The Gay & Lesbian Review is Seeking Submissions
Author: Edit Team
July 29, 2020
READERSHIP. The Gay & Lesbian Review is a magazine is targeted to “literate non-specialists,” i.e. well-educated readers who span a wide range of professions and interests. A high level of intellectual sophistication can be assumed; however, specialized jargon or highly academic language should be avoided. Lively, thought-provoking, and readable are some watchwords for articles that we publish.
GENRES. The G&LR publishes nonfiction and poetry—but not short fiction, personal memoirs, or journals.
Feature Articles. Full-length essays, most organized around an issue “theme,” make up around 60% of each issue. (Word range of 2,000 to 4,000, with a “golden mean” of 2,500.)
Reviews make up most of the balance. The majority are reviews of books, with a few on the arts (film, theater, visual arts, etc.) in each issue. (600 to 1,200 words. A few “Briefs” of 250 words also appear.)
Interviews with prominent GLBT artists and activists occasionally run as feature articles. Use Q&A format rather than a journalistic write-up.
Artist’s Profile. Recurring column spotlights a prominent or rising artist, writer, choreographer, etc. Usually includes a short interview with a brief introduction to the artist’s work. (1,000 to 1,500 words.)
Art Memo: Column allows for a personal reflection on a single work or artist/writer who made a difference in the writer’s life. (1,000 to 1,500 words.)
International Spectrum: Column highlights the state of GLBT rights or culture in a city or region outside the U.S. (1,000 to 1,500 words.)
Correspondence: Letters to the editor.
Guest Opinion: Op-ed pieces take an advocacy position on a current issue. (500 to 1,000 words.)
SUBMISSIONS: Both proposals and completed pieces are eligible. Proposals are encouraged when the writer is uncertain of suitability. The G&LR does not accept published pieces, but does on occasion publish a chapter or excerpt from a forthcoming book.
For feature articles, please check on the “themes” of upcoming issues, as announced in the Cultural Calendar of each issue. Papers that were originally intended for a different venue typically need to be adapted to G&LR style.
For book reviews, writers are encouraged to request the current list of “targeted books” for guidance.
Proposals for reviews of books that are not on this list are welcome.
The G&LR is not a scholarly journal, and articles are not footnoted. However, a short list of references can be included at the end of a piece.
The magazine follows standard style conventions (à la Strunk or Chicago) and U.S. spelling conventions.
Note: Writers who have not previously been published in The G&LR are encouraged to send a writing sample (or link to same on the Internet).
SUBMISSION PROCESS
Submission via e-mail is strongly encouraged, though hard copy submissions are accepted (but please notify the editor by electronic means if possible).
E-mail your submission or proposal with a cover letter to richard.schneider@glreview.org. Most any format is acceptable (MS Word, RTF, etc.).
For hard opy, use the PO box below. Only one copy is required. No SASE (stamped, self-addressed envelope) is needed unless you want your manuscript returned.
The G&LR is a carefully edited magazine, and few unsolicited pieces are accepted exactly as submitted. Writers may be asked to revise or even rewrite portions of a piece.
HERE’S MY STORY is a new feature on The G&LR‘s website, where you can share some part of your life story with other readers. We receive a lot of submissions of personal memoirs, but the magazine doesn’t publish first-person narratives as a general rule. “Here’s My Story” is a space that allows our readers (and others) to talk about their experiences as members of the LGBT+ community. There are no restrictions on subject matter, but some broad areas might include:
- Coming-out stories
- Memorable love affairs
- An epiphany (e.g. a work of art)
- Click here to submit a proposal or an article (< 1,000 words, please) for publication. Also include a photo or two that could be included with the piece, as well as a pic of yourself and a short bio.
- We will help you with editing as required.
BOOK REVIEWS. Assignments for book reviews are made by the editors. The G&LR does not accept unsolicited reviews. Writers are strongly discouraged from reviewing works by friends or associates.
A note on style: A book (or other) review usually begins with a general overview of the topic at hand or perhaps the writer’s previous works (esp. for a novel), followed by a discussion of how or where the book under review fits into this context and what it hopes to accomplish. Only then is it generally advisable to render a judgment on the book’s merits. How successful was the writer in achieving his or her stated or implicit goals? What did we learn that we didn’t know before?
Books for review consideration should be mailed to the Boston POB address.
POETRY. A few poems are published in each issue. While there is no hard-and-fast limit on length, poems of over 50 lines become hard to accommodate. Please submit no more than three poems at a time. Send your work in hard copy to our PO box and include an SASE for notification purposes. Poems can be emailed to stephen.hemrick@glreview.org.
BLOG. The magazine’s website at www.GLReview.org features a blog with original material in a range of genres: short essays, op-ed pieces, movie reviews, and even some personal writings. Length should generally be fewer than 1,000 words. Please submit your piece or proposal to Stephen Hemrick at: stephen.hemrick@glreview.org.
PAYMENT. Contributors of original feature articles receive a flat fee of $200, or may choose to waive this fee and receive payment in kind in the form of four gift subscriptions to parties of their choice. Contributors of full-length book reviews can request $100 or the option of four gift subscriptions. All contributors receive a few copies of the issue in which their article appeared, as well as a new or updated subscription to The G&LR.
MAILING ADDRESS:
The G&LR
PO Box 180300
Boston, MA 021
