Guidelines for Submissions

to

The Examined Life

How to make a submission

Submission and Copyright Agreement

Submission FAQS

Guidelines for making a successful submission

1. Make sure that the material is organized and well-laid out.

2. Minimize digressions and stick to a central theme.

3. Make sure any facts, historical or otherwise, are correctly given. If the fact is not something considered to be common knowledge, then cite the source.

4. Cite sources for any argument that is not originally yours.

5. Do not give unsupported conclusions.

6. Keep opinions at a minimum (unless you are submitting an editorial piece or a book review)

7. Avoid personal appeals.

8. Avoid logical fallacies. Egregious logic fallacies can keep your work from being published

9. Do not abuse quotation marks. There are three general rules governing their use:

• a) When refering to a word as a word; for instance, "Tree" has four letters.
• b) When making a direct quotation; for instance, Sally said, "I sailed sea shells by the seashore." Do NOT use quotations for an indirect quote such as Sally said THAT....
• c) When using a word outside of its normal meaning.

10. Check your text for spelling.

11. Avoid word play; it is bad philosophical style.

12. Avoid coining words.

13. If you are using a word that is central to your theme, and you are using it differently than its standard definition, then please be sure to clearly give your definition.

14. Before submitting your peice, try to edit the size down to a point where it is clear and concise so that the reader will be able to flow through your paper without interruption. Avoid pithy quotes and aphorisms.

15. Be willing to work with the editors of The Examined Life to assist in preparing your essay for publication. There are cases where essays will be accepted as is, but do not count on this being the case. The editors play an important role in preparing the pieces, and your cooperation is needed fully in these matters.

16. Submissions should follow the (Humanities) Chicago Manual of Style.(14th or 15th edition), and endnotes are preferred to in-text or parenthetical citations.

Thank you for your interest in
THE EXAMINED LIFE!