The Esoteric Quarterly solicits high-quality
articles on esoteric philosophy and its applications to individual or group
service and the expansion of human consciousness. Topics may relate to
either the eastern or western esoteric tradition. Examples of the
eastern tradition are the works of Alice Bailey, Helena Roerich,
Sri Aurobindo,
the Dalai Lama,
and Geoffrey Hodson. Representative of the western tradition
would be works on Hermeticism, Kabbalah and Rosicrucianism. Topics that integrate different traditions are
particularly encouraged.
Some issues of the Quarterly may be devoted
to particular themes. Although we welcome articles on any relevant
topic, we particularly encourage authors to explore the following themes:
Esoteric
Christianity
Science of Invocation & Evocation
Spiritual Significance of Sound and Color
"Sealing the Door Where Evil Dwells"
Sufism
Cultivating Detachment & Compassion
Esoteric Healing
Discipleship training
The Contributions of Rudolf Steiner
Service
The Esoteric Quarterly is a peer-review
journal. All submitted articles are refereed, and final decisions
on publication are made by the
Editorial Board. Articles of
obvious merit and suitability will be accepted
for publication in the Quarterly. Articles that show promise
but which need further work will be returned to authors with recommendations
for rework and resubmittal.
The Quarterly is a journal of original
publication. All submitted articles must be
accompanied by a declaration that the author holds copyright to the work,
including graphics, and
that
the article has neither been published elsewhere nor is currently being
considered for publication by another journal. Articles should be
written in
English.
Full-length articles and
short notes are solicited, and either single- or multiple-authored articles
can be accepted. Full-length articles should be no
longer than 8,000 words, including accompanying endnotes (footnotes are not
permitted). All references should be formatted as endnotes and
should contain the referenced author's name, the title of the article (if
appropriate), name of the journal or book, date of publication, and
applicable page numbers. Monochrome or color graphics--line diagrams,
charts, photographs, etc.--may be included, but the maximum permissible
length may be reduced to compensate for the space occupied. All
graphics must be accompanied by an explanatory caption and must be referred
to in the text. Graphics must be in final, camera-ready form; no
drafting services are available from the Quarterly.
Full-length articles
must be accompanied by an abstract of no more than 150 words. The
abstract should clearly identify the topic of study and the article's
objectives and summarize major conclusions. Articles should be divided
into sections. The first section should provide a general introduction to the
topic and essential background material. The last should identify what
has been learned, the relevance to larger issues, and possible
recommendations for further work.
Students in esoteric
schools and other educational programs are invited to submit short notes on the
order of 1,200 words. The purpose is to encourage students to write
with a view to publication, to share insights into esoteric topics, and
perhaps to launch the students on a career of professional authorship.
Short notes will not be held to the same standards as full-length article;
however, submissions should be well-organized, well-written, and appealing
to a broad readership. Rough
drafts will not be considered. Papers that fulfilled curriculum
assignments may serve as a convenient starting-point. But some
amplification may be needed, and students are reminded that our readers are
not privy to the classroom context in which such papers may have been
written. Short notes need not be subdivided, and
no abstract is required.
Economy of length is
strongly encouraged in both full-length articles and short notes, The shorter the article the faster will be the review
process, and the sooner the article can be published. Concise,
succinct discussion is of the essence. Long-winded or discursive
articles are likely to be rejected outright or returned to the authors for
rework. All submitted articles must be of publication quality; rough
drafts are not acceptable. Further tips for authors on writing good
articles are provided below.
All articles must be
submitted in electronic form, in either
Microsoft Word or plain text format. Tables or charts compatible
with a Microsoft Word format can be embedded in the text. All other graphics should be submitted
in separate files, using a GIF or JPG format.
Articles should be submitted as
e-mail attachments to the Editor
at editor@esotericstudies.net.
Final editing and formatting, including the sizing and placement of
graphics, will be
at the discretion of the Editor. Windows-compatible files of special fonts must be
provided at the time an article is submitted.
Failure to comply with
these Guidelines is likely to delay the review process and may result in rejection
of an article for publication. Questions related to the Guidelines
may be addressed to the Editor.
Writing Good
Articles:
Tips for Authors
The Esoteric Quarterly is a peer-review journal offering high-quality
articles to an informed, thoughtful audience—an audience that values not only
intellect but also wisdom, inspiration, beauty, sensitivity, and all that
enhances human consciousness. Some of our readers have been "on the path" for
many years, while others may have just started. We want to serve people at all
stages in their studies. In order to do this we need good articles relevant to
our mission.
Topic and Presentation
A good article combines two essential ingredients. One is a topic or idea of
potential interest to readers. The other is careful crafting to make the article
intelligible, informative, and a pleasure to read. The standards we set for
publication try to blend these two requirements.
