To Writers, Artists & Photographers
There are more aspects related to Asian martial arts than commonly meet the eye. Most publications have focused on this subject only to satisfy the interests of the mass market, while other scholarly writings limit themselves to a highly specialized audience. Our journal spans both types of readership. How? — Although the journal treats the subject with academic accuracy, we believe that writing styles need not lose the reader! The Journal of Asian Martial Arts offers a mature, well-rounded view of this uniquely fascinating subject, attracting a readership that has a close affinity to Asian history and culture.

These guidelines are provided for preparation and submittal of your manuscript for possible publication in our Journal of Asian Martial Arts. Please read the following very carefully so you can be sure your submission has the best opportunity to be accepted for publication. We look forward working with you!

EDITORIAL POLICY
The Journal of Asian Martial Arts is a cover perfect bound 6" x 9" quarterly journal. We publish three types of materials:

1) scholarly articles based on primary research in recognized scholarly disciplines, e.g.,
cultural anthropology, comparative religions, psychology, film theory, and criticism, etc.;
2) more informal, but nevertheless substantial interviews (with scholars, master practitioners, etc.) and reports on particular genres, techniques, etc.; and
3) reviews of books and audiovisual materials on the martial arts.

These three types of materials are organized in separate sections of the journal. In order to ensure the quality of all submissions in terms of scholarship as well as writing, each submission will be reviewed by at least two members of our editorial board. We look forward to making the journal accessible to all readers while establishing and maintaining a high quality of scholarship, writing, and graphics.

EDITORIAL CONTENT
Articles can focus on any aspect of Asian martial traditions from any academic discipline.

Article length: 1,000 to 10,000 words for feature articles.
Review length: 1,000 or less for news items, reviews and reports.
Buys: First World Rights with Reprint Rights.
Pays: For articles, $150-500 on publication, plus 2 copies, or in copies if preferred.
Payment in copies for reviews.
Audience: Although the journal is targeted for college-level readers, it is distributed to persons of varied backgrounds, ages and occupations. For this reason, articles are written in a clear style for those who may not be totally familiar with the subject and its particular vocabulary. International readership: practitioners, scholars, schools, university and public libraries, and other institutes.
Reports: 2-4 weeks on queries; 1-2 months on manuscripts.
Bionote: Given. Include a short summary of your background and credentials (academic and martial) in your cover letter. 

STYLE DETAILS FOR WRITERS
Anyone planning to submit material for possible publication in our periodical should be familiar with our journal, have solid martial arts experience and be very knowledgeable in Asian culture. Query letters should tell of the writer’s qualifications, provide a clear outline of the intended article, and state if illustrations are available. We pull our hair out when submissions arrive that simply rehash old material or are geared to the wrong audience! Articles are published for knowledgeable readers and must offer special information and insights not available elsewhere.

SUBMISSIONS (mail or digital)
A self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) is appreciated, especially if you want your materials returned. If possible, also provide text on computer disk in any basic word-processing program (Macintosh compatible format, such as MS Word). Also acceptable are submissions of text-only documents by e-mail attachment.

We like to work with writers and are happy to provide suggestions on how to improve any materials that do not meet all criteria the first time through our office door. If you decide to submit a manuscript, have a martial artist and/or scholar critique it first. It is best to have a few people proofread your manuscript before submitting.

IMPORTANT! — Manuscript Preparation and Style
Reviews all articles on speculation. All article submissions should include a short abstract of 120 words or less that gives a clear overview of the articles’ purpose and scope. Include the most important ideas and the general conclusion. Double-spaced typed manuscripts or letter-quality computer printout acceptable. Please use the same font family throughout the manuscript. Do not vary font size or style for titles, headings, vignettes, or other special text. Use only one space after punctuation marks, including periods at the ends of sentences. Put all commas and periods inside quotes (end." not end".) Assign page numbers to the entire manuscript consecutively, from beginning to end. Keep formatting to a minimum. If the manuscript is submitted with illustrations, indicate in the text where they should be inserted. In general, avoid first-line formatting, paragraph outlining, word processor’s automatic formatting features, and use of all caps in headings.

All articles must include an abstract of 50 to 75 words

• a) the topic, in one sentence;
• b) the purpose, thesis, or organizing construct and the scope of the article
• c) the sources used (e.g., personal observation, published literature); and
• d) the conclusions.

Articles must be historically and technically accurate with a list of references at the end. Keep footnotes at a minimum.

APA EDITORIAL STYLE
Be sure that academic style articles are prepared with proper in-text citations, references, and bibliography. For lengthy articles, utilize sub-headings to help readers following the organizational flow. Before submitting any academic style manuscript, please refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for all aspects of manuscript preparation. Click to see sample articles for in-text citations, references, bibliography, notes and basic editor style.

Romanization: Provide Chinese and Japanese characters when possible for important names, terms, and places mentioned in the article. We use Pinyin Romanization for Chinese.

Via Media and Publishing Goals

The first goal stemmed from a desire to establish a periodical — the Journal of Asian Martial Arts — in which authors, artists, and photographers could present high quality work concerning Asian martial arts. This quarterly covers all historical and cultural aspects of Asian martial traditions; focuses on Asia, but includes important related material from all other countries, such as museum collections, interviews, announcements and media reviews. Articles flow smoothly in consecutive pages, without being interrupted by advertising. Indexed. Peer reviewed. Cover perfect bound, illustrated, 6"x 9" format.

Click here to read this article for a more details regarding “Via Media’s Scholarly Perspective on Martial Traditions.”