The Oxford American print magazine periodically opens submissions in general and themed categories. At various times, we welcome fiction, poetry, and nonfiction submissions, as well as proposals for articles. (There is a $3 processing fee for most categories.)
Calls for OxfordAmerican.org submissions are listed below and additional information about web-first publications can be found on our website.
The Oxford American can be purchased at bookstores, newsstands, and our website. Single-copy issues and back issues may be purchased here. New editions typically appear in March, June, and September, with our annual Southern Music Issue releasing in December.
The Oxford American does not accept submissions on paper and cannot return manuscripts sent to the office.
Eyes on the South is the Oxford American's online series highlighting photography and visual art. You can find examples of Eyes on the South here.
This series pays an honorarium of $100 per project.
You are welcome to submit here on Submittable (which will include a Submittable fee), but we encourage you to submit for free at this link. There is no fee associated with submitting at this link.
The Oxford American offers a comprehensive editorial internship program. We have full-time and part-time positions available and offer a stipend of $2,500 per term. Internships begin in January, June, and September, though the program provides some flexibility for starting dates, and the opportunity for interested interns to extend their terms. For the near future, internships will be remote.
We accept applications for all terms year-round but please note the following deadlines:
- April 15 for internships starting in June
- August 21 for internships starting in September
- November 15 for internships starting in January
Interns are a vital part of the Oxford American’s print and digital production teams. The duties of an intern include evaluating manuscript submissions, participating in the planning of issues, fact-checking and proofreading stories, drafting posts for social media, and creating and maintaining digital content for the website. Interns are encouraged to participate in our off-site concerts and readings, generate article ideas, and to write for oxfordamerican.org.
Applications should include a detailed cover letter, résumé, and one writing sample of up to 5 pages in length. Your sample could be one long piece or a collection of short pieces. (Samples can include critical and/or creative work, though a substantial portion should be prose.)
Please specify the term for which you are applying.
The Oxford American is launching a digital imprint designed around our mission “to explore the complexity and vitality of the American South,” which complements the print magazine. The OA has long documented the outsize impact of the South: a global exporter of food, music, and culture—and home to the most exciting cultural shifts in the country.
Our imperative is to meet readers where they are and offer thoughtful coverage of our region that “cuts through the noise” of traditional news media by centering real people and writers working from within their communities.
The first series we’re seeking pitches for is Dispatches. Dispatches identify and draw attention to the space where “policy meets people,” centering human impact and celebrating counter-narrative. At 500 to 2,000 words, this series offers the flexibility to respond to current events as they happen with adequate speed and requisite attention. The OA seeks stories of the American South that are neglected by national news media.
We’re looking for reported, journalistic pieces that respond to what is happening right now in the communities you’re based in or connected to, with a hyper-focus on extraordinary stories that are specific to locales.
This series pays a flat fee of $300 per article.
How to Pitch:
You are welcome to submit here on Submittable (which will include a Submittable fee), but we encourage you to directly email Digital Editor, Benjamin Stallings at bstallings@oxfordamerican.org with the subject line, “Dispatch Pitch.” There is no fee associated with an email pitch. In the Submittable form's "Pitch" section or in the body of the email, include:
- A clear and concise explanation of the story
- A plan to make your story a great read (is there an interesting figure at the center? A narrative arc to the story?)
- A headline (even if we don’t end up using it, it can help us understand the essence of the story you’re trying to tell)
- A very short argument for why this story is interesting, unique and needs to exist
- A note on why you should be the person to write it
- A plan to make it happen