Mission
Lexington & Jefferson is a literary journal devoted to the greater Spring Green area most immediately—as well as to the Sauk, Iowa and Richland counties of Wisconsin and to the Driftless Area most expansively. Our ambition is to immortalize the poetry and prose of local writers, new and old.
Started as an ongoing regular newspaper literary section in Valley Sentinel—an award-winning news publication in Spring Green—printing residents’ creative writing, the intent was always to move into a physical, standalone, annual literary journal. A wealth of literary submissions from residents made it clear that starting a literary journal was not only possible, but a duty to the community.
The Driftless Area springs from a land of ridges and valleys that ice-age glaciers didn’t dare flatten. In our home Spring Green area of the Lower Wisconsin River Valley stands Taliesin, American Players Theatre, the House on the Rock and more—monuments to this area’s creative cultural past and future potential. Ancient and modern. Simple and grand. Weird and eclectic. Lexington & Jefferson—standing as the literal and pivotal intersection of our greater community.
Journal submissions are open through October 2024 until we receive enough journal-quality submissions. We accept poetry, prose and photographic accompaniment. Slated release is December 2024 2025. Public readings to be held at locations in the greater Spring Green area (TBA, Winter/Spring 2025 2024-25).
Timeline is subject to accepted submissions. Any timeline changes will be posted here.
Lexington & Jefferson eagerly welcomes submissions of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and hybrid text genres from writers with some connection–any connection–to the greater Spring Green area of Wisconsin, USA.
The submission window for our inaugural issue #1 will be open through October until we receive enough journal-quality submissions.
The link to our submission form can be found at the bottom of this page.
If you are unfamiliar with submitting to literary journals, or would like to familiarize yourself with our practices and philosophies, please see our ‘Tips for Submitting to Literary Journals’ below.
Author Guidelines
Lexington & Jefferson was created to support the writers of the greater Spring Green area, and as part of that mission, we welcome submissions from writers with some connection (any connection, really) to the greater Spring Green area. Submissions will be considered from writers with connections to Sauk, Iowa and Richland counties in Wisconsin, with Driftless Area submissions considered at the discretion of editors.
Spring Green area submissions or those with a local, compelling literary community interest will be given preference. As a hometown journal, we will always remain committed to the authors of our area in southwestern Wisconsin, but we look forward to expanding our literary community.
Publishing Guidelines
All accepted work will appear in the print version of the journal Lexington & Jefferson. Selected authors will receive a complimentary copy of the printed journal, robust promotion through Valley Sentinel, and inclusion in our various public reading events around the Spring Green area. By submitting, you acknowledge Lexington & Jefferson retains First North American Serial rights, electronic and print, for all accepted work. Upon publication, all rights revert to the author. We also require that any future printings of the work recognize Lexington & Jefferson as the original publisher.
Writing Guidelines
Lexington & Jefferson strives to support emerging writers and build the arts community in our region and beyond. However, quality will remain the sole factor that decides what appears in the journal. Lexington & Jefferson seeks work that demonstrates skill in construction and the ability to engage readers, regardless of genre or type. In order to maintain our focus on writing quality, all submissions will initially be read blind.
Prose
Lexington & Jefferson will consider prose pieces, including fiction, nonfiction, and everything in between—up to 4,000 words. All genres are welcome and will receive full consideration. For prose submissions, please adhere to the following guidelines:
- Use standard margins and a standard font.
- Double-space your work.
- As submissions will be read blind, please remove your name and other identifying information from the document.
- Lexington & Jefferson will consider up to TWO pieces of prose from each author per submission period. Each piece must be submitted separately.
- You may submit up to two pictures per piece as well to complement your submission. Picture(s) may or may not be published along with your piece. Submitting picture(s) will not increase or decrease chances of publishing. Pictures must be properly labeled to ensure grouping with the correct pieces.
Poetry
Lexington & Jefferson invites poetry submissions of up to 5 poems in one document. For poetry submissions, please adhere to the following guidelines:
- Use standard margins and fonts that are compatible with standard word processors. This does not preclude creative typography that uses standard margins.
- As submissions will be read blind, please remove your name and other identifying information from the document.
- Authors wishing to submit both poetry and prose may do so. Each submission must be made separately.
- You may submit up to two pictures per piece as well to complement your submission. Picture(s) may or may not be published along with your piece. Submitting picture(s) will not increase or decrease chances of publishing.
