Writers' Guidelines

In each Story Circle Journal, we will publish your contributions of poetry and prose, published or unpublished. We look forward to reading your work, and including the best of it in the Journal. We publish only members' writings.

• We're looking for short (up to 350 words) excerpts from your life-writing. Your excerpt may be thoughtful, funny, sad, angry, contrite, searching, clever, observant--whatever tells your story and expresses your feelings. Style is less important than authenticity. We publish writing that tells part of the writer's story and expresses her feelings, in her own true voice. Prose is fine, short poems are fine, too (up to 30 lines). We can also accept black-and-white sketches and drawings if they are clear enough to reproduce.

• Space for "True Words" is limited, and we may not be able to accept your work for the Journal. However, we hope to be able to publish one or more collections of women's life-writing, and will hold all submissions for later consideration. No submissions will be returned, so please keep a copy of everything you send. Sorry, but we can't critique submissions.

• Please, if at all possible, send in your story (see email address below) either typed into the text of an email or as a Word document. This way we can cut and paste it into the Journal format. Otherwise, in the process of reentering your words, there is the risk of inadvertently omitting an important line or even (goddess forbid) making a typographical error so that "work" becomes "word." Think of it this way: you can get computer experience and have fun while you do this! Not to mention you will start enjoying the fun of email connections with other women doing life writing!

• If you "snail mail" us your submissions (see address below), they should be typed and double-spaced, or very clearly written in your neatest handwriting.

• Submit as often as you like, as much as you like. (That is, you can send us three or four 350-word excerpts and several poems at once.) We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.

• Tell us whether you want us to print your name, city, and state (Jane Dare, Tampa FL) with your writing, or give us a pseudonym. Without this explicit direction, we will choose a name for you, and print your piece without a city/state. Be sure to put your name and address on each submission, however.

• Your Publishing Rights:
  • Rights to Pieces Submitted to the Story Circle Journal:
    When you submit a story, poem, or article for publication in the Story Circle Journal and it is accepted for publication, you are licensing certain rights to Story Circle Network (SCN).

    If the story, poem, or article is previously unpublished, then you are licensing First North American Serial Rights (FNASR) for one year to SCN. This means that you grant SCN the right to be the first periodical publication in North America to publish this piece, and SCN has the right to hold your piece for up to a year from the date of acceptance.

    If the story, poem, or article you are submitting to the Journal has been previously published, you must inform the Story Circle Journal Editor of the date and nature of the publication when you submit your piece. The Journal Editor will help you determine whether you are free to offer the story for republication in the Journal or whether you may need to seek permission from the original publisher. If the piece is accepted for publication in the Journal, then you are licensing One-Time Rights to SCN for one year from the date of acceptance.

    If we accept your story, poem, or article for publication but for any reason do not publish your piece in the Story Circle Journal within a year, then all rights revert back to you. Normally we aim to publish accepted pieces of writing in the next Journal issue. However occasionally due to space limitations, we are unable to do so and will hold the piece for a later issue. Please be aware that acceptance for publication is not a guarantee that the piece will be published in the Journal, though we make every effort to use all pieces that we accept.

    Questions regarding publication rights to a story, poem, or article that you are submitting for publication in the Story Circle Journal or regarding a piece that has appeared previously in the Journal should be addressed to journaleditor08@storycircle.org.

  • Rights to Pieces Submitted to the SCN Website:
    If you submit a story to the SCN website, and it is accepted, then you are licensing One-Time Internet Rights to SCN. The story will appear on the SCN website but SCN will not publish it in any other forum without your permission. (You should be aware that SCN has no way of preventing someone who is browsing the Internet from copying your story and reprinting it, reposting it, forwarding it to others, or passing it off as their own. This is a possibility that you should keep in mind whenever you post your original work on the Internet.)

    Questions regarding publication rights to a story, poem, or article that you are submitting for publication on the SCN website or regarding a piece that has appeared previously on the website should be addressed to webmistress@storycircle.org.

  • Rights to Pieces Submitted for a SCN Podcast:
    Rights to stories submitted for the SCN Podcast are covered by a Creative Commons License, which grants listeners the right to freely copy, distribute, and perform the work, provided that such use is for non-commercial purposes. In addition, use in derivative works is not permitted and an attribution must be included with any such copy or performance. More information is available on the Creative Commons website.

    You should discuss the details of this license with the Podcast Editor before agreeing to participate in the SCN Podcast. Questions can be directed to podcast@storycircle.org.

• At the present time, we cannot pay writers. If we use your work, however, we will send you an additional copy of the issue in which it appears.

• Our deadlines:
  • January 15 (for the March issue)
  • April 15 (for June)
  • July 15 (for September)
  • October 15 (for December)

• Each issue of the SCJ is loosely organized around a particular theme. We urge you to submit your brief essays, poetry, and book reviews on these themes, as well as your favorite women's quotations. But we also invite your non-theme writing, so please share! Here are the upcoming themes:
  • June, 2008: Hard Choices (deadline April 15)
  • September, 2008: Autumn (deadline July 15)

Whom to Send Your Work To:

• 350-Word "True Words" Stories for the Story Circle Journal:
  maryjo_d@yahoo.com or
  Story Circle Journal
  c/o Mary Jo Doig
  531 Steeles Fort Rd
  Raphine VA 24472

• Other Pieces Submitted for Publication in the Story Circle Journal:
  (Note: please send us a query letter first, before sending your completed piece. Thank you.)
  journaleditor08@storycircle.org or
  Story Circle Network
  Attn: Jane Ross
  P.O. Box 500127
  Austin, TX 78750-0127

• Pieces Submitted to the SCN Website:
  webmistress@storycircle.org or
  Story Circle Network
  Attn: Peggy Moody
  P.O. Box 500127
  Austin, TX 78750-0127

• Ideas for the SCN Podcast:
  Becca Taylor
  podcast@storycircle.org