Author Guidelines
Superheroes of the Squared Circle: The Intersection of Comics and Professional Wrestling is under contract with McFarland & Company as a peer-reviewed academic collection. The guidelines below apply to all accepted contributors.
Manuscript Length
Chapters should run 6,000–6,500 words, excluding references. Please stay within this range — the collection has an overall word-count cap set by the publisher, and chapters that run long will need to be trimmed before submission to McFarland.
Format and Style
Chicago Manual of Style, author-date system
Double-spaced, pages numbered continuously
Times New Roman, 11 or 12 point
Submit as a Word document (.docx or .rtf) — not PDF, and not a layout program such as InDesign
Images
If your chapter includes illustrations:
Do not embed images in your Word file. Send them as separate image files, numbered in sequence.
Include a matching caption and credit list. Captions should be substantive — one or two sentences explaining the image's relevance to your argument, not simply an identification line.
You are responsible for securing reproduction permissions. Send electronic copies of any permissions along with your draft, and retain the originals for your own records.
If you're uncertain about fair use or file specifications, reach out before finalizing image selections — permissions take longer than expected, so it's best to start that process early.
Artificial Intelligence
McFarland will not accept AI co-created or AI-generated work. Please do not use generative AI to draft or co-write your chapter.
Title
Please include a working title with your submission.
Deadlines
First drafts: October 15, 2026
Final drafts: December 15, 2026
If your timeline needs adjusting, reach out in advance rather than at the deadline.
Peer Review and Revisions
This collection is under contract with McFarland as a peer-reviewed volume. The revision process will happen in two stages: editorial feedback from me after first drafts are submitted, followed by a possible second round of revisions based on McFarland's peer reviewers once the full manuscript goes out for review. Please plan for both stages as part of your writing timeline.
Questions
Contact Forrest C. Helvie at forrest.helvie@ctstate.edu with any questions about these guidelines or your chapter.