All submissions should be sent as single
electronic mail messages. The texts
should be incorporated in the body of
the message or attached as a MS Word
file or RTF file. It is our intention
to let authors know if their work is
to be published within six months of
the original submission.
By
submitting your work, you affirm that
you are the sole author, and retain
all rights for your work. Unless otherwise
indicated, you also affirm that this
work has not been simultaneously submitted
or previously published elsewhere in
any other medium. If your work is accepted
for publication, Nantahala acquires
the rights to publish and reproduce
your material in any appropriate format.
After
publication, copyright reverts back
to the author.
By
submitting material, you affirm that
you have read and agree with the submission
guidelines of your specific
genre. These guidelines are subject
to change, and we reserve the right
to discard submissions that do not follow
our guidelines.
Genre
Specic Guidelines
Nantahala publishes new fiction of any
genre, but we look specifically for
stories that feature a fresh, strong
voice along with a sense of fascination
with the human condition and the variety
of human character. A connection to
the Appalachian region is required,
but neither the setting of the piece
nor the residence of the author is required
to be Appalachian. The best way to determine
if your writing fits this journal is
to read fiction in one or more current
issues. The editors may publish reprints
by special arrangement, but submissions
are expected to be unpublished material.
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Although
we are looking for a wide variety of
topics and approaches, we hope to see
some innovative creative nonfiction:
personal essays that take a journey
into insights both personal and "cosmic"
through attention to language and focus
on discovery. The world is chock full
of models for living, for enhancing
our spirit, if we pay attention. All
good art makes us look anew. The best
creative nonfiction chronicles that
visioning process.
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Submit
a Small Collection of Poems
Nantahala encourages poets
to submit seven to ten poems at a time.
We are interested in publishing
a selection of poems that succeed individually
and as a thematic whole.
Style
The
style of the poem should match or complement
the meaning of the poem. We prefer poets who’ve
thought about how structure and meaning
work together. Our editors also value
the quotable line, the unique phrase,
and the well-chosen word.
Content
We
have no restrictions or preferences regarding
content.
While we publish work by writers
connected
to Appalachia, we do not mandate
that all work be about the region.
We publish what strikes us as being
uniquely experienced, freshly divined,
and originally perceived.
Solomon, of the Hebrews, wrote
that nothing’s new under the sun.
We concur with King Solomon, but find
that thoughtful, feeling individuals experience
the universal in a profoundly personal
way. Accordingly,
we seek poems, in the words of Ezra Pound,
that “make it new.”
Errors
Poems
go to editors as they are received.
It is imperative that writers proofread
their work before submission. Nonstandard grammar and
mechanical usage that is not clearly contributing
to the form and meaning of the work tells
us that the writer did not take the time
to proofread.
These submissions will almost always
be rejected.
What
is Good?
When we speak of quality— what is
good or average or bad— we are most often voicing our informed opinion.
Nantahala takes on the point of view of its editors; if we publish
it, we think it good. So, the
best way to find out what we think is good is to read our magazine. Decide
for yourself if you think we are doing a good job. If you think we are publishing quality
work, keep submitting and reading, and we’ll keep publishing the good
stuff.
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Many
pictures turn out to be limp translations
of the known world instead of vital
objects which create an intrinsic world
of their own. There is a vast difference
between taking a picture and making
a photograph.
-Robert Heinecken
We
are interested in publishing a selection
of images that succeed individually and
as a thematic whole. Nantahala requires
artists to submit a minimum of five to
ten photographs at a time. An artist statement
must accompany all submissions.
Style
and Content
When
subject matter is forced to fit into
preconceived patterns, there can be
no freshness of vision.
-Edward Weston
The criterion is quality, in form
and content. Particularly, we look for a smooth and effective collaboration
between form and meaning, an unforced photographic composition that throws
light upon a fresh vision. While we publish work by image-makers connected
to Appalachia, we do not mandate that all work be about the region. Put simply,
we are interested in showing the diversity of our regional artists, showing
work that demonstrates, to quote Peter Henry Emerson,
...the
originality of the thing expressed and
the way it is expressed, whether it
be in poetry, photography, or painting,
and the original artist is surely he
who seizes new and subtle impressions
from nature, 'tears them forth from
nature', as Durer said, and lays them
before the world by means of the technique
at his command.
We
publish what strikes us as being uniquely
experienced, freshly divined, and originally
perceived.
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