Ancient Paths Literary Magazine
Submission Guidelines

The submission period is now open for Issue 17. On March 1, 2012, the submission period will close. Please read and follow these guidelines carefully prior to submitting your art or poetry for consideration.

Submission Address:

Skylar H. Burris, Editor
Ancient Paths
PO Box 7505
Fairfax Station, VA 22039
ssburris@cox.net

Artists:

Submit black and white art work or photography by e-mail only as a .jpg or .gif attachment. Submissions should be at least 300 dpi. Include your name and address in the body of your e-mail. Art work should involve the themes of Christianity, ancient paths, or writing. Works may have been previously published provided you retain all rights and indicate where the work has appeared.

Your work, if accepted, will be used in print (in Issue 17) and may be used online on the Ancient Paths website or Ancient Paths Facebook page. Artists will be paid $10 per published artwork for non-exclusive rights. They will also receive a free copy of the magazine and a discount on any additional copies reserved prior to publication.

Poets:  

Send 3-8 of your best poems, in any form or style, traditional or free verse, rhymed or unrhymed. Just be aware that Ancient Paths rarely   publishes poems under 8 lines or over 200 and generally avoids experimental (avant garde) and concrete (shape) poetry. All works should have either Christian themes or universal religious themes (i.e. themes common to most religions and consistent with Christianity).  The religious element can, but need not be, explicit. Works should not be overly didactic. Avoid the extremes: poetry that is entirely image driven as well as poetry that communicates a moral message without beauty or poetic skill. Ideally, poetry should be accessible at the surface level and then contain other levels of more subtle meaning. Although formal poetry is welcome, avoid forcing the meter or rhyme. The best way to see what type of poetry I publish is to order a copy of the magazine. Online discounts are available. Click here.

Poems may have been previously published if they were published prior to 2010 and you retain all rights. If previously published, please note when and where. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable. You may send your submission either by post or electronic mail.

If e-mailing your submission, use the subject heading: "Ancient Paths Submission: Title of Your Work." In the body of your e-mail, prior to your poems, indicate your name, mailing address, and e-mail address. Note which, if any, of the poems have been previously published and which, if any, are simultaneous submissions. Let me know how you heard of Ancient Paths. Then paste your single-spaced poems directly into the body of your e-mail with two blank lines between each poem. Please, no backgrounds, colored fonts, or unusual fonts.

Your work, if accepted, will be used in print (in Issue 17) and may be used online on the Ancient Paths website or Ancient Paths Facebook page. Poets will be paid $5 for the first poem and $2 for each additional poem published. They will also receive a free copy of the print magazine and a discount on any additional copies reserved prior to publication. Ancient Paths asks only for non-exclusive rights, and poets are free to reprint their works elsewhere.   Poets may request to have works removed from the online archive at any time if having them online conflicts with the poet's ability to republish. 

Issue 17 will be a special, all poetry issue. Please do not submit short stories, creative nonfiction, or any other form of prose. Check back in January of 2013 to see what type of prose is being considered for Issue 18. In the meantime, read sample prose from Issue 16 or Issue 15. Online discounts are available. Click here.

Response Time:

Within four weeks of submission, you should receive an initial response of "No thank you" (80% of the time) "Yes!" (5% of the time) or "I'm holding X for further consideration" (15% of the time). If you haven't heard from the editor in six weeks, feel free to check in to make sure your manuscript didn't get lost in the mail. Works that are held for further consideration will be read and re-read in the months to come. By August 31, 2012, all works will be selected for publication. Issue 17 will be published no later than than December 31, 2012.     

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