submissions

ABOUT US // Our Mission

Submissions for The Better Part

The Better Part is an interdisciplinary, intellectual journal committed to the advancement of Catholic thought as engaged and articulated by women. Drawing upon the riches of the Catholic intellectual tradition and oriented to the resurgence of feminine scholarship, The Better Part seeks to shine a light on the ways in which Catholic women contribute to the Church and modern culture.

We seek content from the following categories

Journalism/Interviews

Literature

  • Art

  • Book Excerpts

  • Book Reviews 

  • Poetry

  • Short Stories

Philosophy/Law

Public Discourse

    • Popular Culture

    • Letters to the Editor

    • Politics/Government

    • Social Justice

Psychology

  • Mental Health

  • Neuroscience

Formatting, Structure, Editing

Theology/Catholic Identity

  • Family Dynamics

  • Prayer/Spiritual Life 

  • Vocations

Science

  • Biology

  • Medical

  • Technology

  • Artificial Intelligence

*This is not an exhaustive list. All submissions will be considered. 

 All submissions will be subject to review; not all submissions will be published.

If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified via email and given an approximate date of publication, which is subject to change. All writers, regardless of professional experience, will receive compensation for their accepted work after its publication. Compensation is determined solely by the publisher. 

style guide for The Better Part

An editorial resource to ensure clarity, consistency, and beauty in our shared voice.

Please do not allow all this jargon to frighten you! We actively wish to read and publish voices from all walks of life and vocations: students, professors, writers, artists, mothers, women in religious vocations, business owners, lawyers, doctors, etc.

Voice and Tone

  • Reflective yet Confident: Our tone is thoughtful, marked by curiosity, and at peace with complexity.

  • Intellectually Engaged: Writing should be of high quality, engaging, innovative, and shine a light on the reality that truth is not compartmentalized–all truth is integrated.

  • Rooted in Tradition: Themes should be aligned with Catholic Doctrine; however, pieces need not be overtly religious to be accepted for publication.

  • Accessible: All work should be accessible both in verbiage and format to intellectual readers of all expertise.

  • Submissions should be complete drafts and not proposals or a list of ideas.

  • Authors must be open to edits, discussions with editors, and flexible on recommended changes.

  • The journal reserves the right to determine the final title of the article/submission.

  • Drafts should be submitted at ____________________________ in a Google Doc or Docx format.

  • For scholarly essays, use endnotes or parenthetical references.

  • Articles/General Submissions: word count: 800-5000 words.

  • Poetry/Literary Submissions: no word count limitations.

  • Please include a brief biography (photo optional) describing your professional or personal background, interests, or vocation.

    *The author’s autonomy will be respected as much as possible.

    **Please respect the creative nature of the human person and refrain from using Artificial Intelligence to craft your work.

Contributor Agreement Terms

  • Compensation will be issued upon publication.

  • Contributors will receive a standard agreement outlining rights, permission, and compensation.

  • Simultaneous submissions should be disclosed. Reprints must be clearly identified.

  • All work must be original and should not be generated with Artificial Intelligence (unless the purpose of the article is to reflect upon the items that are generated by Artificial Intelligence).

Honoraria

  • The Better Part is committed to honoring the intellectual and creative labor of Catholic women. While our mission is rooted in the contemplation and pursuit of truth, we also seek to justly compensate contributors for their meaningful work in advancing Catholic thought through the lens of women’s experience, intellect, and faith.

  • Compensation is solely determined by The Better Part. 

  • Compensation will be determined by the quality and type of piece published.

  • Contributors may opt to donate their honorarium back to the journal in support of our mission. These gifts may be acknowledged in print or online (with permission).