Writers Guidelines
The American Scholar is a quarterly magazine of essays, fiction, poetry, and articles covering public affairs, literature, science, history, and culture. Published since 1932 for the general reader by the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the Scholar considers nonfiction by known and unknown writers, but unsolicited fiction, poetry, and book reviews are not accepted. The magazine accepts fewer than two percent of all unsolicited manuscripts.
Submissions will be carefully reviewed, but responses may take several months. We pay up to $500 for accepted pieces and up to $250 for pieces taken only for our website, theamericanscholar.org.
We ask that nonfiction submissions be no longer than 6,000 words. We also ask that submissions be made through Submittable, our online submissions manager system. Paper or emailed submissions will no longer be considered. Please click on the links below to submit online. Submittable will allow you to upload your piece, and log in to check on its status at any time. Please send only ONE submission at a time.
Cover letters should provide contact information and state the genre and title of the submission. Feel free to provide any other information you would like the editors to know about your work.
The best way to know what kinds of pieces we are likely to accept is to read the magazine. The magazine's home page can be found here.
The American Scholar Editorial Assistant Description- Autumn 2025
The American Scholar is the lively yet venerable quarterly magazine of current affairs, literature, history, the sciences, and the arts published by the Phi Beta Kappa Society since 1932. The Scholar has won or been nominated for several National Magazine Awards, and work that we publish has been anthologized in Best American Essays, The Pushcart Prize, and other publications.
The Autumn Intern will officially have the title of Editorial Assistant. The Intern need not reside in the Washington, D.C., area—we are a staff that works largely remotely.
Responsibilities:
- Fact-check articles, working closely with supervising editors and authors, that will appear in our Winter 2026 issue
- Help draft and post content to our social media accounts, and help online staff think creatively about developing new types of narrative-driven content on social media
- Help post articles to our website
- Potentially work on larger projects related to either print or online
The intern will have the chance to experience one complete production cycle of the magazine and will have the opportunity to see how an issue comes together from conception to completion.
Hours and Compensation:
The position will be paid a stipend of $4,200 total for 12 weeks of work. Required internship hours are 21 per week (to be decided between intern and supervisor), 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EST. The preferred start date is October 1, 2025, but it is flexible.
Application:
Please upload a resume, cover letter, and writing sample.