Circulation: 40,000
Frequency: Quarterly
Special issues: None

Background: In 1932, under the influence of Ralph Waldo Emerson's speech "The American Scholar," (in which he argued that in order to be a truly educated person, one must go into the world and contribute rather than seclude oneself in books) the members of the academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa decided to publish a quarterly journal of ideas. The magazine has chugged along since then, rolling out four issues a year with essays that are cross-disciplinary, thoughtful, and accessible to a lay audience. In the '50s and '60s, the magazine was a forum for world leaders to discuss international events; at other times, it has had a literary focus, or emphasized the personal essay. Today, The American Scholar retains the seriousness and rigor it has always had while encompassing a broader range of approaches, ideas, and subject matter.

Historically, readers tend to be well educated and over 50, though this may be changing, according to managing editor Jean Stipicevic. The Winter 2006 issue is the fourth to be published under new editor Robert Wilson, and his larger goal is for The American Scholar to be a "public display of learning in action"—to bring the magazine back to its roots as a forum for people to speak to a large audience on hefty issues. Wilson feels the magazine's primary responsibility is not to art or culture, but to its readers, and the pieces he looks for are rooted in research or say something new and startling that will entice and interest readers. The American Scholar is the biggest of the "small quarterlies," and is rare in that it does not publish fiction.

What to pitch: Really good writing. Though everything in The American Scholar is written by freelancers, many are known scholars or have published in the magazine before, so it can be tricky to break in. But great writing stands out, and the cover letter tells all—Stipicevic says she can usually tell from the quality of writing in the letter whether the resulting piece will meet the magazine's standards. Articles are 3,000-5,000-word essays and geared to an educated, non-specialist readership. Subject matter ranges from the stoutly non-topical (they recently accepted a piece on Esperanto) to examinations of current events, explored in a longer, more reflective way than other publications allow. The lead piece in the Winter 2006 issues was "A Brief History of Anti-Semitism" by Princeton professor Bernard Lewis. Stipicevic notes that she receives twice as many queries from men as women, and that the magazine is sincerely interested in publishing more women.

Another change initiated by Wilson is a new arts section considering ideas in art. An essay by Andy Grunberg about the Abu Ghraib pictures as photographs and journalism is a good example of the kind of ideas that are appropriate for this section.

Writers new to the magazine may aim a successful pitch at the books section. Reviews are 1,000 to 1,500 words and cover major books—in history, science, and other academic disciplines—that have been published in the few months preceding the issue's publication. The reviews section, says literary editor Rich Nicholls(CALL JEAN IS HE STILL LITERARY EDITOR??), is starting to include more mainstream books as well as shorter, 500-word reviews.

The American Scholar now has an active Web site. However, this does not mean its management is overly casual. Stipicevic keeps detailed logs of each submission and is able to easily reference the date of submission, acceptance, and publication for every article.

What not to pitch: Fiction and anything (aside from book reviews) outside the 3,000 to 5,000-word range. The magazine is also moving away from memoir-type pieces. As always, a thorough read of The American Scholar should tell you if your idea is compatible.

Recent freelance stories pitched and published: "Scooter and Me," an essay about Scooter Libby and the value of liberalism; A cell biologist's stab at a "Theory of Everyting," and the forthcoming memoir of a novelist who lost his memory to a stroke, written as he was recovering his mental processes.

The American Scholar receives about 500 queries and manuscripts a year and Stipicevic passes about 100 up to Wilson. Ultimately, about 10 are published in the magazine.

Etiquette: Send queries via email. Stipicevic reads these and responds within a week to acknowledge receipt. (Most people send the entire manuscript—when she receives query letters, she usually tells people to just send the whole piece.) It's not necessary to send clips with a query as manuscripts are judged on their own merit. She then passes those she likes up to Wilson; an answer from him usually takes two months. After receipt of your manuscript has been acknowledge, you will hear from the editors again, Stipicevic emphasizes.

Book review queries may go directly to book review editor Sandra Beasley. She requires the query letter to explain why the writer is the best person to review this book.

Lead time: None. Pieces may be accepted and then appear in the next issue, or in one a year or two later.
Pay rate: Flat fee: $500 an article, $250 for long book reviews, and $100 for short reviews.
Payment schedule: Pay on acceptance.
Kill fee: None. Pieces are not killed, they are just put on hold.
Rights purchased: The American Scholar buys first rights only. The magazine has an agreement with some companies that provide articles for subscribers—if writers don't strike this paragraph from their contract, their article may be culled for these services. Writers are not compensated for this.

Contact info:
The American Scholar
606 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-265-3808
202-986-1601 fax
Email submissions
www.theamericanscholar.org

Robert Wilson, editor
Jean Stipicevic, managing editor
?????Sandra Beasley, books editor

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Though we've updated this article recently, the speed at which things move in media means things may have already changed since then. If you notice any outdated info, email us, and we'll fix it a.s.a.p.]