/ Appalachian Journal: A Regional Studies Review / Submission Guidelines for Appalachian Journal

Submission Guidelines for Appalachian Journal

Appalachian Journal welcomes a wide range of contributions related to the Appalachian region. Currently, we accept:

  • Scholarly peer-reviewed articles
  • Poetry
  • Reviews of books, films, music, and exhibits
  • Creative nonfiction
  • Photographs and photographic essays
  • Images of artwork (with an artist’s statement on relevance to Appalachia)
  • Interviews

Please see below for specific guidelines by genre.

General Information

  • We accept submissions year-round and do not charge submission fees.
  • At this time, we cannot offer payment. Print contributors receive one free copy of the issue in which their work appears. Print and online contributors receive a 20% discount on additional issues.
  • We follow First North American Serial Rights. All rights revert to authors upon publication, though we ask that Appalachian Journal be acknowledged as the original publisher when work is reprinted.

Guidelines by Genre

Scholarly Articles

We welcome manuscripts from a variety of disciplines—anthropology, art, cultural studies, ecology, economics, education, environmental studies, ethnography, film, folklore, health care, history, gender studies, geography, geology, literature, media, music, political science, sociology, sustainability, and more—provided they focus on Appalachia.

  • Articles typically run 5,000–12,000 words.
  • We prefer well-documented, primary-source-based research that is accessible to an interdisciplinary audience. Please define discipline-specific terms.
  • Photographs and illustrations are welcome.
  • Citation style: use the format common in your field. For footnotes/endnotes, use superscript numbers but do not auto-link.

Submission process:

  • Send a query with the proposed title and abstract.
  • If invited, submit an anonymized Word document along with a title page (title, author name, contact information, biographical note, abstract with keywords).
  • You may recommend potential illustrations (with captions and credits). Submit images as .JPG or .TIF at 300 dpi if available.

Poetry

  • Submit 3–5 unpublished poems in a single Word doc or PDF.
  • Include a brief biographical note and full contact information.
  • Simultaneous submissions are discouraged but considered. Please notify us if a poem is accepted elsewhere.

Book & Media Reviews

  • We do not publish unsolicited reviews or review self-published works. However, suggestions are welcome.
  • Standard reviews: 700–1000 words; review essays: 1000–1800 words.
  • Header Format: Reviews should include our standard header of “Review by <reviewer’s name>” along with the book/work title, author/creator, publisher, year, price, ISBN (if applicable), and number of pages (again, if applicable).
    • Example:
      Burning Bright
      By Ron Rash (New York: Ecco/HarperCollins, 2010)
      $22.99, cloth. ISBN 9780061804113, 205 pp.
  • Reviews should be balanced, focusing on what the work achieves, supported by quotations with page numbers when applicable.

Creative Nonfiction

  • Essays typically range 800–2500 words.
  • Focus often includes the writer’s relationship with the region, though other topics are welcome.
  • Only unpublished work will be considered.
  • Preferred style: MLA with endnotes (superscript numbers, not auto-linked).
  • Submit as a Word doc or PDF with a brief biographical note and full contact information.

Photographs & Photo Essays

  • For our print editions, with the exception of Visual Art special issues, we publish black & white images only. Color images are welcome for our digital publication, As the Crow Flies.
  • Format: .TIF files, 300 DPI, 3000 pixels on the long side.
  • Submit no more than 10 images at a time (via email attachment or Google Drive).
  • Include a brief biographical note, full contact information, and for series/essays, an artist’s statement and conceptual overview.

Interviews

  • We publish interviews with regional figures that offer fresh insights.
  • Length: 4000–8000 words.
  • Submit a transcript as a Word doc or PDF with a brief description.
  • Include bios and mailing addresses for both interviewer and interviewee, plus full contact information for the interviewer.
  • If citations are needed, use MLA with endnotes (superscript, not auto-linked).

Submitting Your Work

Email submissions are preferred, but mailed submissions are accepted.

Email: coryjs@appstate.edu

Mailing Address:
Jessica Cory, Editor
Appalachian Journal
Belk Library / Box 32026
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608

Please indicate whether you’d like your work to appear in print, in our online open-access publication As the Crow Flies, or if you have no preference.

Appalachian Journal does not publish or review AI-generated work due to the damage it does to critical thinking skills, creativity, copyright holders, and the environment.