I’ve had mostly positive experiences. Form rejections (and I’ve received a lot of them) are hard, but occasionally, I get an editor who might really see my work, even as they reject it. And sometimes I’m met with enthusiasm. This is always gratifying. As for student editors, I think there’s a curiosity and wonder present that perhaps more mature editors have lost.

-Joshua Zeitler, “Anna No, Anna No,” Volume XXX, 2026

Young people are going to be the readers of tomorrow and the publishers and editors of tomorrow. I love knowing what resonates with students and younger editors. It is a gift to work with student editors.

-Lynn Levin, “Amanda the Vigilant,” Volume XXX, 2026

Pretty much everybody I’ve interacted with in the publishing world has been nothing short of dedicated, passionate, and amazing. I feel lucky when someone sees what I’m seeing, feels what I’m feeling, and it’s always reaffirming to hear that someone wants to publish you.

-Nicholas Barnes, “twenty-eight pomegranates” & “belonging,” Volume XXX, 2026

I was a student editor on a literary journal. I have also worked for a major publishing house, so this feels a bit ironic for me to answer. I have not been a writer published by a major house, but the micropress that has published me as a writer, Grandma Moses Press, was an absolute dream to work with and all of the editors I have worked with for literary sites and journals have been kind, caring, and dedicated. It’s a tough, cold world out there, but once you do break through, in my experience, you find kindness and love.

–Susan Melinda Morée, “The Fog Sounds: A Tragedy in Less Than One Act,” Volume XXX, 2026

I enjoy student editors working with journals. They tend to be risk takers who appreciate writing that bumps against norms.

-Scott T. Hutchison, “Bowls of My Father’s Anger,” Volume XXX, 2026