From spring of 2017 to August 2023, I worked as the Assistant Editor for Escape Pod, the internet’s premier science fiction podcast and many-time Hugo Award finalist. Every week Escape Pod offers you short stories from some of today’s best science fiction writers, in convenient audio format for listening pleasure, and in full text on our website.
As of November 2021, Premee Mohamed and I became co-Assistant Editors. The two of us worked together until August 2023, when I retired and handed over my side of the reins to Kevin Wabaunsee.
As Assistant Editor, my primary job was to manage our submissions (a.k.a. the “slush pile”). That involved (1) choosing which stories to pass up to our illustrious Co-Editors, (2) managing our team of amazing Associate Editors who do the first line of reading; and (3) sending out rejection letters, which includes writing the personal feedback we tried to include whenever possible1. You can learn more about our submission-reading process and responses here, though this information may become outdated if the procedures change after my retirement.
Escape Pod is a member of the Escape Artists family of fiction podcasts. It’s donation-supported, so if you enjoy their stories, consider chipping in via Patreon or the other methods offered on the right side of the homepage!