" if you join and write in a publication you are bringing your connection into the pub, not the other way around." This is such a good point, that we sometimes overlook. So many writers expect a pub to launch them and get them out of obscurity, but it doesn't necessarily work like that. I like the contest idea Bin, although I haven't written for the pub yet, so I can't give an opinion about editors. But as a writer that I follow, and one who has probably edited lots of the pubs stories that I've read - I vote Marcus. He's what led me to the pub in the first place. Good luck to all the hard working editors, and thanks :-)