Interested in submitting an original written piece for publication?
We are not a peer-reviewed publication but we do accept a limited number of academic pieces.
The views and opinions expressed in Appalachian Places are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of East Tennessee State University, the Center of Excellence for Appalachian Studies and Services, or the Appalachian Places staff.
Appalachian Places
Stories from the Highlands
Submission Guidelines
Submissions of written articles, photographs, or poetry must relate to the Appalachian region or to issues and themes shared by highland regions around the world. Queries are accepted by email only and should be sent to appalachianplaces@etsu.edu.
WRITTEN ARTICLES
A wide range of articles will be considered, including news and feature articles, essays, interviews, and fiction. Clearly label any first-person piece as either a fiction or nonfiction essay. Submissions generally run between 1,000 and 2,000 words. Submissions longer than 2,000 words will be considered at the discretion of editorial staff. Once your query or manuscript has been accepted, we may also ask for assistance in procuring photographs to illustrate the content for publication.
Our style guide is the current edition of the Associated Press Stylebook. For spelling, we reference Webster's Third New International Dictionary.
PHOTOGRAPHS
A wide range of photographs will be considered, either color or black and white. Some photos or photo essays will be done on assignment. For consideration of an assignment, email your credentials and a few samples that demonstrate your range of styles.
POETRY
Poets may submit up to five poems for consideration.
Visual poetry — Due to formatting limitations within our website platform, and the general effect of responsive typography within digital publishing, submissions that use text to create graphic designs for creative effect cannot be accommodated in the desired format. Poets who submit works that employ elaborate visual typography effects for creative expression may be asked to provide an alternate version using standard formatting. Accepted poetry that utilizes minimal non-standard spacing formats for creative effect may be accompanied by an editor’s note instructing readers to view the work on a large screen in order to experience the desired effect.
A note to poets whose work we’ve had the honor of publishing: Because there are still so many deserving poets whom we haven't been able to feature yet due to production limitations, until further notice we are not ready to consider poems by those we have already published.
Submission Procedure:
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Submissions of written articles, poems and photographs should be emailed to appalachianplaces@etsu.edu.
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Written articles and poems should be attached as Word documents.
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All poems for each submission should be combined into one Word document.
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Photographs should be emailed as attached graphic files (or as a link to an online file, if the file is too large to attach).
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All submissions should include an email address, regular mailing address, and daytime phone number(s).
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All submissions must include a cover letter with a brief statement (50 words or less) of how the work relates to the Appalachian region or to issues and themes shared by highland regions around the world.
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Also required is a short bio written in third person.
Once Your Work Has Been Accepted:
You will be notified via email if your query, poem, manuscript or photographic work meets our needs. A final deadline and other details will be confirmed at that point. Contributors of photographs will be asked to provide detailed captions, photo credit wording, and any required copyright information. Photographs acquired by third-party sources must be accompanied by permission or restriction-free verification.
Photos and illustrations may be scaled or judiciously cropped for layout design.
All works will be edited as necessary to meet length and style requirements. Formatting choices will be limited to availability within the website’s capacity. Our editorial staff strives to protect the integrity of the work while ensuring a finished product of which we can all be proud.
As a nonprofit, educational initiative, Appalachian Places provides a small honorarium for contributed articles and poetry, to be discussed after publication.
We grant First NA (North American) Serial Rights. This means that after publication the rights revert to the author, who can then reprint the material so long as credit is given to Appalachian Places. For further questions about serial rights, please contact us.
We prefer previously unpublished work, with first-publication rights. We may occasionally accept reprints and simultaneous submissions when the material warrants, however. In that case, you will need to supply signed reprint permission and inform us of other publications considering the work.
Appalachian Places
Center for Appalachian Studies and Services
East Tennessee State University
Box 70556
Johnson City TN 37614-1707
423-439-7995