Submission Guidelines
Whether you’re interested in writing for Michigan History or Chronicle all submissions must follow the procedures below to be considered by the HSM Publications Editorial Committee. For instructions on submitting to The Michigan Historical Review, see here.
Step One - Send us an Email Query
Email a query letter detailing your article idea to editor@hsmichigan.org with the subject line “HSM Publications Article Query.”
This rule applies to all sections of Chronicle and Michigan History. We do not repeat topics and/or subject matter. Submitting an emailed query will prevent your writing an article that has already been covered and is therefore will be ineligible for consideration.
After emailing your query, it will be internally reviewed by the HSM Publications Editorial Committee. Please allow 4-6 weeks from the time of sending for the committee to review and respond to your submission.
Step Two - Submit Your Manuscript
If your article idea is approved by the HSM Publications Editorial Committee, you will be asked to email a manuscript for review along with your sources. All manuscripts MUST be accompanied by a list of multiple primary and secondary sources to be considered.
As of March 1, 2022, authors must submit their sources as footnotes or endnotes. Although these will not be published in the final version, they are required for fact-checking purposes.
Please note that a request for a manuscript is not a promise that your article will be accepted for publication. Once submitted, your manuscript will be reviewed by the Editorial Committee and potentially sent to a subject-matter expert. This process can take 8-12 weeks.
General Guidelines
We do not accept fictional stories, opinion pieces, articles that use conjecture, or stories containing supernatural content.
We will only consider subject matter that takes place in 1987 or earlier. We will not publish articles on topics that have taken place within the last 35 years.
The majority of an article must contain Michigan content.
Manuscripts submitted for consideration must include footnotes or endnotes.
All work must be original, and the author(s) must own the copyright.
The Editorial Committee slates issues at least six months prior to their publication dates. If you have an article that you believe would fit a certain issue, you should start the query process at least 10 months before the cover date.
Individuals can submit up to five manuscripts per year for consideration by the committee; HSM Publications will accept up to four manuscripts per author per year.
Copyright and Permissions
As the author(s), you retain the copyright for your article. You are, however, required to sign a permission form stating HSM Publications’ right to publish the article exclusively from the date of signing the permission form up to the date of publication and for one year after publication and nonexclusively thereafter. The permission form is sent once an article has been slated to appear in a particular issue. HSM staff must have the signed form in hand before the publication process can begin.