See my interview with founder and editor Noah Sanders and a link to submission guidelines below.
HOPKINSON: How/why was the The Racket originally started?
SANDERS: The Racket started out as a reading series at Adobe Books in San Francisco. I’d always wanted to do a reading series and a friend who was doing an art show needed some programming for his opening and I knew a writer or two and so on and so forth. We eventually moved to Alley Cat Books and then when the pandemic started we shifted to a weekly online format. At some rare moment where I could dust myself off a bit and look at my surroundings I decided I’d start a weekly journal because there wasn’t already enough to do. I wanted to play with design and figure out the submission process and find a new audience for writers and artists I respected (and those I didn’t know about). And until I decide to excavate some other sliver of space and do a podcast or something, that’s where we are.
HOPKINSON: Who is your target reader audience?
SANDERS: That’s a hard question! I mean in some weird alternate future I’d hope everyone would come to read the newest issue of The Racket, regardless of where they sit in terms of demographics. But, honestly, I think our content skirts the edge of non-traditional and I think readers who are looking for a more design-y, potentially “hip” publication will certainly enjoy it.
HOPKINSON: What type of work are you looking for?
SANDERS: I want work with some grit in it. I like a little darkness hanging at the edges. Though a well written piece with a dash of bleak humor will get me most days. Non-traditional poetry about non-traditional poetry subjects usually gets my attention.
HOPKINSON: What do you wish you’d see submitted, but rarely comes in?
SANDERS: Sci-fi! Man, I know 750 words is a short word count for science-fiction, but if anyone out there is sitting on a stack of sci-fi flash fiction…
HOPKINSON: What are some of your favorite lit mags/journals?
SANDERS: Foglifter has been really doing the hard work of not only putting out a fantastic journal but carving out a growing space for the LGBTQ+ community. Quiet Lightning is the OG reading series in San Francisco. They’ve been a major influence on us as we’ve grown and Evan Karp and the whole crew is so deserving of all the accolades they get.
HOPKINSON: What is your favorite part of being on staff with the The Racket?
SANDERS: Well, aside from my intern Kayne, I’m the only staff of The Racket currently. And quite honestly, I enjoy it all. I’ve been particularly excited about beefing up my rudimentary design skills. But seriously, I love talking with writers and artists about their work, I love talking with the intern about submissions, I love staring dreamily off into the future thinking of what this could be if I ever find any time to make it that way.
HOPKINSON: Where can we send submissions?
SANDERS: Send your stuff to theracketreadingseries@gmail.com.
HOPKINSON: If someone has a question, how can they contact you?
SANDERS: Also, theracketreadingseries@gmail.com.
Click here to read submission guidelines.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Always Open
SUBMISSION FEE: None
PAYMENT: None
FORMS: prose, poetry, non-fiction and art
FORMAT: electronic PDF
SUBMISSION METHOD: email
DUOTROPE: https://duotrope.com/listing/29674/the-racket
SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
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