An interview with Jason B. Sizemore, Apex Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief
The Apex Magazine is a well-known sci-fi, fantasy, and horror zine, published in digital format by the Apex Publications, LCC, based in Lexington, KY. I'm a big fan of them, and an active subscriber to the Magazine.
Back in October-November 2016, they began their annual subscription drive to raise funds for 2017. After the 2016 US presidential election, they decided to end that drive early, despite not yet meeting their goal.
However, from March 27 to April 17, 2017, they decided to launch a Revive the Drive campaign. They have all new reward tiers to unlock, original fiction to add to the January 2018 issue, and fantastic goodies specially donated to help them reach their goal!
So, after a blog post announcing the Revival of the Drive, I decided to join forces with them, and to conduct a short interview with Jason B. Sizemore, Apex Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, who happily answered my questions. I have to thank Lesley Conner, Apex Magazine's Managing Editor, for helping with the process and the email communication. Enjoy!
Back in October-November 2016, they began their annual subscription drive to raise funds for 2017. After the 2016 US presidential election, they decided to end that drive early, despite not yet meeting their goal.
However, from March 27 to April 17, 2017, they decided to launch a Revive the Drive campaign. They have all new reward tiers to unlock, original fiction to add to the January 2018 issue, and fantastic goodies specially donated to help them reach their goal!
So, after a blog post announcing the Revival of the Drive, I decided to join forces with them, and to conduct a short interview with Jason B. Sizemore, Apex Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, who happily answered my questions. I have to thank Lesley Conner, Apex Magazine's Managing Editor, for helping with the process and the email communication. Enjoy!
OK, first things first; could you describe for our readers what is your editorial process? How do you chose what stories will be published? How do you decide what other material (interviews, reviews, etc.) will be published?
Jason: A majority of our original published short fiction is pulled from the slush pile. We have a group of first readers that filter out the stuff that we know is definitely not suitable for publication. The rest is sent to my hardworking managing editor Lesley Conner. She reads these stories, rejects the ones she knows I won't select, and sends the rest to me (along with her valuable thoughts and reaction to each one). Around 20 stories a month make it to my desk. Two or three of those 20 will be selected for publication. The author is notified via email. A few times a year I'll pick up a story I've heard at a reading, or something recommended by a fellow editor/author, etc. And once in awhile I'll solicit work- particularly for promotional purposes (like the current Revive the Drive!).
The Apex Magazine has published both well-known authors, but also relatively unknown ones (at least at the time of publishing). Could you name some that you’re proud because they’ve been published in your Magazine?
Jason: Some of the earliest work of Cherie Priest, Lavie Tidhar, Mary Robinette Kowal, Maurice Broaddus, Eugie Foster, Ian Tregillis, Jason Heller, Danger Slater, and James L. Sutter can be found in the pages of Apex Magazine. I'm proud to have published them before they became world famous! I could list more, but name-dropping is so gauche!
Since issue 15 (if I’m not mistaken), the Apex Magazine comes with very beautiful covers, featuring great art, often by well-known artists. What is your favourite cover so far?
Jason: Virtually every month, I think the newest cover is my favorite. It's only with the distance of time that I can objectively look back and say "THIS ONE." Even then, my favorite changes all the time. I believe this one by Mélanie Delon is my current favorite.
The Apex Magazine comes in digital format. Recently, however, you’ve also chosen to go paper, by publishing the Apex Magazine SFFH #0. How is the response so far? How do you see the future of the (digital and print) Magazine?
Jason: The print aficionados were happy, I can tell you that! Response was better than I expected, but not quite strong enough to warrant another print issue. One of our upper tiers for the current Revive the Drive promotion is the publication of another print issue. I love doing them. We have a huge reader base for the digital edition. I don't see us moving away from the format. But doing the occasional print issue is never out of the question.
