As you might expect here at the Distributist Review, we're looking for top-quality articles about any topic that is likely to interest Distributists. That's a broad field.
Schedule
We're on a quarterly schedule. Submit any time you like. The chart shows you the earliest that your article will appear.
Submit by Revise by Published
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Spring Nov 1 Dec 1 Mar 1
Summer Feb 1 Mar 1 Jun 1
Fall May 1 Jun 1 Sep 1
Winter Aug 1 Sep 1 Dec 1
Topic
While we will likely have editorial themes in the future, at present the ground is wide open. I welcome any topic which you think relevant to Distributism, e.g, backyard gardening, the significance of blogging, commentary on the Cuban post-petroleum economy, the case from Church documents that a "living wage" is a non-negotiable element of Catholic social doctrine, indigenous "food forests" in South America, the communal architecture of the average medieval city--and that's just off the top of my head. I'm excited to see what you want to say.
I suggest that you query first. There's a chance we're already covering that topic this issue.
We're primarily interested in nonfiction. The only possible exceptions might be humorous poetry or cartoons, or of course photos or gorgeous artwork. Anything else, I fear, will be a waste of postage and bandwidth.
Length
is flexible, with 3,000 to 5,000 preferred and an upper limit hovering around 10,000 words. Shorter pieces of 1,000 or even 500 words are also welcome; perhaps you could have a regular column.
Style
Though we're not associated with an academic institution yet, many readers will expect bibliographies and/or footnotes with something approximating the rigor of an academic journal. I say "approximating" because we don't want to be excessive either. Depending on the subject, citations may not even be needed. True, Chesterton was rather allergic to footnotes, but this wasn't entirely to the good. At a minimum, direct quotations, statistics, startling paraphrases ("St. Thomas actually says..."), and in general any "controversial" facts should have citations.
On the other hand, we Distributists have a rich heritage of men and women writing on serious topics in a voice that their fellow humans might actually want to read. I suggest the best of both worlds: citing anything an opponent might challenge, and writing so well they wouldn't even think to do so.
Submission Format
is up to you. If you write on your computer, please email me the file. However, getting typewritten or (legible) handwritten manuscripts in the mail would be a treat.
I can pry open just about any file format, but if you can save your file in Rich Text Format (RTF extension), we may save time. Any submissions in TeX or LaTeX will warrant tears of joy (I've already received one).
Send to:
or include a SASE and mail to:
Bill Powell
The Distributist Review
P. O. Box 594
Lafayette, IN
47901
Payment
Well, I haven't started poking around for corporate sponsors. :) Thanks to print-on-demand technology, the subscription price will actually cover the printing and shipping costs. We will have a few advertisers, but at first we'll probably exchange their ads for ad space in their venues. We'll also be taking donations, as soon as we can scrounge up $2000 or so to start a non-profit.
So at present, your contributions will be your generous gift. In the long term, I aim to have enough advertisers and subscriptions to pay contributors at least a respectable honorarium. But I can at least get the ball rolling by offering a complimentary copy or a $10 honorarium, whichever you prefer. You'll have our thanks here below and treasure in Heaven.
Licensing
Certainly, you keep the copyright to your work. We'll get the usual first serial rights. I'd also request nonexclusive reprint rights, as well as the right to offer your articles online. I don't plan to release every article online right away, but my goal is to have each back issue fully and freely available online after 6 months or so. We need more quality Distributist literature online!
I encourage you to consider an alternative license that distributes more rights to the reader, e.g., the Creative Commons License. If possible, I'd like to have the whole Review under at least the first, most restrictive, license: Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (read more).
This is just what it sounds like: to copy your work, a person must attribute you as author, charge no money, and keep your words intact. You keep your copyright (e.g., to make money by publication), but your work can spread freely. Of course, you can choose a less restrictive license if you like.
I understand that these may seem like uncharted waters, so I'm not going to force this license on anyone. But it seems especially appropriate to periodicals in general, and our work in particular.
Finally,
Thank you
for considering a contribution to the Distributist Review!