Author Submission Guidelines

ISSN: 0974-536X  ·  CODEN: CSABCJ  ·  DOI Prefix: 10.56062  ·  MLA Indexed  ·  COPE Compliant  ·  Diamond Open Access

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Author Submission Guidelines

Invitation to Submit

Creative Saplings (CS) is primarily a peer-reviewed research journal dedicated to the scholarly study of English language and literature. Our core mission is the publication of rigorous academic research, and the majority of each issue is devoted to peer-reviewed research articles and critical essays. In keeping with our long tradition of nurturing both the critical and creative dimensions of literary culture, Creative Saplings also welcomes a limited selection of original creative contributions — poetry, fiction, and literary reviews — in a dedicated creative section of each issue.

Contributors submitting creative work are kindly requested to note that the journal’s identity, editorial priorities, and indexing aspirations are firmly grounded in scholarly research. Creative submissions are considered as a supplement to, not a replacement for, the journal’s research content. All submissions — research and creative alike — must be original, unpublished, and submitted in a polished, near-final form in accordance with the guidelines below.

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Section 1

Scope and Accepted Content Types

Creative Saplings accepts two categories of submission: Research Submissions and Creative Submissions. Different guidelines apply to each category. Please read the relevant section carefully before preparing your manuscript.

Category A — Research Submissions (Primary Focus)

Research submissions constitute the core content of Creative Saplings. All research submissions are subject to double-blind peer review by at least two independent expert reviewers.

Submission Type	Word Count (Body)	Description
Research Article	5,000–8,000 words	Original argument or scholarly finding; subject to full double-blind peer review
Critical Essay	4,000–6,000 words	Theoretical or argumentative essay with sustained critical focus
Review Article / State-of-the-Field Essay	4,000–7,000 words	Comprehensive survey of scholarship on a literary topic, author, or critical debate

Word counts cover body text only, excluding the title page, abstract, keywords, and Works Cited list. The minimum body length for any research submission is 4,000 words.

Thematic areas include but are not limited to:

• —English and Anglophone Literary Studies (British, American, Indian English, Postcolonial, African, Caribbean, and Diaspora literatures)
• —Comparative Literature and Translation Studies
• —Literary Theory and Criticism (poststructuralism, feminism, ecocriticism, Marxist criticism, new historicism, postcolonial theory)
• —Cultural Studies (identity, representation, and discourse analysis)
• —Gender and Sexuality Studies
• —Ecocriticism and Environmental Humanities
• —Children’s Literature and Young Adult Fiction
• —Language and Linguistics as applied to literary texts

Category B — Creative Submissions (Supplementary Section)

Type	Length	Notes
Poetry	1–5 poems	Any form or style; original and unpublished only
Short Fiction / Flash Fiction	Up to 2,500 words	Original, literary-quality fiction; not genre or commercial fiction
Literary / Personal Essay	1,000–2,500 words	Reflective or creative-critical essay with demonstrable literary merit
Book Review	800–1,500 words	Work published within last 3 years; critical evaluation required, not mere description
Film / Theatre Review	800–1,500 words	Literary, cultural, or postcolonial significance required; critical analysis, not description
Translation	Variable	Must be accompanied by a Translator’s Note (300–500 words) and the source text in the original language
Interview	1,500–3,000 words	With a writer, scholar, or literary figure; include a brief biographical introduction

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Section 2

Originality and Ethical Requirements

2.1  Originality — All Submissions

All submissions — research and creative — must be original and unpublished. The work must not have appeared in any form in any journal, magazine, anthology, website, blog, social media platform, conference proceeding, or edited volume, in whole or in substantial part. Manuscripts currently under consideration at another publication will not be accepted. Simultaneous submission is a breach of publication ethics and will result in immediate rejection. Authors and contributors are required to confirm originality at the point of submission.

2.2  AI-Generated Content

2.3  Plagiarism — Research Submissions

All research submissions are subject to the journal’s full Plagiarism Policy. All research articles are screened using Turnitin before entering peer review. The maximum acceptable similarity index is 10%. All sources used must be correctly cited in the text and listed in the Works Cited, following MLA (9th edition) requirements. Self-plagiarism — republishing the author’s own previously published work without proper attribution — is not permitted.

2.4  Authorship — Research Submissions

All named authors must have made a substantive intellectual contribution to the work. Ghost authorship, guest authorship, and honorary authorship are not permitted. Any change to the authorship list after submission must be formally requested in writing to the Editor-in-Chief and approved before it can be made. Changes will only be approved if a valid reason is presented and if there is unanimous agreement among all authors. Once a paper is published online, no further alterations to the authorship can be made.

