Join FBCW host Wiley Wei-Chiun Ho and panelists Allan Cho, Jessica Key, and Cadence Mandybura as we explore what it takes to make a successful pitch to a magazine editor. What are editors looking for? How important are cover letters? How can writers make their pitches stand out in a positive way? Why are submissions rejected?
There will be time for your questions as well.
Wiley Wei-Chiun Ho writes fiction and creative nonfiction. Her award-winning short stories and personal essays have appeared in River Teeth, Ricepaper magazine, ROOM, PRISM international, Pulp Literature, WordWorks, and several anthologies. A strong champion of writing communities, Wiley is a member of the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop, the Federation of BC Writers, and the North Shore Writers’ Association. Originally from Taiwan, she now lives on the ancestral territories of the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations aka North Vancouver, where she can be frequently found hugging trees.
Allan Cho is a dedicated editor, writer, and cultural advocate, best known for his role as the Editor-in-Chief of Ricepaper Magazine. This pioneering publication celebrates Asian Canadian literature, arts, and culture. With a passion for amplifying diverse voices, Allan has played a pivotal role in shaping the magazine into a vibrant platform for emerging and established writers, artists, and thinkers from the Asian diaspora. His editorial vision emphasizes storytelling as a means of bridging communities and fostering dialogue about identity, heritage, and belonging. In addition to his editorial work, Allan is an accomplished writer and researcher interested in the intersections of literature, history, and identity. He holds a Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) from the University of British Columbia (UBC), where he has also been involved in projects that explore the preservation and promotion of intercultural narratives.
Jessica Key is the Managing Editor of subTerrain Magazine, Publishing Associate at Anvil Press, and Senior Editor of the 3-Day Novel Contest. She has been with subTerrain for eight years, and before that worked with a variety of BC-based literary magazines and small presses, as well as serving as the Marketing Coordinator for the Iceland Writers Retreat. She is a graduate from Simon Fraser University’s Masters of Publishing Program, and has a BFA in Creative Writing from VIU.
Cadence Mandybura has never veered far from her passion for telling stories and fixing apostrophes. She edited the FBCW’s WordWorks magazine from 2022–23 and helped launch their Roots to Branches anthology series. A graduate of the Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University, Cadence further honed her storytelling skills as the associate producer for the fiction anthology podcast The Truth and a first reader for Flash Fiction Online. She is grateful to live in Victoria on the land of the lək̓ʷəŋən People, known today as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. CadenceMandybura.com
