The Shallow Tales Review publishes fiction (1,500 to 4000 words), opinion articles, commentaries, book reviews, poems (to 40 lines), one-act plays, cultural essays, art photographs, and random thoughts that touch on the sensibilities of the African. Read the complete guidelines here.
SQF: Why did you start this magazine?
Nzube Nlebedim: The African story needs to be told with much more frequency than it is being told today, and there isn't exactly a whole lot of avenues for young, talented writers to push their works out to readers and critics, and to the world to read and appreciate their art. The Shallow Tales Review literary magazine comes in here to bridge that gap in the modest ways it can by seeking and curating the best of art works from across all writers in Africa and Africans in the Diaspora. The Shallow Tales Review literary magazine seeks to promote the tales and experiences of the African who is — and whose works, beliefs and culture are usually perceived as "shallow." Hence our name.
SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?
NN: A submission to the magazine must first of all concern Africa and/Africans. Africa is our anchor, and we take that job seriously. They must be well-written and stylishly crafted; to draw pictures in our minds with the fewest words. They should also have a literary angle that would make readers think deeply.
SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?
NN: For the genre I edit which is fiction, I get turned off when I read works with great stories but badly written plots, or with no plots at all.
SQF: What do you look for in the opening paragraph(s)/stanza(s) of a submission?
NN: Promise, one that lasts till the very last word.
SQF: Is there a particular type of submission you’d like to receive more of (fiction, opinion, art, etc.?)
NN: Yes!!! Fiction! Most writers these days (and I come to this deduction based on what we receive every issue) are poets. It seems there are more poets than any other writers in other genres. Not that poems are bad. They are great. But I always look forward to doing more work than having my poem editor get the whole pile on their table :) I'd love to get more works of fiction. And great cultural essays, too.
SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?
NN: I'd ask, "what is the most beautiful part of the editorial work?" My answer would be that it is the rare ability and veto of the editor to reconstruct a piece to the way he sees it in his mind and have the author agree with it and reproduce it that way; it is taking a rugged piece of stone and turning it into a beautiful, smooth pebble. Indeed, the most beautiful part of the job is in the recreation and remodelling of ideas, and making them better and more readable. It's a most beautiful feeling for me. Asides, writing my editorials, that is. :)
Thank you Nzube. We all appreciate your taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.
A good show of intelligence on the responses by the editor and also on the founding purpose of the nagazine by the editor, that was. The magazine will stand out amongst equals with such prudent editor as this. I wish you the very best.
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