Frequently Asked Questions
About Submissions

to

The Examined Life

How to make a submission

Submission and Copyright Agreement

Guidelines for Making a Submission

Questions

1. I made a submission, but I have not heard anything back. Why?

2. I have a paper that I would like to submit, but it is not about the theme for the edition. Will it still be considered?

3. How do the editors make a determination about what to publish?

4. Will my essay be published as is?

5. I was asked to revise my essay by an editor. How long to I have to complete the revision?

6. Are there any other options open to me to have my work presented at the journal?

7. The editor said that he would publish my essay as an editorial. Why, and what does this mean?

8. What is the difference between an article and an editorial?

9. Can I submit a rebuttal to an essay that The Examined Life has published?

10. How can I submit a debate?

11. Can I submit someone else's essay?

12. Under what conditions will The Examined Life not publish my work?

13. What style format should I use for my submission?

14. Can I submit more than one essay for an edition?

15. What are the submission and copyright conditions for publishing my work in The Examined Life ?

Answers

1. I have made a submission, but I have not heard anything back. Why?

There may be a few reasons for this. Through some glitch in the internet, your submission may not have made it to the editors. If you are concerned about this being the case, then you are welcome to send an email to editor@examinedlifejournal.com and ask for submission confirmation, and someone will get back to you as to the status of your submission. But, you should also consider the following: The Examined Life works with a volunteer staff who tend to the journal's business during their free time. In order to run the journal efficiently and with the least interuption of time to the editors, essays are not distributed until about 1 month prior to the next edition. At that time, the editors review the submissions and either accept them as is, edit them for clarity (never for philosophical content), or send them back to the author with notes for revision. If your essay falls into the first two catagories, you may not hear from the editors until a few days before the journal is published. If, the next edition has been published, and you have not heard from the editors nor did your submission appear, then you should contact the editor to find out the status of your essay, and whether it was received.

2. I have a paper that I would like to submit, but it is not about the theme for the edition. Will it still be considered?

Yes. The editors consider every submission to the journal. Submissions on the theme, however, are given a priority. Nevertheless, every single submission is considered for publication by the editors.

3. How do the editors make a determination about what to publish?

The Editors use a review process. Every submission is reviewed by at least two editors, and it is considered on the following criteria.

• Is the paper philosophical?
• Does the paper contain any egregious flaws (either historical or logical)?
• If the paper is not statisfactory "as is" can it be edited or revised by the author such that it will suitable?

Papers that do not meet the first criteria simply are not considered. If there is a problem with the last two criteria, then they are presented to the author and at such time he/she will be informed how the editors intend to proceed (either by asking for a revision, or letting them know of the editorial process). If a suitable revision cannot be had, then at that time the editors will inform the author that they have decided not to publish the article for the current edition. The author is welcomed to make a revised submission for the next edition, however. No submission is ever edited for philosophical content.

4. Will my essay be published as is?

This is done on occasion, but it is not the norm, and the author should not expect this.

5. I was asked to revise my essay by an editor. How long to I have to complete the revision?

The editor ahould let you know when the revision is due, and will give you as much time as is possible before the next edition is set to go on-line. If for any reason the revision cannot be done in time for the upcoming edition, it will be considered for the following edition.

6. Are there any other options open to me to have my work presented at the journal?

Yes. At times, if the article does not have sufficient documentation to be considered as an article, it will be presented as an editiorial. The Examined Life also has the Thinker's Web Project that allows authors to present their work in full on their own site located at the journal.

7. The editor said that he would publish my essay as an editorial. Why, and what does this mean?

This means that for one reason or another your essay did not meet the qualifications for being considered as an article. This could be due to insufficient documentation, or due to the piece being more a presentation of opinion rather than a philosophical treatise. If you object to your essay being presented as such, you are free to decline publication or revise it such that it can be presented as an article.

8. What is the difference between an article and an editorial?

An article is a philosophical treatise presented with proper documentation (arguments and citations). An editorial is a rhetorical or opinion based essay that lacks the above.

9. Can I submit a rebuttal to an essay that The Examined Life has published?

Yes, and this is encouraged. The dialectic is one of the most crucial tools used in philosophy, and the only way that this can be accomplished is by one or more philosophers interacting with their ideas. Rebuttals, however, still must meet the criteria for publication, and they must not be personal attacks (ad hominems). If you would rather address the issues that you have with a published piece at the discussion forum, you are free to do so. You may also do this in addition to submitting a rebuttal for publication.

10. How can I submit a debate?

If you have engaged in a debate at a forum or by e-mail or any other form of medium and you would like to have the debate published at The Examined Life, then you must submit the debate in its entirety to the journal along with permission from both yourself and the other party(ies) for its publication. The debate will be edited for length and clarity, but never for philosophical content.

11. Can I submit someone else's essay?

Yes, as long as permission from the original author can be obtained and verified.

12. Under what conditions will The Examined Life not publish my work?

These conditions were covered mostly above, but again, the work must be philosophical, it must not contain any egregious errors, and it must be revisable suitable for presentation. Furthermore, The Examined Life will not consider any essay that promotes hate, disruption of the internet, pornography or anything considered offensive by the editors. Works, however, are never declined merely because the editors disagree with the position of the author. As long as they meet the criteria set forth, the article will be published.

13. What style format should I use for my submission?

The style should follow the (Humanities) Chicago Manual of Style. In addition, please use endnotes rather than in-text or parenthetical citations. Furthermore, the paper should be written using normal margins and fonts..

14. Can I submit more than one essay for an edition?

Yes, but it is the policy of The Examined Life that we will not publish more than two articles by any author in any given edition except under extraordinary conditions (such as running a collection of essays by an author, or a book).

15. What are the submission and copyright conditions for publishing my work in The Examined Life ?

Please read the Submission and Copyright Agreement by clicking on this line.

Thank you for your interest in
THE EXAMINED LIFE!