The Humanist is a social-issues-oriented bimonthly that
applies humanism—a naturalistic and progressive philosophy—to
broad areas of concern. Though learning about
humanism is useful for authors, the best way to know the sort of
material we publish is to look at a few issues of the magazine.
Copies are widely available in public libraries (in hard copy,
microfilm, or CD-ROM), on select newsstands, and in cyberspace on
networks like Datastar, Dialog, and Nexis.
We accept unsolicited, complete manuscripts as well as queries. For
articles already written we prefer that the manuscript be sent without a prior query.
Occasionally we commission articles and book reviews from authors we
know. Recent, previously-published material will be considered if it
appeared in a non-competing, low-circulation periodical or a purely
local publication. Excerpts from forthcoming or just-released books
will also be considered.
Our preferred length for feature articles is 1,300-3,000 words.
Appearing in the back of the magazine, a number of our regular
columns on specialized topics (popular culture, the environment,
civil liberities, human rights, literature, philosophy, religion,
humanist living, and science) have changing authors, as does "First Person," a column
devoted to the recounting of enlightening life experiences. Column length is 600 to 1,400 words. Book and film reviews generally range from 500 to 1,200 words. Editorials (800-1,500 words) and shorter newsy items are placed in our "Up Front" section at the beginning of the magazine.
In addition to our regular staple of nonfiction prose, we consider
humor, poetry, short fiction, and cartoons. Illustrators and
photographers should submit samples of their work. Photos and artwork
intended to accompany a manuscript may be submitted in full-size
photocopy form or as small digital images. Then, if the article is accepted
for publication, the original photos and/or artwork--or high-resolution
images--will be requested. Manuscripts can still be submitted in hard copy though we greatly prefer e-mail. Hard copy manuscripts will not receive acknowledgment of receipt unless an e-mail address is supplied.
Hard copy manuscripts should appear in standard form: double
spaced with a one-inch margin all around and typed or word- processed
on letter-size paper with text on just one side of each sheet. Pages
should be numbered and the manuscript accompanied by a brief cover
letter giving full contact information (address, phone, fax, and/or
e-mail) as well as a brief 1-2 line biographical
statement about the author. Manuscripts may be mailed to the Humanist, 1777 T St, NW,
Washington, DC 20009-7125. Material
that authors wish returned must be accompanied by an appropriate
SASE.
Manuscripts sent by e-mail can be embedded in the body of the message, with a blank line
between each paragraph. Italics in the manuscript may be indicated by
underscore delimiters, like _this_. An accompanying message should
provide the above-noted contact and bio information. E-mailed manuscripts
may also be sent as file attachments in MS Word. Such manuscripts can be sent to the editor at
editor@thehumanist.org.
When submitting material to the Humanist, authors, artists, and
photographers need to be aware of the following facts:
The Humanist is a non-profit magazine of opinion.
The Humanist has a distinctive slant and therefore does
not publish all viewpoints.
The editors receive a significant volume of submissions.
Some submissions may need to be circulated for peer review
before a decision can be made.
Due to the volume of mail received, the editors regretfully
cannot offer individual critique or explanations as to the grounds
for a given rejection.
Material submitted to the Humanist may also be submitted by
the author simultaneously to other publications—in this way, any
reporting delays on our part will not hold up potential publication
elsewhere.
The Humanist is widely available in various forms (hard
copy, microfilm, and CD-ROM) in various places (libraries,
newsstands, public gatherings, cyberspace, and by subscription), and
is indexed in the Readers Guide to Periodical Literature and other
leading indexing and abstracting resources. Authors and other contributors
give implicit permission for such publication when they submit materials.
Because of this wider publication, our articles are frequently discovered by
book and magazine editors who contact us for author and reprint information.
This provides a good reason for authors, artists, and photographers to
consider publishing in the Humanist.
