Issues For Authors Subscribe About the Journal
Please read the guidelines below before submitting your article or translation. Please note that submissions not conforming to these guidelines may be returned. Once you have read the guidelines below, please submit your article or translation to our editor, Kate Bresee, at kate [at] sacreddrama.org.
Only submissions of sufficient quality that meet the aims and scope of the Sacred Drama Journal will be reviewed. There are no fees to submit or publish in this journal.
By submitting an article or translation to the Sacred Drama Journal, you certify that you are submitting your original work, you have the rights to the work, and you have obtained and can supply all necessary permissions for the reproduction of any copyright works not owned by you. In addition, you certify that you are submitting the work for first publication in the Sacred Drama Journal and that it is not being considered for publication elsewhere nor has it already been published elsewhere.
If you have any questions about publishing with us, please email our editor, Kate Bresee, at kate [at] sacreddrama.org.
1. What do we publish?
1.1 Submission Types
All submissions should be pieces of scholarship that enhance knowledge regarding the history of sacred drama, broadly construed. Submissions may fall under either of the following categories: (1) Translations of sacred dramatic texts, such as oratorio libretti, sacred dramatic poetry, etc.; (2) Scholarly articles concerning the performance of sacred drama, cross-cultural, religious, and/or interdisciplinary perspectives on sacred dramatic themes, and the historical and musical context for the creation, performance, and dissemination of sacred dramatic works.
All scholarly articles should be written in English. Foreign-language translations will be considered for publication so long as an English translation is also provided.
1.2 Length of submissions
There are no length restrictions for translations. A typical article will not exceed 3,000 words, but longer articles will be considered. Authors should include a word count with their submission.
2. Publishing Policies
2.1 Peer Review Policy
All submissions will be sent out by the editor for anonymous editorial review. To preserve anonymity in the review process, the body of the submission should be free of any indication of the author’s identity or institutional affiliation. The author’s name and institutional affiliation should appear only on the cover page.
2.2 Plagiarism
The Sacred Drama Journal condemns copyright infringement, plagiarism, or other breaches of best practice in publication. Claims of plagiarism or misuse of published materials will be investigated by the Sacred Drama Journal’s editorial staff. Submissions may be checked with duplication-checking software.
2.3 Prior Publication
Articles and translations that have been previously published will not be accepted for publication in the Sacred Drama Journal. However, there are certain, rare circumstances where previously published works can be considered for publication. For a previously published work to be considered, please send a query with an explanation of the circumstances to the editor at kate [at] sacreddrama.org prior to submission.
2.4 Open access
The Sacred Drama Journal offers open access for all translations of sacred dramatic texts. All other work published in the Sacred Drama Journal is available through subscription access only.
3. Preparing your article or translation for submission
3.1 Formatting
The preferred format for your submission is a Word document. Where applicable, submissions should be Times New Roman font, size 12, 1-inch margins, double spaced.
3.2 Reference style
The Sacred Drama Journal adheres to Chicago Manual Style. Please review the Chicago Manual guidelines to ensure your submission conforms to this reference style.
3.3 English language editing services
Authors seeking assistance with English language editing, translation, or article formatting to fit the journal’s specifications should contact our editor, Kate Bresee, at kate [at] sacreddrama.org. Assistance will be granted on a case-by-case basis depending on availability.
4. Submitting your article or translation
Once your article or translation is completed, please email your submission to Kate Bresee atkate [at] sacreddrama.org.
4.1 Submission Deadlines
The Sacred Drama Journal is published on a biannual basis in September and February. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. However, for submissions to be considered for publication in the upcoming issue, they must be submitted 3 months prior to the first day of the month of publication. Any submissions received after this date will be held for publication until the following issue. Contributors can usually expect a decision concerning the acceptability of their submission within 6 weeks after receipt.
5. Permissions
Upon acceptance of a submission for publication, the author will be required to submit documentation ensuring that he/she has obtained any necessary permission from copyright holders for reproducing any illustrations, tables, figures, or lengthy quotations previously published elsewhere.
6. On acceptance and publication
The Sacred Drama Journal editor will keep you informed about your submission’s progress throughout the production process. Proofs will be sent by PDF to the corresponding author via email, and corrections should be made directly and submitted to the editor promptly. Authors are reminded to check their proofs carefully to confirm that all author information including names, affiliations, and contact details are correct.
7. Further information
Any correspondence, questions, or additional requests for information on the submission process should be sent to the Sacred Drama Journal editor, Kate Bresee, at kate [at] sacreddrama.org.