Naturally we value articles that are on the cutting edge of their fields. But
we also want to attract articles covering basic concepts, so long as they are
insightful and educational in nature. The Quarterly encourages "young"
authors to try their hand. Every author was once "young," and even the best
started at the bottom and worked their way up. You don’t have to be Aristotle or
Immanuel Kant—yet—to get an article accepted. Short papers may be more
appropriate than full-length articles, for newer authors, because the standards
for acceptance can be more flexible.
Finding an interesting topic is an intuitive, creative process, although it
will be guided by the literature. A good idea will be of less value if other
authors have had the same idea, and it has already been discussed
exhaustively—unless you have a novel slant on the topic. If the idea contradicts
a large body of literature, the author would be expected to offer persuasive
arguments why his or her views are superior to those already expressed. A
brand-new idea has intrinsic merit, but it must have plausibility and appeal; it
must be a good idea. Even if an idea is new, it should still be given context by
relating it to existing knowledge. Even Albert Einstein built upon the work of
other scientists and mathematicians.
The second step is to present the topic effectively: to "sell" the author’s
idea to your audience. A well-written article is a pleasure to read. More
importantly, the readers—and, before the article ever gets published, the reviewers—are able to follow the author’s train of thought and
carefully consider his or her conclusions. A poorly written article turns
readers—and reviewers—off, and they may not care what the author was trying to
say.
To employ Theosophical terminology, a good article is a combination of buddhi
and manas. Buddhi (wisdom, intuition, insight) is the source of good
ideas. Manas (mind, intellect, precision, clarity) is needed to turn
those ideas into high-quality articles. Without buddhi an article will be
lifeless and sterile; without manas it will be unclear in its objectives,
illogical, hard to read, and a mess.
Structure
The article should start by identifying its objective and scope—what it will
try to accomplish. The title does this very, very briefly; but more is needed. The best way to do this is to write a short summary or abstract, even though a
journal may not require it for the particular type of article. Writing the
summary forces an author to give form to his or her ideas.
The body of the article, which can range in length from a half-page to many
pages, should present the author’s ideas in the context of existing knowledge. Anything
much longer than a page should be divided into sections, each with a
heading. Structuring an article in this way forces the author to step back and
ask: "What am I trying to say—and does it come across?" It also
helps the reader to digest the material.
Ideas must be presented in a logical sequence, so readers can follow what the
author is trying to say. "Transitions" are necessary to take the reader from one
idea to another, to help the reader "change gears." Otherwise the reader will
think: "What does that have to do with what the author just said?" Communicate
to the reader that you have finished discussing Topic A and are now starting on
Topic B. Or, even better, tell the reader why Topic B flows from Topic A. If
there is no connection, why are they both discussed in the same article?
The final paragraph or paragraphs should review what has been accomplished,
in relation to what the summary said it would do. Without a concluding section
of this nature an article is likely to tail off into nothingness. To end an
article with a direct quote is always dangerous: why expect someone else supply
the punchline? What have you contributed?
Context
The credibility—particularly a full-length article—is greatly enhanced by
citing references to previous work in the field. In fact some journals demand
the inclusion of references. This is particularly important in full-length
articles which are expected to explore their topics in depth. Citing references
demonstrates that the author is aware of existing work and has done his or her
"homework." How many references to cite is a matter of judgment. Established
authors usually include more because they are aware of the contributions of many
individuals to their fields. Newcomers are likely to include fewer. But not
citing any references may convey the impression that the author has not read the
literature or is indifferent to what others may have said.
Writing Style
There are many different writing styles, all acceptable and pleasing to read. Some authors prefer a matter-of-fact, "procedure-manual," style, while others
use a style more reminiscent of "great literature." But the Esoteric
Quarterly’s mission is not to publish avant-garde poetry. A "stream of
consciousness" style may be fashionable in some creative-writing circles, but it
is inappropriate in this journal.
Preparation of Manuscripts
Whether an article is accepted for publication depends heavily on the care
taken in preparing the manuscript. A few lone individuals in the world can write
the perfect article in one pass. The vast, vast majority go through multiple
drafts, OFTEN MORE THAN A HUNDRED, before they feel that the article is in good
enough shape to submit to a journal. The good idea you have may come in a flash;
writing the article to express it can take months of work. When you feel that
you have done all you can, put the article aside for a week or two. When you
come back to it you will probably find ways to improve it.
Don’t expect the reviewers or Editorial Board—who are very busy people,
experts who volunteer their time as a service—to do the editing and
proof-reading work that is your responsibility. Submitting a rough draft will
only make them angry, and angry reviewers are unlikely to recommend acceptance.
The article you submit should be the very best you can do. Nobody would want
the Editorial Board to jump to the wrong conclusion about your potential as
an author.
Editorial Board
Joann S. Bakula
(United States)
Donna Brown (United
States)
René Fugere (Canada)
Gail G. Jolley (United States)
Barbara Maré (New Zealand)
Dorothy I. Riddle (Canada)
Robert J. Waggener (United States)
Editor-in-Chief: John F. Nash
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