We accept personal essays written by LDS women which correspond to one of our upcoming issue themes, or which address other subjects in harmony with our mission statement. Suggested length for prose submissions is 1000-2500 words (approximately two to five single-spaced pages).
“He Says” Column We also welcome personal essays or narratives by men, especially those related to the featured issue topic. Suggested length is one to three pages (675-2000 words). No need to query, but please send submissions to submitprose@segullah.org, subject line of email should say “He Says.”
Please follow these instructions:
- See style guidelines for instructions on formatting your submission.
- Send your submission in the body of the email, not as an attachment.
- In the email body include your full name, street address, email address, phone number, and your essay’s word count.
- In the email subject line type the name of the issue you’re submitting for, followed by your first and last name. For example: Consecration, Jane Doe.
- Send your submission to submitprose [at] segullah [dot] org. You will receive an automated email response confirming our receipt of your submission.
- Other correspondence for the prose editor may be sent to prose [at] segullah [dot] org.
Submissions accepted for publication will be subject to a revision process. By submitting work to Segullah, contributors implicitly accept the terms of our copyright policy. Submissions not accepted for publication in the journal will be considered for use on blog Segullah. Submissions will not appear on blog Segullah without the author's permission.
These are our upcoming issue themes:
Faces (2-3 pages/ 1350-2000 words). We are interested in hearing what women have to say in an interview format, especially if the interview relates to or the woman is especially qualified to speak to the featured issue topic. Well-known women are excellent candidates for an interview, but we also encourage interviews with any interesting woman. If you know of someone who would be a great interview subject, please query the Features Editor at segullah DOT features AT gmail DOT com
Historical Essay (2-4 pages/ 1350-2850 words). Short historical articles on topics of interest to LDS women are welcomed, especially if they are related to the featured issue topic. References should be used, though overuse is discouraged. Historical articles should be appropriately formal in tone and style. Please use Chicago Manual footnote style in references. Query the Features Editor at segullah DOT features AT gmail DOT com
Theological/doctrinal Essay (2-4 pages/ 1350-2850 words). We are interested in publishing theological or doctrinal expositions if they are related to the featured topic. This type of essay should provide meaningful and unique insights into a particular topic or scripture, possibly connected with personal experiences. While a theological essay should be in line with official LDS doctrine, it should not be a simplistic restatement of that doctrine (ie, a “cut-and-paste” research paper of scriptural and general authority references on a given topic). This type of essay may be more formal in tone than a personal essay, but it does not have to be. Any references should be cited with Chicago Manual footnote style. Query the Features Editor at segullah DOT features AT gmail DOT com
Heather Campbell Personal Essay Contest
We welcome unpublished personal essays as entries for our 2009 contest. Entries may address any subject in harmony with our mission statement. Entries should not exceed 2900 words. Members of the staff and their families are ineligible to enter. Entrants must be female members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and citizens or legal residents of the United States of America. No essay may be submitted simultaneously to the Heather Campbell Personal Essay contest and to any other contest or publication. Segullah has the right of first refusal to publish all entries.
Entries will be judged by the editors and by representatives from the editorial and advisory boards. The winning author will receive the Heather Campbell Award for Excellence in Writing ($100). We will publish the winning essay and any receiving honorable mentions in one of our 2010 issues. The authors of these pieces will each receive a complimentary printed copy of the issue containing their work. The judges reserve the right to withhold any award if no entry merits the ratings established.
Personal essays are first-person accounts of life experiences. Please read some of the personal essays published in Segullah to understand what we are looking for. Our Essay Helps section may also be useful for you. The Heather B. Campbell essay contest is not open to writing from other genres, including fiction, doctrinal essays or historical analysis, even though some pieces representing these genres may be appropriate for general submission to Segullah.
Please follow these instructions:
- See style guidelines for instructions on formatting your submission.
- Send your submission in the body of the email, not as an attachment.
- In the email body include your full name, street address, email address, phone number, and your essay’s word count.
- In the email subject line type “Contest,” followed by your first and last name. For example: Contest, Jane Doe.
- Send your entry to hcampbell_essay [at] segullah [dot] org. You will receive an automated email response confirming our receipt of your submission.
- Other correspondence regarding the Heather Campbell Essay Contest may be sent to prose [at] segullah [dot] org
Deadline: December 31, 2009
By submitting work to Segullah, contributors implicitly accept the terms of our copyright policy.
Contest results will be announced in our Spring 2010 issue. Authors of the honored essays will be notified in advance.
We gratefully acknowledge Beverly B. Campbell for sponsoring this contest in honor of her daughter Heather. You may learn more about Heather Campbell on this page.