Works of fiction and non-fictional, informative articles submitted should be free of encumbrance, and the author should be the copyright holder. Kudzu Monthly can not be responsible for policing material and authors for copyright violations. Prior publication is permissible, but the writer should inform us when this is the case.

Fiction

Short stories are important at KM. Submitted works should be between 2,500 words and 8,000 words. Research has indicated that the average reader can consume and savor an 8,000 word article in about 10 minutes. We are confident that, by and large, we serve a very literate public.

The hurley-burley internet seems to have forgotten this. Some ostensibly literary websites seem to think that their average user has an attention span equal to that a three-year-old. The rise of flash fiction is indicative of this lamentable trend.

A satisfying read is becoming hard to find on the web. There's lots of bad stuff and meaningless fluff, but little of quality entertainment.

We're looking for quality, and that's where you come in.

Give us your best shot. Impress us. Make us love your work beyond all doubt of possible rejection. (Well, we don't actually use that term at KM. We either love submitted work, or we decline, very politely, acceptance.)

Go ahead, show us your stuff. The submission form's below.

Crime Articles

Is true crime an interest of yours? Our's, too!

If you've read one or more of the true crime articles on Kudzu Monthly, you know what we're looking for.

Subjects can be notorious or unknown, as long as the true-life telling of the story is accurate and documented. Sources may be quoted inline or after the document. We suggest that you include a segment labeled "Sources" at the end of your article. As this is the internet, web links are appropriate in your sources section.

And, like most true-crime afficiandos, we love a good mystery!

Health Articles

Kudzu Monthly will feature at least one health article each month. Article subjects should be generic rather than specific. The Importance of Walking rather than New Advances in Bacteriemology. Articles so far have covered internet addiction (July 2001), the vegan dilemma (December 2001), and misleading marketing by drug companies (October 2002).

The target length for health-related articles is 4,000 words, or about a five-minute read. To exceed this limit would require compelling work!

As with the other types of non-fiction covered here, the documentation of sources is vital. For this type of article, you might also consider having a "For Further Reading" section that will direct concerned readers to additional resources.

Go ahead, do some research, fire up the old word processor, and scandalize us with what you've dug up. (Have you heard about trans-fatty acids? What in the world are trans-fatty acids? Should we be concerned?)

Inform us!

Poetry

Beautifully crafted poetry is a regular feature of Kudzu Monthly. We prefer formal, rhymed poetry, but will consider any form. (If you elect to send us technical poetry, please label your forms.)

We prefer to publish multiple poems from a single author on a dedicated page, but the magazine will run single-poem pages if the work has merit and can, in the editor's opinion, stand alone.

Works excerpted from newly published or soon-to-be published collections of poetry are also acceptable, and such submissions are encouraged.

Please do not send us several single short poems as individual submissions. We prefer to receive short works in groups of eight to twelve poems. This allows us us to examine your work in context and pick the poems that will best fit our format.

Longer poems should be submitted individually for consideration to use in a single-poem page.

Kudzu Monthly is presently open to new poetry submissions. Copy and paste your poetry (multiple shorter works or single long works) into the form below!

U.S. History

This is a special area of attention at Kudzu Monthly. The past is a treasure house of undiscovered or unremembered lessons - a vast canvas.

There are no revisionists here (we think!).

We'll always take a long look at Revolutionary War and Civil War articles... as long as they go beyond the standard textbook battle plans and troop movements to explore the personalities involved in the conflicts.

And here we'll grant the writer great license. Features so far have covered Kilroy and the 1919 White Sox (July, 2001), Elmer McCurdy, an Oklahoma Outlaw (March 2002), and the women of Castle Thunder (August 2002).

Irregularly appearing is a column called "The Lost Cause" that focuses on the personalities and actions of men of the South before, after, and during the "War Between the States."

To qualify for this column, the work must be short (1000 words or so), and a high-definition photograph of the subject should be available and free of copyright encumberance.

KM is also interested in regional history. We realize that the inhabitants of east Texas might have very different perceptions about history than, say, Charleston residents.

We're looking for these small delights. Teach us. Inform us. But quote your sources religiously.

Images

We welcome digital photographs and pictures included to illustrate factual articles, but we must insist that such images be either (1) original - you are the artist or photographer, or (2) the images are unencumbered by existing copyright.

What type of images are without copyright? In general, those held in the public domain, by the U.S. government or by museums, are generally unencumbered -- but not always! The person who wishes to use these images must find the copyright notice that applies to the specific work. One famous example of public domain photographs is the American Memory Collection of the U.S. Library of Congress. With a bit of research on the website, however, one discovers that large portions of the site's images are still under copyright protection.

Kudzu Monthly, not desirous of being a test case as to what constitutes "fair use" under the DMC ("Digital Millenium Copyright Act"), must require that all images submitted be verified as to source and copyright.

Period.