The Shallow Tales Review, a distinguished online literary journal founded in August 2019 by Nigerian writer Nzube Nlebedim, is now accepting submissions for its next issue. Writers and artists are encouraged to submit their works from January 1st to January 20th, 2025. Feedback will be provided to all contributors on January 21st, and selected pieces will be published ten days later.
The journal seeks to amplify brave, marginalized, and ambitious voices, with a focus on themes that explore African and Black experiences. Open three times a year, it welcomes submissions in the following categories:
- Fiction, Nonfiction, and Book Reviews
- Poems (maximum of 40 lines per poem, up to three poems per submission)
- One-Act Plays
- Cultural and Social Essays
- Art Photographs
- Translations
Submission Guidelines
Written works should be between 1,500–4,000 words, sent in .doc or .docx format. Literary criticisms should focus on texts published within the last five years (from 2020 onward) and address contemporary African issues with precision. Horror stories, sci-fi, and travelogues are not typically considered, except in extraordinary cases that reflect the African/Black condition.
Submissions should be sent via email with “TSTR Submission” as the subject line:
- Poetry: poetry.tstr@gmail.com
- Essays/Nonfiction: essays.tstr@gmail.com
- Fiction/Plays/Art and Photography: theshallowtalesreview@gmail.com
While The Shallow Tales Review currently does not offer monetary remuneration for accepted works, it hopes to do so in the future. Outstanding writers will be nominated for the AKO Caine Prize for African Writing and the Best of a Shallow Year Award.
For more information, visit The Shallow Tales Review website.
