Submissions

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Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
  • The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
  • The text is double-spaced; uses a 12-point Times New Roman font; employs italics, rather than underlining; and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
  • The submission file is in OpenOffice, Microsoft Word, or RTF document file format.
  • The text adheres to the MLA citation and style requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.
  • Where available, URLs for the references have been provided.

Author Guidelines

Submissions are now open for the fourteenth issue of The Digital Literature Review, "Banned Books and the Politics of Storytelling." This year, we are looking for writing that examines banned books and challenges or otherwise censored texts. The journal will be exploring the impact of censorship, what it means for a book to be banned, impacts on literacy, and why people should care. Submissions can include, but are not limited to, the topics listed below:

  • Why books have been banned
  • Literary analyses of banned books
  • How censorship operates in the digital age
  • How banning books affect readers, writers, and generations after us
  • Age restrictions on challenged content
  • Free speech
  • The politics of book banning
  • The history of book banning
  • Book banning in academia

Essays must be anchored in a work of literature, cinema, or other artistic media and relate to the journal's theme of book banning and censorship. They must also be supported by scholarly research. 

All essays must be submitted as a Word document and include an abstract. Submissions should be between 2,500 and 5,000 words and adhere to MLA citation and formatting guidelines with double-spacing and 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Please direct any questions to dlrat@gmail.com. Deadline extended: all journal submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, February 8th.

 

Essay Submission Guidelines

  • Paper submissions should be saved as a Microsoft Word document.
  • Papers should be in MLA style format.
  • Papers should be between 2,500 and 5,000 words (or 10-20 double-spaced pages).
  • Submissions are to be well researched and must contribute to ongoing scholarly conversations.
  • All submissions will be blindly reviewed, so please do not put your name on your essay.
  • Submissions will close on January 26th, 2026.

Blog Submission Guidelines

  • Posts should address the theme of “Banned Books & The Politics of Storytelling"
  • Possible blog submissions may include high-resolution JPEG original photography (digital original prints), drawings, paintings, and digital art. We are also seeking poems or other short creative works, personal stories and testimonies, and TV, film, or music reviews (up to 5 separate pieces). Written pieces should be under 1500 words and submitted as a Word document. 
  • Please include a biographical statement (3-5 sentences) and a rationale (4-5 sentences) with your submission.
  • Please send all blog submissions via email to dlrat@gmail.com with “Blog Submission” as the subject.
  • Submissions will be accepted and posted here on a rolling basis.

What happens next?

  • The editing team will review your work.
  • If accepted, you will have a chance to revise your piece and return it to the Digital Literature Review at dlrat@gmail.com. Along with this, you will need to include an abstract and a short bio about yourself.

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