Interview # 1: Mark Antony Rossi

Sincerely Art – Interview Series
 

Sy Albright interviews Mark Antony Rossi--poet/playwright/editor/publisher

http://arielchart.blogspot.com     http://www.somapublishing.com

 

SA:  I have known you a long time. There’s so much to cover. But not possible to cover it all. Let us start with the Art. What does that mean to you?

MAR: It means craft. It means working on something that has meaning and purpose. Which as you know is the opposite of most of the media and music these days. They stopped seeking Art and blame the masses. But commerce has infected so much of our lives. Art might be one of the few things left that is pure.

SA: You are one of those people that just does things. Magazines disrespect writers. You start an internet journal. Publishers ignore writers. You create your own electronic publishing company. Where does it end?

MAR:  You sound like my wife. Ha. It’s a valid point. After a while if you can’t change things and complaining is no constructive use –a person should intervene in some manner. I am not trying to be a hero or a social activist or literary barnstormer. I have my own writing to watch out for as well as a family. So I am trying to make a difference.

SA:  I have actually read a large part of the interviews you have given over the years. I am asking questions you normally do not get to answer. How is running a journal?

MAR: I have help first of all. A wonderful writer volunteered to handle the short fiction part of the journal. And I have given her full reign to select what she pleases for each issue and any award nominations. Complete control. Though I am the Editor in Chief what’s the point of asking someone to manager something if you are just going to run it yourself. Part of leadership is trusting people. That is missing in the publishing world. We get too many editors who dish out the same abuse they got. That cycle has to be broken. I broke it. With Ariel Chart, we write back writers accepter or rejected. Where other journals only accept 10% of submissions we accept 60%. I won’t take crap from people but we work hard to help other writers and show them the respect they richly deserve.

SA: Have you found issues running a literary journal that you didn’t expect?

MAR: I didn’t expect to come across writers unappreciative of our presence and our policies which are radically different than nearly every other journal out in the market. We don’t charge a fee. You get an archive link to promote your work forever. You get credit towards a listing in Poets & Writers Directory. You get commentary on your work. We are active in Pushcart Prize Nominations and Best of the Net. I’m old enough to understand you can’t please everyone but with these basic allowances that many publications just won’t provide I have to wonder if some writers damage themselves with unrealistic expectations and downright rudeness. I won’t put up with it for a second. Believe me. Yet it’s surprising and hurtful.

SA: Tell us something about your new projects.

MAR: I finally completed a book I have been working on for some time called “Writing as Therapy: Tools to Treat Trauma.”  I am hoping it can be used to show trauma victims how to make writing a tool of therapy and regain control of their lives.

SA: What about this publishing company?

MAR: It’s called Soma Publishing. It’s a boutique company specializing in carrying artistic titles of more mature writers who have been, through no fault of their own, left writing but not having a book of their own. Right now it just focuses on electronic titles. Print is a more elaborate and not always useful avenue in the market at the moment. It is a legitimate way to get worthy writers out there with a deserving project. We have four incredible writers, AD Hurley, Linda Imbler, Lailah Saafir and Karlo Sevilla.

SA: What did you learn about the whole publishing process?

MAR: Since I solely publish electronic the big learning curve is selecting writers with not only a mature outlook on life but with enough material to create a worthy project. You need both and that is not easy. I deal with writers on a regular basic and too many are just not willing to see writing as a longer path. They expect the moon and stars. But the world has changed and too many writers have not. For some even after being published electronically – that is not enough.

SA: What do you say to that?

MAR: Go make your dream happen. My path is unique with the journal and the publishing company. It is not the whole ball of wax. It has its strengths and weaknesses. It will be up to the writer to use it as a springboard if they want more in their writing career. I’m not here to make people’s dreams come through. Yet with a helping hand writers can be successful if they are willing to pay whatever price that might entail. I know a writer who wrote a self-help book.     The book isn’t inventive or even creative but it was there as her product. She spent almost 18 months promoting it. Networking. Parties. Social Media. Interviews. She made a lot of money but at the end she forgot she was a writer. She became a saleswoman. I don’t say this to mock her or discourage writers but this is the reality. You have choices. You have freedom. And you have one hell of a road to success.

SA: Any parting words of wisdom for writers?

MAR: Yes. Bearing in mind how publishing companies are becoming less interested in you and more interested in just making money – the writer has make up their mind. What are your goals? How are you going to accomplish them? Is this worth the long trek? Those are the three questions folks need to ask themselves in a serious manner. If writing is not a calling where you know nothing else fits with your life but writing, then perhaps it’s not for you. Perhaps its better to be happy with some chosen work you got published and be content. The Writer is not content.