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Section 3

Manuscript Preparation — Research Submissions

3.1  General Formatting

Parameter	Requirement
File Format	Microsoft Word (.docx) only
Font	Times New Roman 12pt throughout
Line Spacing	1.5 line spacing throughout
Alignment	Fully justified
Margins	1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides
Paper Size	A4 (210 × 297 mm)
Page Numbers	Bottom centre, starting from page 1
Minimum Word Count	4,000 words (body text only; excludes title page, abstract, keywords, Works Cited)

3.2  Title

The title must be concise, descriptive, and written entirely in English. It must clearly reflect the subject matter, theoretical framework, or central argument of the paper, and must not exceed 12 words. Titles must not contain special characters, mathematical symbols, abbreviations (unless universally recognised), or symbols of any kind. Italicise titles of literary works within the paper title, as per MLA convention. Do not use ALL CAPS.

3.3  Author Names and Affiliations

Author names and affiliations must appear on the title page only and must not appear anywhere in the body of the manuscript (to preserve double-blind integrity). Author names must be presented without honorific titles (no Dr., Prof., Mr., or Ms.). For each author, provide: full name, designation, department, institution and university, city and country, correspondence email address, and ORCID iD (strongly encouraged — register free at orcid.org). For multiple authors, list each in agreed order of contribution and mark the corresponding author with an asterisk (*). A maximum of four authors is preferred; for five or more authors, include a brief Author Contribution Statement of up to 60 words.

3.4  Abstract

Every research submission must include an abstract in clear, standard academic English. Length is strictly 150 to 250 words; abstracts above 250 words will be returned without review. The abstract must be self-contained and must cover all five of the following elements:

• —Background / Context — briefly state the literary, theoretical, or critical problem addressed
• —Objective / Aim — clearly state the central research question, thesis, or purpose
• —Methodology / Approach — identify the theoretical framework or critical methodology employed
• —Main Findings / Argument — summarise the central argument or finding in 2 to 3 sentences
• —Conclusion / Contribution — state what the paper contributes to existing scholarship in the field

Abstracts must NOT contain undefined abbreviations, citations, footnotes, references to figures or tables, or vague statements such as “this paper discusses X.”

3.5  Keywords

Provide 5 to 7 keywords or short keyword phrases immediately after the abstract. Keywords must be specific and drawn from established academic terminology. Avoid broad standalone terms such as “literature,” “English,” or “India” — combine them for specificity. Do not repeat words already used in the title. Separate keywords with semicolons.

3.6  Body of the Article

All body text must be in Times New Roman 12pt, 1.5 line spacing, fully justified, with all pages numbered. The minimum body length is 4,000 words; the recommended length is 5,000 to 8,000 words. Do not include the author’s name or institutional affiliation anywhere in the body. The title, abstract, and keywords must all be in single-column format.

3.7  Headings and Sub-headings

Level	Format
Level 1 — Major Section	Bold, Title Case, sequentially numbered (1. Introduction, 2. Theoretical Framework, etc.)
Level 2 — Sub-heading	Bold italic, sentence case
Level 3 — Sub-sub-heading	Italic, sentence case. Do not use ALL CAPS for any heading level.

3.8  Quotations

Short quotations (fewer than 4 lines or under 40 words) should be integrated into the text within double quotation marks, followed immediately by an in-text MLA citation. Long quotations (4 lines or 40 words or more) should be set as a block quotation, indented 0.5 inch from the left margin, in single spacing, without quotation marks. Use square brackets [ ] for additions to quoted text and ellipses (. . .) for omissions.

3.9  Tables and Figures

Number tables and figures consecutively (Table 1, Table 2; Figure 1, Figure 2) and refer to each in the body text. Each table must have a descriptive title placed above it; each figure must have a caption placed below it. Provide source information below any table or figure if data are drawn from external sources. Tables must be formatted in Word (not as images). Figures must be at minimum 300 dpi resolution.

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Section 4

Manuscript Preparation — Creative Submissions

4.1  General Formatting (Creative)

Creative submissions must be in Microsoft Word (.docx) format only, using Times New Roman 12pt throughout. Apply 1.5 spacing for prose and single spacing for poetry. Use left-aligned text for poetry and fiction, and fully justified text for essays and reviews. Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides, paper size A4, pages numbered at the bottom centre from page 1.

4.2  Title Page for Creative Submissions

Every creative submission must include a separate title page containing: title of the work; full name of the contributor (without honorific title); designation and institutional affiliation (if applicable); city and country; a contributor biography of 50 to 80 words in the third person; and correspondence email address. The contributor’s name must NOT appear within the manuscript file itself.

4.3  Poetry

Submit 1 to 5 original, unpublished poems per submission. Each poem should appear on a separate page with its title centred at the top. Maintain the poet’s intended line breaks, spacing, and visual arrangement. A brief contextual note of 50 to 100 words is optional. Translations of poems must be accompanied by a Translator’s Note of 300 to 500 words.

