About
Asterius Press was founded in early 1997 by writer/editor John C. Erianne. Although he had previously edited the short-lived horror zine, The Necropolis, in the 1980's while still in high school and had served as a contributing editor of a few forgettable publications in the early 1990's, his first creation under the Asterius banner, Devil Blossoms established him as a major editorial force in the small press. In 1999, Asterius Press found a second home on the Internet, starting with the late, lamented New World Poetry and The Doomed City. A year later, The 13th Warrior Review and Gnome: the online journal of underground writing debuted.
In addition to print and electronic magazines, Asterius Press also publishes the occasional book title -- most recently, The Moon Makes No Difference to Me, a poetry collection by Frances LeMoine which was nominated for the Independent Book Award.
FAQ
What is your acceptance rate?
Devil Blossoms: . 5-.75 %
13thWR: 1-5% Gnome:
5% The Doomed City:
5-10%
What is your turnover rate?
It depends. Usually electronic submissions receive a quicker
response. With snail mail it could be 48 hours or 48 days or
longer. It really depends on how much mail I receive and how much
time I can devote to reading submissions during the week. At
least wait two months before bugging me about your submission --
chances are that if you haven't heard from me by then, I never
received your submission to begin with.
How often do you publish?
Maintaining regular deadlines has always been a problem
for me. Being a small, one-man operation, I am always flirting with extinction. I do what I can when I can afford to do it. Once I accept your work, the only thing I can guarantee
is that I will publish your work at some point. It could
take 3 weeks or it could take two years. Again, it depends.
Generally, you will have a much longer wait with Devil Blossoms
as I almost always have a 2-3 issue backlog and, even in a good
year, I never publish more than two issues.
Do you publish chapbooks?
Yes, however I do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. I only
accept queries from writers who I've previously published.
Do you publish e-books?
Not at this time, however, I'm planning to produce e-books in
the future?
Do you accept submissions from beginners?
I don't exclude anyone from submitting, however, a beginner
who writes like a beginner has about a Chinaman's Chance of
getting accepted here. My publications are created with readers
in mind and don't exist as a vehicle for on-the-job training for
would-be writers.
What themes and/or styles do you like?
Telling you who I like to read won't help you since you aren't
any of those authors. I have eclectic tastes and I never know
what I might accept until I've actually read it. Any potential
contributor should be familiar with my publications before
submitting. Obviously, if you write inspirational, "jesus loves
me" sonnets or the like, you won't be taken seriously by me. I
appreciate good imagery in a well-structured, balanced piece of
writing. I don't like writing as therapy or self-expression.
You've had it rough? You're in pain? Hire a lawyer or tell it to
someone who give a damn.
How did you come up with the names of your
publications?
Devil Blossoms: In late 1996 I was thinking about starting a literary publication called Mind Blossoms -- yeah, I know . . . it's a horrible name. I was, at the time, re-reading
The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce, which I'd found
in a box full of books leftover from my undergrad days. After puzzling over it for a few days,
Devil Blossoms was born.
The Doomed City : St. Augustine's City of God was
the inspiration. If you've read him, you might well get it.
Gnome: Gnomes are strange little men
who live underground. Gnome features the work of strange,
little-known underground poets.
The 13th Warrior Review:
Liked the "poet as warrior" theme from the movie of the same name. Plus, I thought
it made a better title for an ezine than a film.
What's the deal with all the skulls and death imagery in
Asterius Press?
1. Ezra Pound's famous dictum to " Make it new." 2. The Death
Card in the Tarot is a symbol of renewal in it's upright position
which is inspired by the early Christian idea of the Resurrection,
which is akin to the Wiccan idea of renewal within the cycles of
nature. 3. Asterius Press is about placing literary tradition in
a new context, re-inventing the wheel, so to speak - hence the
tagline: A new literature for the new millennium. 4. I was a
headbanger in high school. 5. I still think skulls are cool.
