Issue 3 - December 2025 - Editorial

Quantity, quality and last lines

Seasons greetings to you all from Quail Eggs!

Thank you for all the submissions. There was a considerable increase in submissions for this issue which is why it is out a little later in the month than the previous issues. This increase confirms my suspicion that there are not enough tanka journals for all the quality tanka being written.

As an online journal Quail Eggs does not have space constraints as such, but I want to keep each issue compact and structured enough to enjoy as a whole thing. This means that I have had to set a high bar for acceptances as well as considering the balance of the issue as a whole. If your submission is not accepted please don’t be too disappointed, your tanka may well be of good or even excellent quality, just not what I need for the next issue. They may very well find a home in another journal if you just keep sending them out.

Something that struck me in many of the tanka in this issue is how a strong last line can make a big impact. My Editor’s Choice is an example of this. I hope this is something you will find it useful to reflect on.

Alison Williams -  Editor

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