Cover of Q+A with Veronica Bennett from Bullshit Lit

Q+A with Veronica Bennett from Bullshit Lit

Veronica Bennett, the founder and EiC for Bullshit Lit, sums up this mag + press in five words: “Dad jokes and horny pining.” Fuck. How could you possibly say that any better? We can’t. So, we’re not going to try. Here’s what else she had to say.

If you could sum up your magazine's vibe in six words or less, what would they be?

Dad jokes and horny pining.

Editors notoriously don’t get paid much (if at all) and tend to take a lot of flack. So, why do it? Is there a moment you can remember in your time with your magazine where you thought: ‘this, this is why I do it’?

Because it's FUN!! It really feels like an honor to read people's work. Like, my god, out of all the literary magazines in the world and all the editors, I'm the one who gets to read this?! Fucking awesome!

Definitely had that ‘this, this is why I do it’ moment last February when I was shipping out orders of Jeremy Freedman's DOUCHEBAG SONNETS, the first in-house Bullshit book. Such a great feeling to have people want to read (and own!) a thing that you put so much time, work, and love into.

Who are four or five writers you see as typifying the kind of work you look for at your magazine?

Jason Melvin! Kimberly Wolf! Eady H! Clem Flowers! Josh Dale! Many more—Bullshit publishes a pretty mixed bag of things.

What is one thing you’d tell writers to avoid in their submissions to your magazine?

If you start your email to Bullshit with "Dear sirs," or "Victoria," (not my name!) I will screech.

Is there a specific kind of project you haven’t seen in your current submissions that you’d love to see come in?

We've seen projects of all sorts, but would always LOVE to see more poems that are also crossword puzzles/word games/lists.

Are there magazines you see as literary siblings, mentors, aspirations, besties, etc.?

fifth wheel press; Olney Magazine; Rejection Letters; Gutslut Press.

Any parting words of advice for people submitting work, either to your magazine or other journals?

1. Re. submissions to us: we wanna see your wackiest, most inane, silliest work.

2. Support the journals and presses you love! We can't exist without support from our dear readers.

3. If submitting your work causes you a great deal of stress... you can simply stop. None of this is that serious.