4.4  Short Fiction and Flash Fiction

Submit original, literary-quality short fiction of up to 2,500 words. The work must demonstrate literary craft, thematic depth, and engagement with language. Commercial genre fiction is generally outside our scope unless it has demonstrable literary or cultural significance. Flash fiction of 500 words or fewer is equally welcome.

4.5  Book Reviews

Reviews must be of a work published within the last three years, running to 800 to 1,500 words. Include a complete bibliographic reference of the work being reviewed at the top of the submission in MLA format. Reviews must offer critical evaluation and situate the work within its literary or scholarly context — not merely describe it.

4.6  Film and Theatre Reviews

Reviews of films or theatrical productions with literary, cultural, or postcolonial significance are welcome, running to 800 to 1,500 words. Include full production details (director, year, production company / theatre) at the top of the submission. Reviews must offer critical analysis, not merely description.

4.7  Translations

Literary translations from any language into English are welcome. Submissions must include a Translator’s Note of 300 to 500 words discussing the source text, challenges, and interpretive choices. The contributor must confirm that the source text is in the public domain or that written permission to translate and publish has been obtained. The source text in the original language must be submitted alongside the translation.

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Section 5

Citation and Referencing — MLA 9th Edition

Creative Saplings follows the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation style, current 9th edition, throughout. This applies to all research submissions and to any reviews or essays that cite sources.

5.1  In-Text Citations

Use the author–page format: (Bhabha 45) or (Said 112–15). When the author’s name appears in the sentence, only the page number is needed. For works with no page numbers, use the author’s name or a shortened title. For two authors use (Gilbert and Gubar 67); for three or more authors use (Spivak et al. 203).

5.2  Works Cited List

The Works Cited list must begin on a new page at the end of the manuscript, headed Works Cited (not “Bibliography” or “References”). Entries must be listed alphabetically by the last name of the first-named author, using hanging indent format (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inch). Every source cited in the text must appear in the Works Cited list, and vice versa.

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Section 6

Similarity Index and Plagiarism Policy — Research Submissions

All research submissions are checked for plagiarism using Turnitin. A Turnitin similarity report must be attached to every research submission as a supplementary file; submissions without an attached report will be returned without review. The threshold applies to body text only — the title page, abstract, keywords, direct quotations, and Works Cited list are excluded from the calculation.

Similarity Index	Editorial Action
10% or below	Acceptable — manuscript proceeds to double-blind peer review
10% to 15%	Editorial review — author may be asked to revise and resubmit with a clean report
Above 15%	Immediate rejection with formal notification to the corresponding author

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Section 7

Multi-Author Submissions — Research Only

For papers with more than one author, list all authors in agreed order of contribution on the title page (see Section 3.3). A maximum of four authors per article is preferred. For five or more authors, include a brief Author Contribution Statement of up to 60 words explaining each author’s role. The corresponding author is responsible for all communication with the editorial office. All named authors are assumed to have agreed to the authorship list and order before submission. Author disputes will not be adjudicated by the editorial office.

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Section 8

Submission Process

Manuscripts must be submitted through the journal’s online submission portal. Submissions sent directly to personal email addresses will not be considered. Creative Saplings charges no submission fees, article processing charges (APC), or publication fees of any kind.

Submission Portal	https://creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/about/submissions
Editorial Queries Only	editor@creativesaplings.in
Article Template	Download the Official English Article Template (.docx)
No APC Policy	https://creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/7

8.1  Files to Upload at Submission

Research Submissions — upload all four of the following:

• —(1) Main manuscript file (.docx) — abstract, keywords, body text, Works Cited; author names must NOT appear in this file
• —(2) Separate title page (.docx) — full paper title, all author names, affiliations, email addresses, ORCID iDs; not shared with reviewers
• —(3) Turnitin similarity report (PDF) — clearly showing the overall similarity percentage and matched sources
• —(4) Cover letter (recommended) — confirming originality, declaring any AI tool use, and summarising the paper’s contribution to the field

Creative Submissions — upload the following:

• —(1) Manuscript file (.docx) — complete creative work; contributor name must NOT appear within the body
• —(2) Separate title page (.docx) — title(s), contributor name, affiliation, biography (50–80 words), and email
• —(3) For translations only: source text in the original language as a separate file

8.2  Pre-Submission Checklist

Research contributors — confirm the following before submitting:

