Global Journal of Hip Hop Culture Submission Guidelines

 

Submissions to the Words Beats & Life Global Journal of Hip Hop Culture will be forwarded to a member of the editorial board or other reviewer for comment. Submissions are considered by specialized reviewers familiar with the topic of the work, and the field of hip-hop studies. Preference will be given to pieces that are challenging, original, as well as clearly and persuasively written. Anonymity is accorded to both authors and reviewers. Therefore, identifying information, including names of authors, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses should not be included in the manuscript.

Important Notes:

  • All submissions made to the journal are considered final drafts. In order to honor our publisher's production schedule, manuscripts accepted for publication in WBLJ must be forwarded to our production editor immediately, allowing contributors no time to make revisions. Before submitting your work, please be sure that the manuscript being uploaded is the version you wish to ultimately see in print. 

  • Manuscripts submitted to WBLJ should not be currently under review by another journal or by a book-length publication. We do not accept simultaneous submissions. Moreover, we do not accept any unsolicited material that has been previously published. 

  • TO UPLOAD MULTIPLE poems, articles, images, etc. please compress into a zip file and upload in the field titled "Work Sample (Upload)" - OR - create a folder in a cloud storage platform (Google drive, Dropbox, etc) and add the share link to the field titled "Work Sample (Link)" and make sure your folder does not have restricted permissions.

  • PLEASE DO NOT submit separate work one at a time in multiple forms.

  • Throughout the calendar year, authors who have submitted manuscripts to WBLJ may track the status of their submissions at any time by emailing the Editor-in-Chief, Tim Jones at submissions@wblinc.org

  • Authors will be contacted after the review process, which takes from two months to one year, on average.

Accepted Submission Types

  1. Manuscripts: All manuscripts must be double-spaced and submitted only as a Google document (with open permissions). Manuscripts should not exceed 8,000 words excluding the title page, abstract, biographical information, and references. All manuscripts should follow the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (8th edition) and include works cited and endnotes, not footnotes. 

    1. Scholarly research papers: 3,000 words minimum to 8,000 words maximum (includes endnotes and reference list). All submissions designated as scholarly require an abstract that should not exceed 150 words in length. The abstract should be written in a manner so as to make clear the significant findings of the article to readers from across disciplines. 

    1. Scholarly reviews: 1,000- 2,000 words (books, albums, films) 

  2. Interviews: 1,500 – 3,000 words 

  3. Poetry: Limited to no more than five poems at a time with a maximum of ten poems by an author per calendar year. You must create a separate submission for each poem. Additional poems (unless requested by the editor) will automatically be declined and/or returned.

  4. Prose: Memoirs, narratives, fiction. Limited to one manuscript per submission with 3,500 words maximum. You must create a separate submission for each prose. Maximum of three submissions by an author each calendar year. Additional fiction submissions (unless requested by the editor) will automatically be declined and returned.

  5. Artwork: 3-5 pieces should be submitted as high-resolution 600 dpi preferred, 300 dpi minimum as either .jpg or PDF file formats. Artwork must include the following information: title of the piece, year created, media, dimensions (in inches), and location of the piece.

submit work

Notes for Contributors 

Words Beats & Life: The Global Journal of Hip-Hop Culture is a peer-reviewed periodical of art and hip-hop studies published by the 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Words Beats & Life, Inc. The journal is committed to nurturing and showcasing creative talents and expertise in the field of hip-hop studies. We publish two issues per year with the intention of serving as a platform where the work of scholars and artists can appear in dialogue. Since 2002, Words Beats & Life has devoted its pages to both emerging and established intellectuals and artists. As the premier resource for hip-hop theory and practice, the scholarship we publish serves as a resource for the field of hip-hop studies and the work of hip-hop nonprofits— helping each to advance their work to the next phase of their respective growth in the United States and around the globe. 

Words Beats & Life: The Global Journal of Hip-Hop Culture (WBLJ) is a journal devoted to creative works and critical studies of hip-hop culture worldwide. Studies of life and culture in the hip-hop world are also published in WBLJ. 

Peer Reviewers:

  • Nii Kotei Nikoi: The College of Wooster

  • Maranda Ward: George Washington University

  • Melissa Castilloplanas: Lehman CUNY

  • Michael Royster: Prairie View A & M University

  • Bryce Henson: University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign

  • Chris Brown: Minnesota St. University

  • Mankato Antonio Cuyler: FSU, Tallahassee

  • Thomas Sayers Ellis: Blue Flower Arts

  • Murray Forman: Northeastern University, Boston

  • Akil Houston: Ohio University, Athens

  • Mary Sies: University of Maryland, College Park

  • Katina Stapleton: Institute of Education Sciences, WDC 

  • Nancy L. Struna: University of Maryland, College Park

  • Jeffrey McCune: Washington University, St. Louis 

  • Mindy Chateauvert: University of Maryland, College Park

  • Joseph Richardson: University of Maryland, College Park 

  • Odis Johnson: Washington University, St. Louis

  • P. Khalil Saucier: Rhode Island College, Providence

  • Rob Chester: University of Maryland, College Park

  • Tammy Henderson: University of Md, College Park 

  • Alyssa Todaro Brooks: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

  • Andre L. Smith: Howard University School of Law 

  • Alana C. Hackshaw: University of Md, College Park 

Attention Librarians: 

Words Beats & Life is available online via EBSCO Humanities International Complete database. Please contact your local EBSCO representative for further information about purchasing the journal. 

Universities Using The WBL Global Journal of Hip Hop Culture In Their Classrooms 

  1. American University 

  2. Bryant University 

  3. The George Washington University 

  4. Morgan State University 

  5. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 

  6. Penn State University 

  7. Temple University, Japan 

  8. Syracuse University 

  9. Virginia Tech 

  10. University of Maryland, College Park 

  11. The Ohio State University 

  12. Occidental College 

  13. University of Oregon 

DISCLAIMER 

Contributors to Words Beats & Life: The Global Journal of Hip-Hop Culture express their own opinions, which should not be interpreted as the official views of any organization with which they are affiliated. The views expressed in the journal do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Words Beats & Life, Inc. With exception of fair use, no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means either wholly or in part without prior written permission of Words Beats & Life, Inc. If you intend to use this publication for educational purposes, please contact us. [Manuscripts, artwork, and photographs can be accepted only with the understanding that neither the organization nor its agents accept liability for loss or damage.

Contact the Journal Team:

For detailed information, terms and conditions, quotations, and international inquiries, please e-mail the Editor-in-chief, Tim Jones at submissions@wblinc.org or call our office at (202) 667-1192 

 
Return To Submission Page