Participants that entered into the contest will be eligible for further review for magazine and e-zine publication.

Rolling submissions are accepted until the annual deadline: November 1. Entrants should not expect to be notified of a decision until January 15. Your submission cannot be submitted to another publication until this time.

You may send only one submission for each category, but you are welcome to send submissions to as many of the categories as you wish:

Personal Journeys
Alliteration
Viewpoint
*Before submitting an article to any of these categories, we strongly recommend you read the Abroad View Submissions Guidelines and Writing Tips.

Personal Journeys

This nonfiction narrative category stems from a central section of Abroad View that showcases personal-perspective articles and unites your outward and inward journey. The best Personal Journeys share certain characteristics, notably a strong sense of the author’s personality and experiences, vivid reporting, a high literary quality and, critical reflection.

What to write: Instead of writing a research paper or cultural analysis on a particular topic, try to convey and share your “experience” (engaging all of the senses) of visiting a place, roaming its lands and streets, and talking with its people. Let the piece grow from there. Your interactions and observations will lay the foundation for your article. Keep in mind that this section lends itself to specificity and sensory detail, as well as final reflection and commentary. What were your biases and cultural assumptions before you arrived; how did they change? What new understandings surprised you? What issues sparked your interest and possibly your commitment and action to them? For examples of strong writing, view the AV Archives and look at the articles that were published under “Personal Journeys.” One kind of story we cannot use is a step-by-step account of what you did on your weekend trip and all of the famous sites you toured

Alliteration

This category comes from a department within Abroad View for which we seek poetry and fiction inspired from abroad.

What to write: For this category, we welcome artistic expression and creative writing in the form of poetry, short stories, and sketches. Students writing novellas or novels are invited to submit a suitable section. The essence of the story or poem should stem from studying abroad and your experience of living in another culture or traveling. This cross-cultural connection should be obvious in your writing. There is no minimum word count. While the maximum word count of 2,500 is greater than the word counts for the previous categories, we strongly encourage you to practice economy of language. For examples, view the AV Section: Poetry and Short Stories.

Viewpoint

Dialogue and debate is a universally important part of education. No matter where you live or come from, you likely have a strong view about global events and issues. This is your opportunity to express yourself in a compelling commentary on current hot-button subjects.

What to write: Your viewpoint must be well-researched, accurate, and persuasive. Take a point of view on a region-specific subject or a subject of global importance. Build an argument that is logical and convincing, and use evidence to build the case for your opinion. Maximum word count: 1,000.

Overall AV Writing Contest Guidelines

Format

A Microsoft Word Document sent by email is best. Name and email address on first page. Adhere to the word counts provided for each category. You should be prepared to send photos, if your piece wins the contest or is selected for publication; however, please do not send photos with your submission at this time. 

Cover sheet

Provide a cover sheet with your name and contact information (address, email address, telephone number), your college or university, and your year in school or year that you graduated or expect to graduate. If you traveled on your own, list the countries and dates and what you did generally (studied at university, volunteered, etc.) If you studied abroad with a program, list the program name and institution, and the dates. Include your current and permanent address, your current and permanent phone number, and e-mail address if applicable. Include a short biographical note (hometown, major, etc.).

Send to

Send electronically as an attached MS Word file to contact@abroadviewmagazine.com. If you cannot attach as MS Word file, then paste the article into an email message.

We prefer emailed submissions. If this is not possible, you can also send a Mac-compatible disc to:

AV Student Writers Contest
2339 Coffman Alley
Lebanon KY

Preparation Writers interested in submitting an article may wish to review a recent copy of Abroad View for style and content. All articles are archived on this web site, or you may pick up a hard copy at your study abroad office or library.

Notification Winners are announced in the Abroad View spring magazine of each year. Provide a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) for notification of winners. We cannot provide status reports by phone. You should not expect to hear back from Abroad View until January 15.

Annual Deadline

November 1