Submissions Guide

The Manifest is seeking high-quality submissions from writers of fiction and non-fiction who combine an uncommon amount of talent, depth, humor, and an understanding of contemporary culture. We wish we could be more specific, but we'll know "it" when we see it. Please send a sample or two (MS Word format please) to editors@the-manifest.org along with a brief statement about yourself. Artists may submit work in Mac-friendly .jpg, .gif. and .swf formats. (Please note: except in the rare, deserving instance, we are not accepting poetry at this time. In our opinion, poetry is meant to be read aloud.)

Above all, we seek those who write from the gut and aren't afraid to engage provocative ideas with an open—yet critical—mind. While we are (or at least try to be) an "integrally-informed" e-zine, features need not be academic in nature (in fact we prefer them not to be). Writers should be comfortable writing for a pop-savvy, well-educated younger audience seeking to integrate body, mind, soul, and spirit in self, culture, and nature, or at least to be entertained.

(Please note: although "right livelihood" is indeed our goal, we are unable to pay anyone for their work at this time. Please view this as a chance to contribute something new to an emerging culture, whether or not it "pays off" in the end.)


FEATURES: 1500-3000 words
Interviews of up-and-coming voices on the integral or global scene, profiles of emerging tier-2 and other progressive organizations, commentary on news and current events, spoofs and satire, critical studies of integral theory (without getting too technical), pointing-out instructions, first-person accounts of retreats/seminars/workshops, and longer fiction pieces will all be considered. Ultimately it doesn't matter what you write about, what matters is the amount of depth you bring to a subject, and how well you are able to transmit that depth to the reader.


COLUMNS: 600-1500 words
Columns are to be areas of specialized focus updated regularly. If you have an idea for a column, please suggest one, or choose from among the following:

Some possible columns open to all:

Drug Jocks: cavalier experiments with mind-altering substances, with a focus on their more spiritual qualities rather than mere entertainment value
One Taste: firsthand accounts of transpersonal "peak" experiences, preferably those confirmed by others with similar experiences
Sex & Love: deeper perspectives on interpersonal relations and sexual intimacy
Psi-Fi: earth mysteries, parapolitics, exobiology, and other unexplained weirdness
Flash Fiction: short, punchy fiction pieces
Transform!: integral transformative practice and yogas of all types
Launchpads: photos/descriptions of your practice space
World Soul: integral activism and tier-2 protest politics
Body-sattva: health, fitness and diet

ARTWORK:
All submissions will be considered for posting in our gallery (coming soon). In the coming weeks we will launch the first round of submissions to the Ramana Project, an ongoing series of visual interpretations of a selected quote from the great Vedanta mystic Ramana Maharshi. Stay tuned…