Appalachia Journal

Appalachia accepts submissions on a rolling basis. We publish in June and December, and deadlines are typically six months ahead of publication.

We publish a limited number of standalone photos and welcome high-quality freelance submissions. Photographs or drawings accompany most of our articles and are usually provided by the authors.

Appalachia publishes poems that take the reader into the wild, focusing almost exclusively on natural subjects and often suggesting questions of an ecological nature. Published poets have included Mary Oliver, Todd Davis, and Robin Chapman. Each issue includes 6-8 previously unpublished poems; usually simple but telling observations, clearly presented, dealing with specific times, places, and events. Shorter poems are preferred. Writers are encouraged to read the poems in a recent issue before submitting. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but please contact us if an individual poem is accepted elsewhere. Send 3-5 poems to the editor-in-chief [email protected] (attention Laurie D. Morrissey).

The journal's fiction subcommittee is interested in stories that feature outdoor settings and embody discovery, exploration, wildness, a sense of place, and surprise. Stories may be up to 5,000 words long, including flash fiction.

Appalachia accepts a limited number of unsolicited submissions; we work with new writers as well as seasoned ones. Most articles run between 1,000 and 3,000 words, though some are as short as 500 are others run above 5,000. Please familiarize yourself with Appalachia before submitting. All work is subject to editing.

E-mail queries and submissions to Stephen Kurczy, editor-in-chief, at [email protected]. Please double-space your document, use Times New Roman 12-point font, and send submissions electronically. Postal mail may also be sent c/o the Appalachian Mountain Club, 10 City Square, Suite 6, Boston, MA 02129.

We have a very limited budget and cannot pay for most unsolicited material. Authors receive two contributor copies.

Authors retain the rights to their work, although Appalachia reserves the right to publish stories or excerpts online indefinitely.

Stephen Kurczy, a published author, journalist, and experienced editor, serves as editor-in-chief of Appalachia. As a former contributing editor to the journal and author of The Quiet Zone (HarperCollins, 2021), he brings a deep background in storytelling and editorial leadership to the role, following Christine Woodside’s retirement after 20 years of service. He writes about the intersection of people and place, with a focus on outdoor adventure, remote landscapes, and the cultural and environmental forces that shape them. He has taught journalism at SUNY Plattsburgh, Providence College, and Seton Hall University. Learn more at stephenkurczy.com.

Stephen welcomes letters and feedback from readers. For more information about Appalachia or submissions, please contact [email protected].

You can read issues of Appalachia that are now out of copyright on Google Books here.

Dartmouth College has made more recent issues of Appalachia available to read in their Digital Commons here.