Submissions

Login or Register to make a submission.

Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
  • Original Work: The submission is entirely original, created by the author(s), and is not currently under review by another journal nor previously published elsewhere.
  • File Format: The submission file is uploaded as a Microsoft Word (.docx), Google Doc (link shared), or Rich Text Format (.rtf) document. For visual submissions, high-resolution .png or .jpeg files are provided.
  • Proper Referencing: All references follow Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.) with footnotes and a complete bibliography. Where available, URLs for online sources are included.
  • Formatting Standards: The text uses Times New Roman, 12-point font, double spacing, and italics rather than underlining (except for URLs). Artwork, figures, or tables are inserted at appropriate points within the text.
  • Artist Statement Included: A 1-page Artist Statement (Times New Roman, size 12, double-spaced) explaining inspiration, scholarly context, and intended impact is included within the submission.
  • Abstract Included: A 150-250 word abstract is included or will be drafted collaboratively with the editorial team prior to publication.
  • Adherence to Guidelines: The submission fully follows the topic, stylistic, and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines below.

Author Guidelines

At Epic Threads, we believe in weaving the voices of the past into the creativity of the present. This journal bridges scholarship and imagination, inviting students, writers, artists, and dreamers to engage deeply with the ancient and medieval worlds. Submitting your work means adding a unique thread to a growing tapestry of voices—one that will inspire, challenge, and expand our understanding of history.

To ensure every contribution shines and upholds both creative spirit and scholarly rigor, please review the guidelines below.

Acceptable Topics

We welcome work that explores:

  1. Ancient Greece and Rome
  2. The Ancient Near and Middle East
  3. Medieval Europe
  4. Intersections between classical antiquity and later cultures, ideas, and artistic traditions

We encourage submissions that reinterpret or reimagine historical periods while remaining grounded in research and critical thought.

Suggested Themes

There are no “forbidden” themes—your imagination is limitless. To inspire creativity, here are 15 popular themes:

  1. Power and Politics
  2. Identity and Transformation
  3. Education and Philosophy
  4. War and Peace
  5. Myth and Memory
  6. Art and Performance
  7. Heroism and Tragedy
  8. Exile and Belonging
  9. Nature and Environment
  10. Religion and Ritual
  11. Death and Afterlife
  12. Empire and Rebellion
  13. Love and Desire
  14. Gender and Society
  15. Time and Legacy

Feel free to explore beyond these ideas or propose something entirely new.

Types of Submissions

We encourage a wide range of creative and critical works, including:

  1. Historical Fiction: Short stories, dramatic scenes, imagined dialogues
  2. Poetry: Verse inspired by classical or medieval themes
  3. Visual Art: Illustration, painting, photography, digital art, or mixed media
  4. Reviews & Essays: Thoughtful reflections on modern creative works, theatre, or film
  5. Innovative Formats: Have an idea that doesn’t fit a category? We’d love to hear it!

Quality Standards

Your submission should reflect final-draft quality:

  • Grammar, punctuation, and spelling should be polished

  • Minor errors are fine; rough drafts are not

  • Formatting should be consistent and professional

Think of your submission as something you’d proudly share with a professor or professional publisher.

Scholarly Grounding

We value creativity enriched by scholarship. Submissions should follow Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.):

  • Use footnotes to reference primary texts, scholarly works, or theoretical frameworks

  • Include a Chicago-style bibliography at the end of your piece

  • Provide URLs for online sources where possible

  • Integrate research thoughtfully without overshadowing your narrative

Formatting & File Types

Please submit your work in one of these formats:

  • Word Document (.docx)

  • Google Doc (shareable link)

  • Rich Text Format (.rtf)

  • High-resolution images (.png, .jpeg) for artwork

Standard formatting for text submissions:

  • Times New Roman, size 12

  • Double-spaced text

  • Clearly labeled sections (Artist Statement, Abstract, Bibliography)

Artist Statement

Every submission must include a brief Artist Statement (max 1 page). This is your space to:

  1. Explain your inspiration
  2. Highlight connections to ancient or medieval scholarship
  3. Share your goals for the piece

This statement can appear before or after your work in the published journal.

Abstract

Submissions must also include a 150–250 word abstract summarizing your work in accessible language.

  • The abstract will be published alongside your piece

  • Editors can help draft or refine your abstract for final approval

Exclusivity & Originality

By submitting to Epic Threads, you confirm that:

  1. Your submission is original work
  2. It is not published elsewhere and not under review at another journal
  3. You hold rights to all content, including images

Our Editorial Process

We approach editing as a collaborative process:

  1. Initial Review – Assessing quality, originality, and fit with the journal

  2. Editing Collaboration – Working closely with you to refine your piece

  3. Final Approval – You review and approve all edits, abstracts, and captions before publication

Why These Guidelines Matter

Epic Threads aims to be a trusted resource for creators, educators, and students. These guidelines ensure consistency, quality, and academic integrity while honoring the individuality of every submission. Professors should feel confident recommending this journal as a model of creative excellence and scholarly depth.

Creative Pieces

Section default policy

Articles and Reviews

Section policy

Artwork

Section Policy TBD 

Copyright Notice

All content published in Epic Threads is protected under a Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). This means readers may freely share, copy, and distribute the published work in any medium or format, provided that proper attribution is given to both the author(s) and Epic Threads. The work may not be used for commercial purposes, and it must be shared unaltered and in its original form.

Author Rights

Authors retain full copyright over their contributions. By publishing in Epic Threads, authors:

  • Maintain ownership of their work and may reuse, republish, or adapt it without seeking permission from the journal.

  • May create derivative works, expanded versions, or revised editions of their submission at any time.

  • May authorize commercial uses or grant additional permissions to third parties beyond the CC BY-NC-ND license.

Authors are encouraged to acknowledge Epic Threads as the original place of publication when republishing.

Journal Rights

By submitting to Epic Threads, authors grant the journal a non-exclusive license to publish, host, and archive the work in perpetuity. The journal may distribute the work digitally or in print, include it in promotional material, and preserve it in institutional or open-access repositories, provided the work remains unaltered and credited to the author(s).

Reader & Public Rights

Readers and researchers are welcome to:

  • Freely read, download, and share published works for noncommercial purposes.

  • Redistribute works without modification and with proper attribution to the author(s) and Epic Threads.

  • Use short quotations or excerpts under applicable fair use/fair dealing provisions.

Any reproduction, modification, or commercial use beyond the CC BY-NC-ND license requires explicit permission from the author(s).

Our Commitment

Epic Threads is an open-access, author-centered journal committed to fostering scholarly and creative exchange. By clearly defining copyright terms, we protect the intellectual property of contributors while ensuring their work is freely accessible to readers worldwide.

For questions about copyright, licensing, or permissions, please contact us at epicthreadsjournal@gamil.com.

Privacy Statement

Epic Threads is committed to protecting your privacy. We collect only the information necessary to manage submissions, editorial workflow, and publication, such as your name, email address, institutional affiliation, and any files or metadata you provide. This information is used solely for journal-related purposes: communicating with authors and reviewers, processing submissions, publishing accepted works, and improving site functionality through anonymized analytics.

We do not sell or trade your personal data. Limited information may be shared with trusted service providers or indexing services strictly for technical support and to increase the visibility of your work. All data is securely stored on servers maintained by the University of Waterloo and the Open Journal Systems (OJS) platform, in compliance with relevant privacy regulations.

Our site uses cookies for essential features like login and account access, and basic anonymized usage tracking. By using the site, you consent to this minimal data collection. You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting epicthreadsjournal@gmail.com.