Submission Guidelines

Roots and Branches: Stories from Appalachia is an online literary magazine celebrating the voices, stories, and art of the Appalachian region, but we accept work from all Pennsylvania writers and artists. We publish poetry, flash fiction, short stories, and artwork that reflect the richness, diversity, and human experience of Appalachia.

We are committed to publishing human-created work that demonstrates literary and artistic excellence, originality, and respect for all voices.

1. General Submission Guidelines

All submissions must adhere to the following standards:

• Work must be original and fully created by the contributor. No AI-generated or AI-assisted writing or artwork will be accepted.

  • Roots and Branches defines AI violations as the use of chatbots or generative creation platforms to produce or substantially edit the creative content of a submission. Our publication values work that reflects the author’s own creative process and voice. Writers may use basic editing tools such as spellcheck, grammar checkers, or standard proofreading features available in programs like Google Docs or Microsoft Word. However, the use of AI systems that generate, rewrite, or significantly shape the creative content of a submission is not allowed.

• Submissions should reflect high literary or artistic standards, demonstrating care, thoughtfulness, and craft.

• Work must not be harmful, discriminatory, or plagiarized. Submissions will be declined if they violate this principle.

• Contributors retain full copyright ownership of their work. By submitting, you grant first serial rights to Roots and Branches: Stories from Appalachia. After one year, contributors may request to reclaim rights for re-publication elsewhere.

• Contributors may request removal of their work from our website or social media at any time. The work will be removed within 30 days but will remain in the PDF archives of the publication.

• Contributors may share and promote their work publicly with credit to Roots and Branches: Stories from Appalachia.

• Blind Submission Requirement: All submitted documents must have names, personal identifiers, or any metadata removed to ensure a fair and anonymous review process. Only the editorial team will have access to the contributor’s identity after submission.

• Contributors may submit up to five works per magazine edition. Submissions exceeding this limit will result in all works from that contributor being disqualified.
  
  

2. Submission Categories

Poetry

• Submit up to 5 poems per submission.

• Each poem should be typed in a readable font (e.g., Times New Roman, 12 pt).

• Multiple poems can be submitted in a single document or individually, but each should have a title.

• Line breaks and formatting should reflect the poet’s intent.
  
  

Flash Fiction

• Stories must be under 1,000 words.

• Submissions should be double-spaced in a standard font, with the title at the top.

• We welcome stories that explore regional experiences, human relationships, and Appalachian culture.
  
  

Short Stories

• Stories should be 1,000–5,000 words.

• Submissions should be double-spaced, in a standard font, with the title at the top.

• Works should focus on character, plot, and the human experience, reflecting literary excellence and authenticity.
  
  

Artwork

• We accept original drawings, paintings, photography, digital art, and mixed media.

• Images should be high-resolution (at least 300 dpi) in JPEG or PNG format.

• Contributors confirm that they own the rights to any images or subjects depicted.

• Artwork should reflect original, human-created work and align with the mission of the magazine.

• Blind submission for artwork: File names must not include the contributor’s name or identifying information.
  
  

3. Submission Process

All submissions must be completed using the submission Google Form linked on the Roots and Branches website.

The form will ask for:

• Full name (for internal records only – not included in blind review)

• Contact information

• Submission category (poetry, flash fiction, short story, artwork)

• Titles of submitted works

• File uploads or copy of work as specified
  
  

Submissions must be unpublished or not simultaneously submitted elsewhere, unless prior publication rights are explicitly granted to the contributor.

Important: All submissions must be anonymized for blind review. Editors will not view identifying information during the evaluation process.

4. Editorial Standards

All submissions will be reviewed according to the following editorial ethics:

• Human-created work only — AI or AI-assisted submissions are not accepted.

• Fair, thoughtful evaluation — Editors evaluate submissions based on literary or artistic merit, originality, and authenticity.

• Respect for authorial voice — Editors will suggest edits but will not modify work without the contributor’s explicit permission.

• Ethical, inclusive practices — Editors and staff will not cause harm in the editorial process and will advocate for diverse voices in Appalachia.

• Editors may recommend revisions prior to publication, or decline work that does not meet standards.

• Blind review — Editors will review submissions without access to identifying information to ensure fairness and impartiality.
  
  

5. Notifications and Publication

• Contributors will receive notification of acceptance or rejection within 60 days of submission.

• Accepted work may appear on the website, in the PDF issue, in promotional materials, and on social media.

• Contributors retain rights to promote their own work, with credit to Roots and Branches: Stories from Appalachia.
  
  

6. Rights and Reuse

• Contributors retain copyright ownership of their work.

• By submitting, contributors grant first serial rights to the magazine.

• After one year from publication, contributors may request to reclaim rights for republishing elsewhere.

• Work removed from the website upon request will remain in the archival PDF issue.
  
  

7. Contact and Questions

For submission questions or inquiries about rights and removal requests, please contact: rootsandbranches25@gmail.com