Call for Papers
Submit to Telos
Telos is an undergraduate journal of Mormon studies. We are reading now for our inaugural issue, and we want your best thinking.
Who can submit
Telos exists for undergraduate writers, and undergraduate work is our priority. You do not need to be a religious studies major, attend a particular school, or have published before — you need a serious idea and the willingness to revise it. Recent graduates and thoughtful writers outside the academy are also welcome; we simply lead with student work.
What we're looking for
Work that takes the tradition seriously and treats the reader as intelligent. We publish across LDS doctrine, history, philosophy, scripture, literature, and culture. For Issue One we are especially eager for pieces that engage the theme above, but a strong piece on another subject in Latter-day Saint studies will still be read.
- Essay Argument-driven prose for a thoughtful general reader. 1,500–4,000 words.
- Research Article Original scholarship with full citations. 3,000–8,000 words.
- Response A focused reply to a published essay, book, or idea. 800–2,500 words.
- Translation A translation of a primary source, with a short introduction and notes.
- Review A critical review of a recent book, exhibit, or work in LDS studies. 800–2,000 words.
Formatting
- Submit as a .docx, .pdf, or Google Doc link.
- Double-spaced, 12pt, with your name and category in the document.
- Use a recognized citation style consistently (Chicago notes-and-bibliography is our house default, but consistency matters more than the system).
- Include a 100–200 word abstract for research articles and longer essays.
- Original work only; simultaneous submissions are fine if you tell us.
How to submit
Email your piece to submissions@telos.restorationcommons.org with the subject line “Issue One — [your title]”. In the body, include:
- Your name, school or affiliation, and year (e.g. junior, BYU).
- The category you're submitting under.
- A sentence or two on what the piece argues.
We read everything and reply to every submission. Accepted pieces go through a round or two of editing with one of our editors before publication.
Rights
Authors keep copyright in their work. Published pieces are released under a Creative Commons BY 4.0 license, so anyone can share them with attribution.
Have something shorter or more informal? Consider The Forum — our home for brief reflections and responses between issues.