The Oxford American periodically opens submissions in general and themed categories. At various times, we welcomes fiction, poetry, and nonfiction submissions, as well as proposals for articles. (There is a $3 processing fee for most categories.)
Our Submissions page is updated with information about open calls and how to submit manuscripts and proposals.
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.
This year, the Oxford American’s annual Southern Music Issue and compilation will be dedicated to Memphis and its surrounding region—fertile ground that has arguably cultivated more genres than any place else in America: rock & roll, soul, Memphis rap, garage-punk, Delta blues, and many others.
We’re looking for refreshing and idiosyncratic work inspired by recognizable Memphis legends: Al Green, Three 6 Mafia, Big Star, Isaac Hayes, Elvis. But we’re also searching for stories about the region’s lesser-known trailblazers, like Beale Street regular and Memphis Jug Band collaborator Laura Dukes, or chitlin circuit saxophonist Evelyn “The Whip” Young (“They called me ‘The Whip’ because I used to blow that sax so hard it’d sound like I was whipping it,” the late B.B. King collaborator once explained). And at a time when the impact of regional scenes is often overlooked, we’re eager to learn more about the people at the heart of the city’s innovative spirit, like multi-instrumentalist and André 3000 collaborator V.C.R, or the amateur historians who maintain the Memphis Punk Archive. We’re looking for new work that investigates the films and cinematic albums that center Memphis sounds—like Shaft or Hustle & Flow, which both won Academy Awards for their music. Recognizing Memphis’s role as the unofficial capital of the Delta, we’re also seeking pieces that speak to the city’s outsize impact in the region.
What have we missed? Send us your idea.
We’re eager to consider well-crafted proposals and mature drafts of up to 5000 words. Enthusiasm, surprise, and originality are essential to an OA music piece. We are interested in publishing: personal essays, feature-length narratives, short stories, dispatches and meditations, Q&As, photo portfolios, and work that does not fit neatly into a specific genre or form. We also welcome short, liner-note-style essays of 250–500 words focusing on a specific Memphis song that ought to be featured on our vinyl accompaniment.
Please send submissions or pitches our way by August. The issue will be on newsstands in December. Compensation will depend on the length and complexity of the story; all writers will be paid. Generally, fees will range from $200 for short dispatches to $1,200 for feature-length work.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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.