The Esoteric Quarterly
Writing Good Articles: Tips for Authors
The Esoteric Quarterly is a peer-review journal offering high-quality articles to an informed, thoughtful audience—an audience that values not only intellect but also wisdom, inspiration, beauty, sensitivity, and all that enhances human consciousness. Some of our readers have been "on the path" for many years, while others may have just started. We want to serve people at all stages in their studies. In order to do this we need good articles relevant to our mission.
Topic and Presentation
A good article combines two essential ingredients. One is a topic or idea of potential interest to readers. The other is careful crafting to make the article intelligible, informative, and a pleasure to read. The standards we set for publication try to blend these two requirements.
Naturally we value articles that are on the cutting edge of their fields. But we also want to attract articles covering basic concepts, so long as they are insightful and educational in nature. The Quarterly encourages "young" and/or inexperienced authors to try their hand. Short papers may be more appropriate than full-length articles for newer authors because the standards for acceptance can be more flexible.
Finding an interesting topic is an intuitive, creative process, although it will be guided by the literature. A good idea will be of less value if other authors have had the same idea, and it has already been discussed exhaustively—unless you have a novel slant on the topic. If the idea contradicts a large body of literature, the author would be expected to offer persuasive arguments why his or her views are superior to those already expressed. A brand-new idea has intrinsic merit, but it must have plausibility and appeal; it must be a good idea. Even if an idea is new, it should still be given context by relating it to existing knowledge.
The second step is to present the topic effectively. A well-written article is a pleasure to read. It is most important that the readers—and, before the article ever gets published, the reviewers—are able to follow the author’s train of thought and his or her conclusions.
To employ Theosophical terminology, a good article is a combination of buddhi and manas. Buddhi (wisdom, intuition, insight) is the source of good ideas. Manas (mind, intellect, precision, clarity) is needed to turn those ideas into high-quality articles. Without buddhi, an article will be lifeless and sterile; without manas, it will be unclear in its objectives and difficult to read.
Structure
The article should start by identifying its objective and scope—what it will try to accomplish. The title does this very, very briefly; but more is needed. The best way to do this is to write a short summary or abstract, even though a journal may not require it for the particular type of article. Writing the summary forces an author to give form to his or her ideas.
The body of the article, which can range in length from a half-page to many pages, should present the author’s ideas in the context of existing knowledge. Anything much longer than a page should be divided into sections, each with a heading. Structuring an article in this way forces the author to step back and ask: "What am I trying to say—and does it come across?" It also helps the reader to digest the material.
Ideas must be presented in a logical sequence so that readers can follow what the author is trying to say. "Transitions" are necessary to take the reader from one idea to another, to help the reader "change gears." Otherwise the reader will think: "What does that have to do with what the author just said?" Communicate to the reader that you have finished discussing Topic A and are now starting on Topic B. Or, even better, tell the reader why Topic B flows from Topic A. If there is no connection, why are they both discussed in the same article?
The final paragraph or paragraphs should review what has been accomplished in relation to what the summary said it would do. Every article should have a strong concluding section. Ending with a quote is not recommended.
Context
The credibility—particularly a full-length article—is greatly enhanced by citing references to previous work in the field. In fact, some journals demand the inclusion of references. This is particularly important in full-length articles that are expected to explore their topics in depth. Citing references demonstrates that the author is aware of existing work and has done his or her "homework."
Writing Style
There are many different writing styles, all acceptable and pleasing to read. Some authors prefer a matter-of-fact, "procedure-manual" style, while others use a style more reminiscent of "great literature." A "stream of consciousness" style may be fashionable in some creative-writing circles, but it is inappropriate in this journal.
Preparation of Manuscripts
Whether an article is accepted for publication depends heavily on the care taken in preparing the manuscript. A few individuals in the world can write the perfect article in one pass. The vast majority go through multiple drafts before they feel that the article is in good enough shape to submit to a journal. The article you submit should be the very best you can do.