SUBMISSIONS

Souls only accepts unsolicited manuscripts by electronic submission. We do not consider manuscripts that are under review elsewhere. Manuscripts are peer-reviewed by members of our Editorial Working Group (EWG) and our Editorial Advisory Board (EAB), as well as other affiliated scholars.

All submissions must include a cover letter that includes the author's full mailing address, email address, telephone and fax numbers, and professional or academic affiliation. The cover letter should indicate that the manuscript contains original content, has not previously been published, and is not under review by another publication. Authors are responsible for securing permission to use copyrighted tables or materials from a copyrighted work in excess of 500 words. Authors must contact original authors or copyright holders to request the use of such material in their articles. Authors must also submit a three to five sentence bio, an abstract of their article of not more than 100 words, and a brief list of key words or significant concepts in the article.

Submissions should be addressed to:

Dr. Manning Marable, Editor
Souls: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture and Society
Email: mm247@columbia.edu

and

Vanessa Agard-Jones, Managing Editor
Souls: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture and Society
Email: souls@columbia.edu

Unsolicited manuscripts are normally reviewed and reported back within two to three months. If submissions are submitted between 1 May and 1 September, reviews may take slightly longer.

FIELD

Disciplines: Souls is an African-American/ Africana Studies journal that publishes works primarily, but not exclusively, in these social science disciplines: history, anthropology, sociology, and political science. We also encourage submissions from the interdisciplinary fields of African-American/ Africana Studies, Women and Gender Studies, Queer Studies, Film Studies, and Cultural Studies.

Regions: The majority of articles in Souls examine the history, politics, culture and society of black people in the United States. We also welcome contributions exploring the contours of the African Diaspora, especially in the Caribbean, Central and Latin America, Europe, as well as contemporary Africa.

CONTENT

DCP: In the pattern of the critical black intellectual tradition of W.E.B. DuBois, Souls articles should include the elements of "description," "correction," and/or "prescription": thickly, richly detailed descriptions of contemporary black life and culture; corrective and analytical engagements with theories and concepts that reproduce racial inequality in all of its forms; and/or an analysis that presents clear alternatives or possibilities for social change.

Originality: Articles should make an original contribution to the literature.

Themes: Each Souls issue is generally organized around a concept or theme, e.g.: a chronological period, a geographical region, a political event (e.g. "9/11", "Katrina Crisis in New Orleans"). However, Souls always welcomes and will publish articles and book review submissions on any topic that falls within the parameters of the journal's interest.

FORM OF ARTICLES:

Length: Articles published in Souls generally are a minimum of 2,500 words in length, but not longer than 8,500 words, excluding endnotes and scholarly references.

CMS: All articles should conform to the Chicago Manual of Style. Scholarly references and citations usually should not be embedded in the text of the article, but arranged as endnotes in CMS form.

Clarity: Souls favors clearly written articles with a coherent structure and thesis. Pieces with excessive academic jargon, obtuse language and an excessive reliance on the passive voice will be promptly returned to their authors.

Critical: Souls aspires to produce scholarship representing a critical black studies – analytical and theoretical works in the living tradition of scholar/activist W.E.B. Du Bois. Souls is an intellectual intervention that seeks to inform and transform black life and history.













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