which mystery novels are deconstructed by both literary and actual crime experts. The show ran on Bravo, Book TV, CLT, Court TV Canada, and Access. My novel, Cold Front, was published with New American Library in 1982 and my short fiction and poetry have appeared in over fifty literary magazines and anthologies in three countries. I am the current Poetry Editor (and former Fiction Editor) for On Spec, Canada's Magazine of the Fantastic.

(Impressive, yes? I think so. You can read Barry's blog at: barryhammond.ca.Thanks, Barry.) 

Next Post: Ann Marston, Fiction Editor

Stay tuned.