Friday, September 8, 2017

Six Questions for Dr. Vivekanand Jha, Chief Editor, Phenomenal Literature

Phenomenal Literature publishes poetry, novel chapters to 3,000 words, short stories to 3,000 words, play scenes to 2,500 words, biography/autobiography/memoir/travelogue to 3,000 words, book reviews, and more. Read the complete guidelines here.

SQF: Why did you start this magazine?

DVJ: Frankly speaking, India was running short of quality literary journal of global repute in view of such a large number of people from this country involved in creative, literary and scholarly writings. The significance of this journal is furthered bolstered as it is being printed, published and distributed by New Delhi based publisher Authorspress, one of the leading publishers of India. The main goal of the journal is to provide a literary stage for both established and budding authors to display their creative aptitude and circulate their works worldwide. We publish all kinds of literary, academic and scholarly pieces in this journal.


SQF: What are the top three things you look for in a submission and why?

DVJ:    We look for the following three simple things:

(i)                We prefer small pieces of creative, academic and scholarly writings.

(ii)              Creative pieces lucid in style, easily conceivable to readers and free from obscurities.

(iii)            Submissions made after proper following of the guidelines.


SQF: What most often turns you off to a submission?

DVJ: We like the pieces written on common, contemporary and general themes. We avoid pieces focusing more on local and highly mythical issues as we have to respect sentiments of our worldwide readers as well. Like other editors of the journals, we too get irritated if pieces are submitted without observing the guidelines available on the journal’s website. We avoid accepting submissions that may be radical, racial, and vulgar in nature and, may also be inviting other kinds of controversies.


SQF: Do you provide comments when you reject a submission?

DVJ:  We are sorry because we receive so many submissions that it becomes impossible for us to provide pinpointed comments on all of them. However we give them a hint of possible reasons in the rejection mail. The reasons are the following: (I) Sometimes we have to give a place to new authors by overlooking those who have already been published in the previous issues. This we do to associate more and more authors to our journal and to make the journal global in the true sense. It doesn’t mean that we don’t publish them at all. When we run short of quality submissions we give first priority to them. (II) When we don't think it is quite what we are looking for in terms of types, length, quality etc. (III) Last but not least, if submission guidelines are not strictly adhered to.


SQF: Based on your experience as an editor, what have you learned about writing?

DVJ: Being a writer myself, I know writing is a continuous process and it needs a great deal of dedication, devotion and concentration. The more you write, the more perfection you have. It gives natural instinct to write and one needs not resort to strenuous and forced writings. The literary piece should look like an organic whole and should have good beginning and ending.


SQF: What one question on this topic do you wish I'd asked that I didn't? And how would you answer it?

DVJ: Yes, you should have asked me about the circulation and version of our journal. Our journal is circulated worldwide. Though it is primarily a print journal, its e-version is also uploaded on our website which is made open access for readers all over the world. Thus the work of every author gets wide exposure, not restricted to a few readers that generally happen in the case of a purely print journal. Moreover we post a bio of every author with a recent photograph on our website along with a link to the issue in which his or her works are featured. We really provide the authors their due that they really deserve.

Thank you, Vivekanand. We all appreciate you taking time from your busy schedule to participate in this project.

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