You asked, we answered 🙋

Our long-awaited Editors AMA, a roundup of OKD staff changes, and more

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Okay Donkey
January 05, 2026

A banner graphic with an illustrated donkey on the left and text on the right that reads, Okay Donkey, but a newsletter.

Happy New Year! We’re thrilled you’ve joined us for another year of the Okay Donkey newsletter. (And if you’re brand-new here, welcome!)

The newsletter is celebrating its first birthday this month, and we’re extremely excited about its growth, being able to promote our past contributors’ awesome new endeavors, the opportunities we’ve been able to offer our staff to write features for each issue, and how we’ve been able to connect with even more of you.

If you’re reading this on the web and aren’t subscribed yet, you can do that right now:

This month, we’re proud to share our Editors AMA, a whole bunch of masthead movement, and, as ever, promos from our contributors and staff. Thanks for sticking around!

đź«Ź OKD Updates

The Okay Donkey universe is starting 2026 with some changes on the masthead! Here are our latest roster moves:

  • Dani Kuntz has joined the team as our new Social Media Manager, and Cassey Abella is the new Social Media Associate.

  • Christine Salek has stepped down as Social Media Manager (but still writes this newsletter — hi!).

  • Associate Fiction Editor Heidi Marjamäki is taking on a dual role as Okay Donkey’s new Managing Editor.

  • Three of our fiction readers are moving on. An enormous thanks to Paul Ruta (three years with OKD), Tolani Akinola (one and a half years), and Kyla-Yáşżn Huỳnh Giffin (nine months) for all their hard work and dedication to Okay Donkey.

🌟 Ask Us Anything: OKD Editors Edition

An Instagram-style ask box titled Okay Donkey Editor AMA, with a stylized textbox that says, Ask us anything. Phots of Heidi, Steve, and Carolene are at the top.

First off, a big thank you! A couple of months ago, we put out a call for questions you’d like to ask the Okay Donkey editors, and you really delivered the goods. In fact, we’re even saving some for future issues of this newsletter — stay tuned!

We received all sorts of questions about how we consider submissions, what makes a piece stand out, and what your chances for publication really are, in addition to whether we’d ever consider a print anthology (maybe! Reach out if you know a good book designer) or if Okay Donkey merch is on the horizon (what sorts of things would you be interested in? Let us know!).

Anyway, here’s Steve Chang (Fiction Editor), Carolene Kurien (Poetry Editor), and Heidi Marjamäki (Associate Fiction Editor/Managing Editor):

How important are cover letters? Are they even read, or skimmed, or are they an important first impression?

Steve Chang: I’ll skim them. In at least three cases, they can make a difference for me:

  1. If someone’s rude or imperious, etc. I doubt I’ll like their work.

  2. If someone’s published in mags I like, I’m more likely to take a chance on them.

  3. Same goes for emerging writers or someone who could use a boost.

Heidi Marjamäki: I usually don’t even look at them before I’ve read the piece.

Carolene Kurien: I do not read cover letters. Only when I decide to accept a poem do I read through the cover letter; I do this to ensure it does not contain rude or hateful content (which is an immediate red flag that would change my mind on accepting the piece). What is most important to me is the poem itself.

What qualities in a poem or flash piece make an immediate impression on your editorial team, especially in terms of language, atmosphere, or emotional intensity?

Carolene: A poem that aligns with the weird, wacky, and surreal atmosphere of OKD, of course, is what I look for. However, it’s important to remember that poetic craft is still important even when writing something “weird,” so I am immediately drawn to poems that have surprising line breaks, innovative forms, unusual syntax, and precise diction.

Steve: We’re always looking for something with that Okay Donkey vibe.

Heidi: …to figure out what that vibe is, read the magazine!

If all the readers like a piece, why might an editor still not opt to publish it?

Heidi: Sometimes we also get submissions that are objectively pretty “good” — strong writing, interesting plot, etc., so it makes sense that readers upvote them. However, not every “good” piece is a good fit for OKD. They might find a better home in another literary magazine.

Carolene: When this happens, it’s because the poem does not fit OKD’s aesthetic. This doesn’t mean it’s a “bad poem”; in fact, more often than not, it’s an incredibly strong one. However, it’s important for the magazine to keep a cohesive tonal identity, and work that doesn’t fit within that identity won’t get published.

Steve: If all the readers like something, I’ll consider taking it into development, regardless of how I feel, and see how far we can get. Sometimes things turn out really well! I like when others see something in a piece that I don’t yet.

How does one get to work on the OKD editorial team (remotely, on-site or hybrid) and can international candidates work with OKD?

Heidi: The best way to get involved with the magazine is through volunteering as a Reader. When there are other openings on the team, we typically first consider who’s already part of the magazine in some way and give our Readers first dibs to express their interest. Keep an eye on our social media for information on our next Reader call, likely to take place in the first months of 2026. International candidates are warmly welcome! We are already an international team with Editors and Readers spread across three continents.

Do you keep an eye on writers who submit regularly, even if their early submissions are declined?

Carolene: Yes! On the poetry side, we’ve had a couple of instances where we eventually published the work of an individual who has submitted a couple times before.

Steve: Absolutely. If we see your name often, we’re rooting for you. Especially if your work has caught our eye in the past.

Heidi: Yes! But also, if your work continues to get no bites from us, do read what we publish to make sure that we’re the right outlet for your stories.

Do you read international submissions differently in any way, or is the editorial process identical regardless of the author’s background?

Heidi: No difference whatsoever. I’m super happy that we get submissions from all over the world.

Carolene: Nope!

Steve: Identical regardless of background or nationality. However — and I’m not sure if this is what you mean but — I’m not a big fan of expat Eat Pray Love-type narratives. Orientalism. Misery tourism. That sort of stuff.

Do you ever notice patterns in submission waves, and are there quieter or better times of year to submit?

Steve: Mm… I don’t know of any better or worse months to submit. We hit our cap with free subs pretty quickly and consistently. And we don’t have monthly acceptance quotas to hit. Maybe all I can say is: submit on the 1st if you like no-fee subs?

Heidi: We seem to have been marginally busier over the summer than in the autumn. But there is no “good” or “bad” time to submit. The best time to submit a piece is when it’s ready to go!

🔎 Check Us Out

We love when past contributors keep us updated on their lives! If your work has ever appeared in OKD, reach out and tell us about your new book, project, album, etc. We’ll give you a shoutout on our socials and here in the newsletter.

Graphic with a cartoon-style night sky and partial view of the moon in the background. In the foreground are the issue cover for Same Faces Collective's SHAPE SHIFT issue, the book Pardon Me For Moonwalking, and a flier for a workshop called Revise With Purpose.

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