The AA Grapevine has announced that it’s October 2016 issue will feature stories from atheists and agnostics in AA. The magazine, known as “AA’s Meeting in Print” is the official International Journal of Alcoholics Anonymous. Since 1962, the Grapevine has published only a total of 40 stories from atheists and agnostics, so this issue represents an important opportunity that we don’t want to miss.

AA Agnostica has previously requested that the AA Grapevine publish a book of stories from agnostics and atheists in AA, but the request was denied without explanation. You may want to read the article No Grapevine Book for Atheists in AA that was posted earlier this year on AA Agnostica for more information regarding the request.

The Grapevine requires stories to be submitted no less than five months prior to the publication. In this case the deadline to submit a story is May 5, 2016.

October 2016: Atheist/Agnostic stories (stories due by May 5, 2016)

Do you have experience staying sober in AA as an atheist or agnostic? What have been your joys and challenges? We are looking for a variety of experiences. Please send us your stories.

Guidelines For Contributing to Grapevine

Grapevine is published both as a monthly, print magazine and frequently updated website. Here are suggestions and tips for submitting your art, photos and writing. Read the Editorial Policy here.

WRITING ARTICLES

Before writing, you might want to leaf through a few issues to see what kinds of articles are published. Most are first-person accounts of the writer’s experience with alcoholism and Alcoholics Anonymous. Grapevine publishes stories for special departments such as Emotional Sobriety, Sponsorship, Newcomers, Youth Enjoying Sobriety, Old-Timers and Home Group, as well as articles about the Steps and Traditions, jokes for “At Wit’s End” and letters for “Dear Grapevine.” But you are not confined to these topics. The editors are always looking for innovative material, as long as it relates to AA experience and reflects an awareness of AA’s singleness of purpose. Articles are reviewed by the editorial staff and selected by consensus. You will be notified if your story or photo is selected for publication.

WHAT THE GRAPEVINE DOES NOT PUBLISH

Poems, prayers, song lyrics, tributes to individuals, plays, previously published material or anything unrelated to AA or that violates the principles of AA.

LENGTH AND FORMAT

The magazine publishes work of different lengths, from snappy one-liners and one-paragraph anecdotes to five- or six-page articles. Suggested manuscript length is 300 to 1500 words or three to five double-spaced typed pages. Handwritten manuscripts should be written clearly on one side of the paper.

TIMING

The process of article selection for any issue begins about five months before the cover date. Take the December issue as an example: Articles are selected around the beginning of August; the editing and production process takes three months; and the issue comes off the press the first of November, in time to be mailed to subscribers by the cover date. As a result, a holiday-themed article mailed to Grapevine in November, would arrive after the December issue is already printed. (It might, however, be saved for the following December.)

SUBMITTING ARTICLES, LETTERS AND HUMOR

Email submissions to gveditorial@aagrapevine.org; or mail in Grapevine, Editorial Dept., 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115 or upload here. If your work is fairly short, the simplest way to submit it is with the web upload form or within the body of your email. However, if you wish to attach a file to your email, please save the document in Word or simple text. Include your full name, address, phone number and email address. Please keep a copy of your work as manuscripts cannot be returned.