Naleighna Kai's Literary Cafe Magazine NK LCM February 2018 Anniversary Issue | Page 3

A Note from the Editor A month later, on my birthday, the first issue of NK Literary Café Magazine hit the internet. The response by readers, publishers, and authors alike was reassuring and heart-warming. The late nights, the doubts, the missed hours of sleep, the nudges for rewrites or revisions, were all worth it. The magazine has had 7,091 viewers in the year since it launched, and the numbers continue to climb. What’s more, is readers compare its quality to upscale magazines they’ve read for years. A compliment? Sho’ Nuff! On a personal level, I have learned a great deal from the process, but more importantly from my fellow authors as I read each piece before it goes between the covers. Also, learning to keep an open mind has been paramount. One time, I threw out the theme of transformation and received an article that curled my hair. That article (you know the one—by Janine A. Ingram), almost didn’t make it into the magazine. I thought it was too controversial. So, I took a step back and thought, “Well, I did ask for an article on transformation, right? This is HER experience, who am I to say different. The people who read this magazine are grown ass folk. They can handle it.” And you did. That article has been the most talked about since the magazine’s inception, and also brought forth a memory of a tragic experience that had been buried deep in my subconscious. More healing work to be done. NK LCM has provided a platform to New York Times, National Bestselling, Debut, and aspiring authors alike. Every writer, reviewer, graphic artist, gives freely of their time to make this work—it is not a paid gig, this is a labor of love. This magazine serves as a way to connect authors with readers in a way that lets them “hear” the author’s voice in something other than a sales pitch of “buy my book.” The writers share personal experiences that have impacted their lives and their writing. They share instances that have caused exponential growth in hopes that it will help the reader, too. The cover of this Anniversary issue which is about love and Black History, is a blend of past and present griots who lit the storytelling torch and those who are keeping the fires burning bright. In the footsteps of successful magazines founded by John H. Johnson and Susan Taylor, I can only hope that NK LCM continues to shine in its own right. Naleighna Kai Editor-in-Chief [email protected] J. L. Woodson Woodson Creative Studios Art Director NKLC Magazine | 3