SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

The Beltane Papers was specifically created as a forum for women within which to express the sacred in their lives. We are interested in all the ways women explore the sacred, including crafts, pilgrimages, herbs, divination, Goddess research, personal experiences with women’s mysteries (menarche, menopause, childbirth, mothering, abortion, death, anything to do with women’s bodies, minds or spirits). We are also aware of “the politics of women's spirituality,” as almost everything relating to women’s mysteries seem to be a political issue. Although our emphasis is feminist and Goddess-oriented, we welcome material from women of all spiritual backgrounds and cultures. We will print reviews of books, tarot decks, etc., by males or male/female partners, but accept writing and art only by women. And although our publication has a Pagan/Goddess/feminist perspective, we welcome a broad spectrum of women’s spiritual attitudes, beliefs and experiences.

GENERAL:
 
Submissions for our print publication: You may submit art, writing, poetry, anything mentioned in this document, for our print publication. Note: each cover is used on the first page of our website until the next issue comes out.

Themes: We do not always advertise “themes” per se, other than the general season and the holy days encompassed, because we have found that material that comes in flows together and creates a theme. However, now we are publishing three times a year with maiden, mother and crone issues, and each has one of five elements associated with it (earth, spirit, fire, air, water). These will be “background” themes. As far as art is concerned, sometimes ideas for choosing written material are influenced by art we select for a cover, but more often we select art for a cover as inspired by some of the written material for a particular issue. Occasionally we will request/commission art either for a cover or, more often, for interior illustration, after selecting written material for an issue.
 
Please Note: We encourage you to submit art or written material as you are inspired; we will contact you as soon as possible after receiving them and let you know if we can use them and our estimate of when (which issue). Please do not send originals! If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free e-mail us at editor@thebeltanepapers.net
 
Issue 44 due out November - material deadlines are October 1st. 2008

Issue 45 due out February- material deadlines are January 1st 2009

Issue 46 due out May - material deadlines are April 1st 2009
 
Submission deadlines (deadlines may be negotiated on a case-by-case basis):
 
WRITERS:
 
Previously published material: We will occasionally accept, on a case-by-case basis, art or writing that has been previously published in another publication. We would like to know this in advance, partly so credit may be given to that publication.
 
“Exclusivity”: We also ask that if your material is accepted by TBP, that it not be placed in another publication within a reasonable time (4 months), either before or after, of its TBP appearance, with the exception of appearance in a publication of the writer’s or artist’s own works (or an anthology, etc.).
 
ProQuest and GenderWatch: We have an arrangement to send them copies of TBP so they may use the written material in their online resource library which is available to students, researchers, scholars, etc. Your work will be submitted to them as part of TBP.
 
Contributors’ forms: Once your material has been accepted for inclusion in an issue of TBP, we will e-mail contributor forms for you to sign and return. Though most permissions, etc., are now handled over the internet, we like to have paper files as well.
 
References: Very important! If you use ideas, information or phrases, whether direct quotes or paraphrased, from someone else’s writing, either in print and/or from a website, acknowledgement must always be made. Even if you know the material well, if it is not original with you, we need titles of books and other sources for our readers’ reference. This will be writer’s name, title of book, publisher and year of publication.
 
  

ART GUIDELINES:
 
We are always happy to receive drawings and photographs that illustrate the sacred in women's lives. Were are currently a B&W publication. We are also looking for small pieces (they can be reduced) for original clipart. Please refer to back issues of TBP for ideas. You may also direct us to your website for a look at your art and you may send art/graphics for consideration in jpeg format to editor@thebeltanepapers.net

Submitting by e-mail: If we accept your art for a cover or interior illustration, and you prefer to e-mail it to us, it MUST be scanned at a MINIMUM of 300dpi and sent in TIFF format only. If you are unable to do this, or have someone else do this for you, please send a good quality photo of the art for us to scan. (Note: there may be other methods of sending your art to us electronically that need to be negotiated -talk to us!)

We prefer that you send copies, not originals. If you do send an original, please make that clear. If you want your art returned to you, please enclose an appropriate-sized self-addressed envelope.

PAYMENT FOR WRITING AND ART:
 
At this time, we pay for publication of your material with five contributors’ copies for art or written material, as well as your choice of a 1/6 page display ad (camera-ready). Hard copy including negatives or slides should be mailed to TBP, 11506 NE 113th Pl., Kirkland, WA 98033. Emailing art or graphics should be discussed with Lise Quinn at editor@thebeltanepapers.net.
 
WHEN YOUR ARTICLE OR ART IS ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION:
 
We will also want a brief bio from you and a photo (with name of photographer). Often we cannot use those from a website because the quality does not translate well to the printed page (most web images are 72 d.p.i and we need 300 d.p.i for print). Also please keep in mind that acceptance does not guarantee your writing or art will appear in that particular issue due to last minute space changes and/or other factors. If we are not going to include your piece, we will let you know as soon as we know. At such time we will re-negotiate use in a future issue. Also with acceptance, you agree to our basic proofreading and editing of your written material. If there are any substantive changes we feel would improve the piece, we will contact you and discuss it. Send all inquiries to editor@thebeltanepapers.net Our website address is http://thebeltanepapers.net