Writers’ Guidelines

In each Story Circle Journal, we publish “True Words,” your lifewriting contributions of poetry and prose, published or unpublished.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

• We’re looking for short (up to 350 words) excerpts from your lifewriting. Your piece may be thoughtful, funny, sad, angry, contrite, searching, clever, observant—whatever tells your story and expresses your feelings. Style is less important than authenticity. In True Words, we publish writing that tells us 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). If we don’t have room in the print Journal, we may publish your work in our online Journal supplement. If we can’t publish it right away, you may resubmit it for a later issue. Sorry, but we cannot critique submissions. We can accept only work that is carefully edited and proofread.
• Please, if at all possible, send in your story via our online submission form (see details below). This way we can copy 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 use your member name, and credit your piece without a city/state. However, be sure to put your correct name and address on each submission.
• By submitting your material to the Story Circle Journal, you agree that, if the story you are submitting includes other people, you have not violated any privacy rights, that there is nothing defamatory in it, and that it doesn’t infringe copyrights or any other rights.
• 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 granting certain rights to Story Circle Network (SCN). If the story, poem, or article is previously unpublished, then you are granting First North American Serial Rights (FNASR) to SCN. This means that you grant SCN the right to be the first periodical publication in North America to publish this piece. 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. You are responsible for determining whether you are free to offer the story for republication in the Journal. Where available, please include a link to the original post so we can give credit and link to the site. If the piece is accepted for publication in the Journal, then you are granting One-Time Rights to SCN. Normally we aim to publish accepted pieces of writing in the next Journal issue. However, occasionally we are unable to do so due to space limitations. If your piece does not appear when submitted, you may resubmit it for a future 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 storycircle at 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 granting 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.) You retain the copyright to your work. You are free to publish it elsewhere after it has been published in the Journal with the following credit: This piece was originally published in the Story Circle Network Journal. 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 storycircle at storycircle.org
• At the present time, we cannot pay writers.

In each issue of the SCJ, the True Words section is 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. We also invite your non-theme writing, so please share! Here are the upcoming themes:

September 2024: Exploring Inside Myself (deadline July 15)
December 2024: It Made Me Laugh Out Loud (deadline October 15)