• ☐Manuscript is in Times New Roman 12pt, 1.5 spacing, fully justified, pages numbered
• ☐Title is in English only, does not exceed 12 words, and contains no special characters
• ☐Abstract is 150–250 words and covers all five required elements
• ☐Keywords (5–7) are provided below the abstract, separated by semicolons
• ☐Author names and affiliations do NOT appear in the main manuscript file
• ☐In-text citations and Works Cited follow MLA 9th edition throughout
• ☐Turnitin similarity report is attached — overall similarity at or below 10%
• ☐Paper is original, unpublished, and not under review elsewhere
• ☐Any AI tool use has been declared in the cover letter
• ☐I have read and agree to the Plagiarism Policy and the Terms and Conditions

Creative contributors — confirm the following before submitting:

• ☐Work is entirely original and unpublished in any form
• ☐Manuscript file is in Times New Roman 12pt, pages numbered
• ☐Contributor name does NOT appear within the manuscript file (title page is separate)
• ☐A contributor biography (50–80 words, third person) is included on the title page
• ☐For translations: source text and Translator’s Note are both included
• ☐For reviews: full bibliographic / production details appear at the top of the submission
• ☐Work has not been generated by AI tools

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Section 9

After Submission: Review and Decision

9.1  Research Submissions

Stage	Timeline	Description
Initial Screening	Within 7 days	Editor checks scope, format, Turnitin similarity, and originality; non-compliant submissions are returned
Double-Blind Peer Review	2–3 weeks	Assigned to at least two independent expert reviewers; both author and reviewer identities remain anonymous
Editorial Decision	Following review	Accept without revisions; Accept with minor revisions; Accept with major revisions (requires re-evaluation); or Reject
Author Revisions (if required)	1–2 weeks	Revised manuscript plus a point-by-point Response to Reviewers document addressing each comment individually
Final Decision	~5–7 weeks total	Editorial team evaluates the revised manuscript and issues a final decision

9.2  Creative Submissions

Creative submissions are reviewed by the editorial board. Contributors can expect an editorial decision within 6 to 8 weeks of submission. Possible outcomes are: Accept; Accept with minor revisions; or Decline. The editorial board’s decision on creative submissions is final. Due to the limited space available for creative content, rejection does not necessarily reflect on the literary quality of the work submitted.

9.3  Appeals — Research Only

Authors who believe a rejection decision was made in error may submit a written appeal to editor@creativesaplings.in with a clear written justification. Appeals are reviewed independently by the editorial board, and a final decision is communicated within 10 days. The outcome of an appeal is final.

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Section 10

Copyright and Licensing

Contributors retain full copyright in their own work. Creative Saplings does not claim copyright over published content. All content is published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). Under this licence, anyone may freely read, download, copy, distribute, print, and share the work for non-commercial purposes, provided the original authors and source are properly credited. Commercial use of published content is strictly prohibited.

Contributors grant Creative Saplings the non-exclusive right to publish, reproduce, and distribute the work in any format, including digital. Contributors warrant that the work is original, that they hold the right to publish it, and that it does not infringe any third-party copyright or intellectual property rights. In the event of copyright infringement, sole responsibility lies with the author(s).

Translators must additionally confirm that the source text is in the public domain or that written permission to translate and publish has been obtained from the copyright holder. Full licence details: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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Section 11

Useful Links

Journal Home	creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/
Submit a Manuscript	creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/about/submissions
Article Template (Download)	creativesaplings.in/Template.docx
Aims and Scope	creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/aims-scopes
Editorial Team	creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/23
Peer Review Policy	creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/2
Plagiarism Policy	creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/3
Publication Ethics	creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/4
Open Access Policy	creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/17
No APC Policy	creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/7
Retraction Policy	creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/retraction-policy
Terms and Conditions	creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/6
ORCID Registration	orcid.org
CC BY-NC 4.0 Licence	creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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Section 12

Publication Ethics

Creative Saplings follows the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): publicationethics.org. By submitting to this journal, all contributors confirm compliance with the following principles:

Principle	Requirement
Originality	The submitted work is the contributor’s own, original, unpublished work
No Dual Submission	The manuscript is not under review at any other journal or publication venue
Accurate Authorship	All listed authors made a genuine intellectual contribution; ghost, guest, and honorary authorship are prohibited
Textual Integrity	All quotations, evidence, and data are reported accurately and transparently
Plagiarism Compliance	Research submissions are checked with Turnitin; similarity must be at or below 10%
Conflict of Interest	Any financial or personal relationships that could influence the work must be disclosed in the cover letter
AI Disclosure	Any use of AI-assisted writing or editing tools must be declared in the cover letter
Corrections	Contributors who discover errors in published work must notify the editor promptly to arrange a correction or retraction

Full Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement: creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/4
Full Plagiarism Policy: creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/3

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Creative Saplings  ·  e-ISSN: 0974-536X  ·  editor@creativesaplings.in  ·  https://creativesaplings.in/index.php/1/  ·  COPE Compliant  ·  MLA Indexed  ·  Diamond Open Access