One last question, that might be a bit controversial. The way I see it, science fiction is about worlds unknown, about the future and the past, about exploring the «other», but also about self- awareness. One of the early Apex Magazine issues, #18, was a «Special Arab/Muslim Issue», featuring original work by Arabs and other Muslims. Recently, newly elected President Trump signed an immigration-related executive order that targets mainly people coming from Muslim countries. Me, myself, I’m not a Muslim, but both my countries of origin (Greece) and residence (Cyprus) have received big waves of Muslim refugees and migrants. How do you see that matter? Do you feel that free expression (including artistic and religious ones) in the US are under threat? Do you feel that the freedom of speech might be under attack by President Trump and the policies he represents? What could be the consequences for small press editions, in general, and for the Apex Magazine, in particular?
Jason: I'm disappointed in President Trump thus far. Too many of my friends are fearful for their well-being. And the fact that Trump won the election by scaring and angering white heterosexual Christians with the imagined threat of people with dark skin, different religion, and different sexual preferences is profoundly galling. Corporate-owned media let the United States down by normalizing the Trump phenomenon and allowing his rhetoric to be downplayed by his surrogates. For now, the task of maintaining freedom of speech will be publications under the independent and small press banners. When they attack, we must fight back without mercy and without pause. And if it gets to that point, I am ready. Apex is ready.
So, that's all! I hope you've found it interesting! If you wish to support them, the link for the Revive the Drive campaign is: http://www.apex-magazine.com/revive-the-drive-2017/ .
The Apex Magazine has published both well-known authors, but also relatively unknown ones (at least at the time of publishing). Could you name some that you’re proud because they’ve been published in your Magazine?
Jason: Some of the earliest work of Cherie Priest, Lavie Tidhar, Mary Robinette Kowal, Maurice Broaddus, Eugie Foster, Ian Tregillis, Jason Heller, Danger Slater, and James L. Sutter can be found in the pages of Apex Magazine. I'm proud to have published them before they became world famous! I could list more, but name-dropping is so gauche!
Since issue 15 (if I’m not mistaken), the Apex Magazine comes with very beautiful covers, featuring great art, often by well-known artists. What is your favourite cover so far?
Jason: Virtually every month, I think the newest cover is my favorite. It's only with the distance of time that I can objectively look back and say "THIS ONE." Even then, my favorite changes all the time. I believe this one by Mélanie Delon is my current favorite.
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| Jason's current favourite cover art by Mélanie Delon, featured at the Apex Magazine #88, September 2016. |
Jason: The print aficionados were happy, I can tell you that! Response was better than I expected, but not quite strong enough to warrant another print issue. One of our upper tiers for the current Revive the Drive promotion is the publication of another print issue. I love doing them. We have a huge reader base for the digital edition. I don't see us moving away from the format. But doing the occasional print issue is never out of the question.
One last question, that might be a bit controversial. The way I see it, science fiction is about worlds unknown, about the future and the past, about exploring the «other», but also about self- awareness. One of the early Apex Magazine issues, #18, was a «Special Arab/Muslim Issue», featuring original work by Arabs and other Muslims. Recently, newly elected President Trump signed an immigration-related executive order that targets mainly people coming from Muslim countries. Me, myself, I’m not a Muslim, but both my countries of origin (Greece) and residence (Cyprus) have received big waves of Muslim refugees and migrants. How do you see that matter? Do you feel that free expression (including artistic and religious ones) in the US are under threat? Do you feel that the freedom of speech might be under attack by President Trump and the policies he represents? What could be the consequences for small press editions, in general, and for the Apex Magazine, in particular?
Jason: I'm disappointed in President Trump thus far. Too many of my friends are fearful for their well-being. And the fact that Trump won the election by scaring and angering white heterosexual Christians with the imagined threat of people with dark skin, different religion, and different sexual preferences is profoundly galling. Corporate-owned media let the United States down by normalizing the Trump phenomenon and allowing his rhetoric to be downplayed by his surrogates. For now, the task of maintaining freedom of speech will be publications under the independent and small press banners. When they attack, we must fight back without mercy and without pause. And if it gets to that point, I am ready. Apex is ready.
So, that's all! I hope you've found it interesting! If you wish to support them, the link for the Revive the Drive campaign is: http://www.apex-magazine.com/revive-the-drive-2017/ .
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