Sean Wai Keung of Gutter and Middleground

As an editor at two very different magazines, I often find myself in the lucky position of reading a lot of good poetry. I’m aware that my job is not just to find these poems but also to help shape readers’ experiences of them. Whether for online, as with Middleground, or in print with Gutter, I consider: “Who might read this, and why might they read it?” And if I receive a dozen good poems with, say, trees as a central motif, I think about the weight we give that motif within the overall reading experience.

As a result, I often advise writers to do their best in reframing rejections. A rejection is not always about the quality of a poem but rather its suitability within an issue as a whole. Similarly, I would encourage writers to not necessarily think about magazine editors when submitting work but instead to think about the readers they will reach post-publication. Ask yourself why you want to submit a particular poem to a particular magazine, as well as who you imagine will encounter it. Take your time. Research and read previous issues to give your work the best chance of finding those who will enjoy reading it.

—Sean Wai Keung, poetry reviews editor, Gutter, and poetry editor, Middleground