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Editor Interview: American Historical Review

Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.

History of all kinds

What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?

Jacobin
Past and Present
History Workshop
International Review of Social History
Reviews in American History
Signs
New York Review of Books
Bookforum

What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?

We are one of the few scholarly history journals that publishes in all fields and all time periods. We are consistently ranked number 1 or number 2 in impact factor for history journals. We also have a hands-on editorial process, insuring high quality in all our articles.

What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?

Read the journal, so you know what a "typical" AHR looks like--in terms of prose, style, topic, organization, source base, and length. Avoid speaking only to people in your particular field.

What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?

Article length. 8000 words means 8000 words. You will always be asked to revise; hold some material back for later.

How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?

It is helpful (but by no means necessary) to know where a person works, and whether they are an independent scholar, a graduate student, a faculty member, a museum professional, or something else.

What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?

Everything that we accept is read by 1-2 members of the Board of Editors as well as 2-4 external reviewers.

How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?

We do extensive fact-checking, copy-editing, and proofreading. The author gets several opportunities to approve edits.

Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?

Yes, and our articles frequently win top prizes.

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