a/b: Auto/Biography Studies

a/b: Auto/Biography Studies enjoys an international reputation for publishing insightful and thought-provoking scholarship on autobiographies, biographies, life narratives, biofiction, autofiction, and identity studies. Drawing from a diverse global community of scholars, the editors of a/b publish essays that further the discourse on historic and contemporary forms of self-narration across genres, modalities, and disciplines.

For over thirty-five years, the journal has pushed conversations in the field in new directions and charted innovative paths in narrative analysis.

The journal accepts submissions of scholarly essays (6,000 to 9,000 words) and review essays (4,000 to 6,000 words) as well as proposals for special issues, essay clusters, and forums. Special issue, essay cluster, and forum proposal guidelines are available. All submissions should be firmly grounded in the conversations and theoretical frameworks of auto/biographical studies.

The editors also accept submissions for two reoccurring segments of the journal: “The Process” and “How Would You Teach It?” These are shorter (4000 to 6000 words), self-reflexive sections that highlight specific issues in methodology and pedagogy, respectively.

If you are interested in reviewing a book or submitting a book for review, please contact our Book Reviews Editor, Christopher Hogarth, at [email protected].

The journal uses Chicago Manual of Style (17th Edition) as our citation style and cannot accept submissions that do not adhere to this format.

a/b does not publish nonfiction narrative writing (such as personal memoirs) or academic studies that engage primarily with quantitative data and empirical research. We are unable to accept submissions that have not been copyedited prior to submission, are not an appropriate length, or are unedited chapters from a dissertation or thesis.

Submissions that do not adhere to journal guidelines will be returned to the author without peer review reports or notes from the editors.

Please read the Instructions for Authors for full information on how to submit your essay, including formatting and utilizing images and digital components, procuring rights to reprint copyrighted material, and the a/b style guide.

Submission is through our online digital portal only.

a/b: Auto/Biography Studies publishes online first so essays that have been accepted, copyedited, and proofread may be published digitally before being collected in a print issue.

Authors can choose to publish gold open access in this journal.

Peer Review Policy
Submissions are initially evaluated by the editorial team and, if found suitable for further consideration, are then reviewed by independent, anonymous peer reviewers. Peer review is doubly anonymized.

The Autobiography Society
a/b: Auto/Biography Studies is the official journal of The Autobiography Society (a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization). Society membership includes an individual subscription to the print journal and access to its full online archive. Membership is £22/€29/$35 annually. Contact [email protected] for more information.

The Society sponsored the 2013 conference, “Auto/Biography across the Americas: Reading beyond Geographic and Cultural Divides,” that led to the formation of the International Auto/Biography Association - Americas Chapter (IABA Americas). We continue to sponsor the regional IABA Americas conferences, contribute to the global IABA conferences, and award two annual prizes: The Hogan Prize for an outstanding essay published in a/b: Auto/Biography Studies and the Timothy Dow Adams Award to support historically underrepresented and emerging scholars.

Endorsements

"a/b: Auto/Biography Studies is an international leader in the scholarship of life narrative. It is so often the first 'port of call' for academics, students, and writers working this field. a/b is truly transnational in its approach to auto/biography studies and always innovative in the new subjects and forms it includes. The journal is well known for supporting emerging scholars as well as showcasing the work of the discipline's leading scholars."

– Kate Douglas, Author of Contesting Childhood: Autobiography, Trauma and Memory and co-editor of Trauma Texts.

"a/b: Auto/Biography Studies has been a leading venue for studies on all aspects of autobiography for a quarter-century. As life narrative becomes increasingly a focus of international conversations, its wide-ranging essays will be a rich resource and a spur to further innovative scholarship and dialogue."
– Julia Watson, Co-author of Reading Autobiography: A Guide to Interpreting Life Narratives and co-editor of Before They Could Vote: American Women's Autobiographical Writing, 1819-1919; Interfaces: Women, Autobiography, Image, Performance; Women, Autobiography, Theory: A Reader; Getting a Life: Everyday Uses of Autobiography; and De/Colonizing the Subject: The Politics of Gender in Women’s Autobiography.