Pictures must be properly labeled to ensure grouping with the correct pieces.
Technical Requirements
Lexington & Jefferson accepts simultaneous submissions (to other publications), but PLEASE notify us via email at editor@valleysentinelnews.com if it is accepted elsewhere. Only submit original work that has not previously been published in any print or electronic form, including personal websites and blogs. Exceptions may be made for pieces that have previously appeared in Valley Sentinel, or upon request with compelling reason. Exception requests need to be made by email to editor@valleysentinelnews.com at the same time as submissions are made.
We are able to accommodate .DOC, .DOCX, .RTF, and .PDF file formats.
We request that authors provide a traditional, third-person author bio. This will also accompany work selected for publication. Included in the bio, please articulate your connection to the greater Spring Green area, Sauk, Iowa, or Richland counties in Wisconsin, or the Driftless Area.
The selection team will wait until submissions close before making their final decisions. Submitters can expect to hear back sometime in October following the submission period.
Submission Fees
Due to generous grants, submission fees have been waived for our first edition.
In order to support the continued existence of the journal, future issues will have a small submission fee unless otherwise supported.
The literary journal accepts donations specifically to support future editions of the journal. Donations can be submitted via PayPal, by check to Valley Sentinel, PO Box 144, Spring Green, WI 53588, or by other arrangement.
The survival of our journal normally would require us to charge a small submission fee. This money funds our website, the future use of services such as Submittable, printing and mailing costs, and other fees associated with publishing the journal. Any money raised beyond our operating costs will be saved specifically for future journals or used in conjunction with community literary groups to benefit local writers in various ways, including craft talks, writers retreats, workshops, readings, and other high-impact educational opportunities, which are usually free and open to the public.
For each future journal we will endeavor to offer a limited number of free submissions, which we are happy to share with any author who would be prevented from submitting because of any fee, including both financial and philosophical reasons. Please email editor@valleysentinelnews.com if you are interested in this option.
Inclusivity Statement
Lexington & Jefferson strives to be a community publication, and as such, hopes to represent the diverse backgrounds and experiences of all our community’s writers. Lexington & Jefferson welcomes and encourages submissions from all writers, regardless of age, race, color, religion, nationality, gender (identity and/or expression), sex, sexual orientation, education, national origin, ability/neurodiversity, arrest or conviction record, socioeconomic status or any other basis prohibited by law or any other attribute or category.
Tips for submitting to literary journals
Familiarize yourself with the journal.
Take a few minutes to peruse a publication’s website to gather information about their styles and preferences. Reading a publication’s mission statement and previously published issues (where they exist) will help you know the goals and direction of a publication, increasing the probability that you will submit work that aligns with those goals.
Don’t think you are the exception to the rules.
Take a few minutes to peruse a publication’s website to gather information about their styles and preferences. Reading a publication’s mission statement and previously published issues (where they exist) will help you know the goals and direction of a publication, increasing the probability that you will submit work that aligns with those goals.
Be professional and polite.
Prepare for your submission and bio like you would an interview. Do your research, proofread your materials, and be respectful when interacting with the journal editors. Editors are happy to work with amiable writers if a problem ever does arise.
Rejection doesn’t mean that you should never write or submit again.
Editors are rooting for you and your writing career, even if your work does not make it into the journal. Receiving a rejection letter means that you are a real writer, because you are putting in the effort to actually submit your work. Rejection letters are not meant to be a personal attack, nor do they always mean that your writing is inadequate. It could just be that your piece does not fit as well as others, or that it could use more polishing before it is ready for the marketplace.
Rejections from Lexington & Jefferson usually include tips from our editors about how the piece could be improved, so a rejection is a good opportunity to get feedback and grow through reassessment and revision.
Communication is key.
If you submit to multiple publications at once, PLEASE inform us via email at editor@valleysentinelnews.com if another publication accepts your work before we publish it. And if you ever need answers beyond what is available on a publication’s website (and you’ve double checked!), never be afraid to contact the editors.
Submit to the literary journal
Special thanks to Barstow and Grand and its editors for inspiration and guidance.
This project is made possible by funds provided by River Valley ARTS, Wisconsin Arts Board and the Food, Faith and Farming Network — as well as community donations and contributions, thank you.
