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Submission Guidelines and Instructions

North Greenville University  P.O. Box 1892 Tigerville, SC 29688 

The Mountain Laurel  Literary/art journal  email: themountainlaurel@ngu.edu

                                Submission Guidelines and Instructions

I.            Literary submissions

1. Presented submissions electronically to the Mountain Laurel e-mail address above or submit a paper copy in one of the collection boxes on campus.
2. Follow MLA page format for margins, with the following exception:  instead of placing the writer’s last name in the header position, the header should consist of the title of the work.  If the work is an untitled poem, the header should read, “Untitled poem ___1,” etc.  The purpose of the blank line will be for Mountain Laurel staff to fill in an entry or ID number to distinguish this untitled work from others of the same genre. Note:  Titled literary works are preferred.
3. The writer’s name MUST NOT appear on the pages of the actual fiction, nonfiction, or poetic work.  Instead, include a cover sheet (download and fill out the ML cover sheet with the following information:
   1. Title and genre of work (poetry, literary nonfiction, fiction, drama)
   2. Date  and  “Submitted to: North Greenville University The Mountain Laurel”
   3. Number of pages
   4. Name, class (year of expected graduation), and major of author

The Mountain Laurel advisors and staff will pre-screen entries.  Eligible entries will be submitted to outside judges for consideration as 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd-place prize winners:

Poetry – Suzan Phillips, Charleston Southern Univ.

Literary nonfiction – TBA   Drama  - TBA

Fiction – Scott Yarbrough, Charleston Southern Univ.

Each judge is a respected author with numerous published works.

II.           Art submissions

1. The Chair of the Art Department (Professor Zac Buser) will determine the format for judging art entries.
2. Include a cover sheet, with the following information; download and fill out the cover sheet form.
   1. Title, dimensions,  and medium of work  (if the work is untitled, it will read “Untitled Watercolor,”  for example) Titled works are preferred.
   2. Date and “Submitted to: North Greenville University The Mountain Laurel”
   3. Name, class (year of expected graduation), and major of artist

Art will be judged by:  TBA_____________________________________________

III.       Submission Deadlines

      All art entries must be received electronically,  submitted in person to the Humanities Department office, collection boxes,  or Art Department office, or presented in person to the Mountain Laurel editor, Daniel G. Miller, or advisor, Dr. Deborah DeCiantis, no later than January 20, 2008. 

For best consideration, submit by the Fall Deadline:  November 20, 2007.

All writers/artists: Please read the following guidelines, which give specific details about publication proofs, approval/corrections, and deadlines.

North Greenville University – The Mountain Laurel literary/art journal  2008

                Publication Guidelines and Procedures for Reviewing Proofs

I. Page layouts:  The Mountain Laurel staff will prepare page layouts using Adobe CS software.  We will select a standard font for literary works. A writer may request a specific type of font necessary for thematic or visual effectiveness.  Such cases will be considered by The Mountain Laurel staff, but staff reserves the right to make final decisions affecting the appearance of the publication .

II. Editing changes:  In cases where we believe the manuscript contains errors in spelling, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, etc., The Mountain Laurel staff will edit the manuscript on our page layouts.  Writers will be given an opportunity to review page proofs (or will be contacted with an e-mail describing the alteration) before we submit them to the printer.  If the writer indicates that what appeared to be an error was intentional (it should be apparent that such intentional “errors” have a specific purpose and effectiveness within the piece), the writer may correct the proof.  If a writer does not review the page proof by the deadline communicated to him/her, editing changes made by staff will remain in the final published version.

III. Questionable/inappropriate content:

In cases where a work of visual art or literature includes content (thematic material, images, symbols, and/or words) which may be deemed inappropriate for a Christian university publication, the artist/writer will be invited to submit an altered version.  If the artist/writer declines the opportunity to edit his/her work, the work may be disqualified.

IV.         Art reproduction/layouts:

Art entries will be published in full color in a special section of the journal.*

A high-resolution photograph of the art work will appear with a caption listing the title, dimensions, medium, and the artist’s name.  Artists will be invited to view the page proof for their work(s) prior to publication.  If an error in the title, medium, or other details is found, the artist will have the opportunity to correct errors.  If an artist fails to review the proof for his/her artwork by the deadline specified, staff will submit the proof as designed. 

*The Mountain Laurel staff reserves the right to publish black/white art in another section.

V.           Publication deadlines: In no case will a page proof be recalled once it has been sent to the printer.  Consequently, any errors or improvements MUST be indicated and made before the printer’s deadline.  We expect that the printer’s deadline will be approximately March 20.  Our layout/proof review deadlines, then, will  be between March 1 - 9, 2008.      Distribution date:  We expect to distribute copies of The Mountain Laurel by the week of April 21 – 25, 2008.