GNOSIS: A Journal of the Western Inner Traditions P.O. Box 14217 San Francisco, CA 94114 (415) 255-0400 FAX: (415) 255-6329 WRITERS' GUIDELINES GNOSIS welcomes the submission of material dealing with all aspects of the esoteric and mystical traditions of the West. In order to make our efforts compatible, please keep the following guidelines in mind. * We prefer that manuscripts be typewritten (or computer- printed) and double-spaced, with your name, address, and phone number in the upper right-hand corner of the first page. Please leave generous margins on each page. Be sure to keep a copy of your writing -- do not send us your only copy. If you write on an Apple Macintosh, it would be helpful if you could send a disk containing your article, so we don't have to retype it. (IBM-compatible pieces should be sent on a three-and-a-half- inch disk.) * Include a self-addressed envelope and sufficient postage to cover the return of your manuscript in case we decide not to use it. It is OK to send us a Xerox or printout of your manuscript; be sure to indicate if you do not need it returned and if it has also been submitted elsewhere. We do not return manuscripts that have been submitted without a return envelope and postage. * We will try to respond to all submissions within two months. Please be patient and allow up to ten weeks before ex pecting to hear from us. Our response to submissions may be de layed during production -- the five weeks before each issue's publication. * Though we work to maintain a high level of scholarship, GNOSIS isn't an academic journal per se. Our goal is to bring the discussion of the esoteric and mystical traditions to an interested general public. Accordingly, you are encouraged to write in an accessible, informal manner, as if you are talking to an intelligent, interested friend. Displays of enthusiasm, emotion, or subjective opinion are not taboo, though you should keep in mind that GNOSIS is more interested in exploring points of agreement or clarifying differences between traditions and paths than in sponsoring wrestling matches. Since space is al ways at a premium, we prefer writing that is concise, to-the- point, and engaging. We are looking for the following kinds of material: * first and foremost, articles that fit within the themes of upcoming issues (see list below); * articles on esoteric traditions and practices, past and present (up to 5000 words); * news items relating to current events in esoteric spiritu ality (up to 750 words); * book reviews of new spiritual and occult books rarely re viewed elsewhere (up to 500 words); * interviews with spiritual teachers, authors, and scholars (varying lengths); * letters to the editor (up to 250 words). We do not pay for letters. All lengths indicated are approximate. COMING ISSUE THEMES: #31 -- Spirituality in Russia and Eastern Europe (deadline November 15, 1993); #32 -- Esotericism and Pop Culture (deadline February 1, 1994). * If you have a topic you would like to pursue, we encourage you to send us a short query letter -- well ahead of the dead line date -- before you begin writing. If possible, include a clipping or Xerox of writing you've done, if you think we may not be already familiar with your style. All published contrib utors receive contributors' copies, and a complimentary four- issue subscription. In addition, we are presently paying $75- 250 per article, depending on length, editing requirements and other considerations. Book reviews receive $25 per book. We cannot pay "kill fees." All submissions are "on spec." Payment is upon publication. We reserve the right to copy-edit material for style, gram mar, and conciseness. If major rewriting or editing are called for, we will try to contact the author before publishing. We generally try to avoid cuteness, recycling of material avail able elsewhere, or story ideas more appropriate to other fo cused publications such as Yoga Journal or Shaman's Drum. Please see other sheet for additional style tips. * GNOSIS buys first-use rights only. However, we do request the option of reprinting material from the magazine in future anthologies. If this were to occur, you would be notified and receive payment. We may also explore the possibility of posting selected articles and reviews on-line through the GNOSIS con ference on The WELL (Whole Earth ÔLectronic Link). Our contrib utors retain their own copyrights. We appreciate your interest and look forward to hearing from you.