Editor Interview: Quail Eggs

Tanka and tanka prose

In the UK tanka are mostly published in journals dedicated to haiku such as Blithe Spirit and Presence which are my two favourites.

What sets Quail Eggs apart is its focus on tanka and tanka prose, which is more often published in a section of a journal dedicated to haiku. The UK has had several dedicated tanka journals over the years, including John Barlow's Tangled Hair and Claire Everett's Skylark and I hope Quail Eggs can continue the work of showcasing tanka.

Before submitting work to Quail Eggs please make sure you understand what a tanka is, dictionary definitions are not to be relied on! I'm not looking for a fixed syllable count, I'm looking for what I might call tanka spirit. You can only discover what this is by reading widely, both classical and contemporary tanka.

The ideal submission has between three and ten tanka or tanka prose in the body of an email, along with the author's name and country.

What submitters most often get wrong about the submission process is attaching files or sending submissions that are not tanka or tanka related.

I don't need biographical information or publication credits. Just the name you want me to use and your country (of residence or origin as you prefer.)

Tanka prose will be read to the end, maybe several times. However, remember that concision is a virtue.

I like to read submissions in batches to get a feel for the kind of mix I am getting to create a journal issue from. I like seeing certain themes or moods emerging. It's an unhurried process, and I will usually read each submission several times before making a final decision. Often there will be an internal editorial voice that says, 'yes, that one!' without any conscious analytical process or tick-box criteria being involved. It's nothing like work, more like being offered a selection of delicacies to choose my favourites from!

I rarely suggest revisions, with the exception of pointing out what appear to be typos, mis-spellings and other minor issues. I expect work to be thoroughly edited and proof-read by the author.

I have not yet nominated any work published in Quail Eggs for national or international awards but do intend to look into doing this in future.

Quail Eggs is online only and has no costs to cover, but there is the option to buy the editor a coffee!

I promote Quail Eggs by word of mouth and social media.