Commonweal Magazine
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Letters to the Editor
Letters may be submitted to the editors at [email protected]. They should be brief, and should include your full name and mailing address. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.
Reprint Permissions
If you wish permission to republish an article that has appeared in Commonweal, or to reprint multiple copies of an article, please send an email to [email protected] with the following information:
- The title, author, and date of the original article
- Where the article will be reprinted, or the number of copies you intend to reproduce
- Your name, postal address, telephone and email address
Back Copies
To purchase a back copy of Commonweal, or to receive a photocopy of an individual article from a past issue, please send an email to [email protected] with the following information:
- The date of the back copy you want, or the title, author, and date of the original article
- Your name, institution (if any), and email address
We will reply to your request with pricing and payment information for the back copy or article you are looking for.
Manuscript Submission
Commonweal no longer accepts unsolicited submissions by email, with the exception of poetry (see below). We encourage you to send us your manuscript via Submittable. You will receive a confirmation that your manuscript has been received and will be able to check the status of your submission.
Your name and email address should appear at the top of your submission. Payment for articles is made on publication, and Commonweal customarily retains the copyright on all published articles.
Due to the high volume of submissions, we will not be able to provide feedback on submissions we do not accept.
Commonweal welcomes original manuscripts dealing with topical issues of the day on public affairs, religion, literature, and the arts. Articles fall into three categories, and should be submitted for the category they match:
- Short Takes, running from 1,000 to 2,000 words, are brief and reportorial, giving facts, information, and some interpretation behind the headlines.
- Features, running from 2,500 to 5,000 words, bring new information or a different point of view to a subject, raising questions, and/or proposing solutions to the dilemmas facing the world, nation, or Church.
- Last Word columns, running from 750 to 1,500 words, are more personal reflections on some aspect of the human condition: spiritual, individual, political, or social. We do not accept “Last Word” submissions exceeding 1,500 words.
Commonweal does not accept unsolicited book or film reviews.
Articles should be written for the educated general reader. While we welcome submissions about any aspect of the Catholic Church and its intellectual tradition, we are not a devotional magazine; nor is our primary focus the inner workings of Catholic institutions (including the Holy See).
The best way to get a sense of what we’re looking for is to read what we’ve recently published. Commonweal articles tend to be argumentative but not vituperative. We look for submissions that advance the discussion of important issues rather than repackaging conventional wisdom or dressing intellectual fads up in Catholic jargon. Commonweal does not use artificial intelligence in any part of its editorial process, and we do not accept submissions that have been prepared with the use of AI.
Please submit your article as a Word document.
Poetry:
Commonweal is not currently considering new poetry submissions. We are still reviewing all the poems that have been already submitted; if you have not heard from our editors, your poem is still under consideration.
Please note:
- Please allow 8 to 10 weeks for a response to a manuscript, though occasionally response times may be longer, including over the Christmas/New Year holiday.
- Payment for articles is made on publication, and Commonweal customarily retains the copyright on all published articles.
- Due to the high volume of submissions, we will not be able to provide feedback on pieces we do not accept.
- Please only submit one article at a time.
- If the article is time-sensitive, you can send a pitch to [email protected].