The Bell Tower Arts Journal is a collaboration among the English, Art, and Visual Communications Departments and highlights the literary and artistic works of TJC students. The award-winning Bell Tower Arts Journal is sponsored by the Psi Gamma – Tyler Chapter of Sigma Kappa Delta (SKD), the National English Honor Society, and is supported by the school of Humanities, Communications, and Fine Arts (HCFA). The Bell Tower Arts Journal is entirely student generated. Students design the cover and layout each year; only student works are considered for publication. Students are even part of the selection process. This is all thanks to the stellar Visual Communications Department which has coupled core objectives with creating a real journal.
Editorial Guidelines
Please carefully read the guidelines below. In submitting a work for consideration, the writer or artist agrees to abide by the editorial guidelines. Failure to adhere to the guidelines will result in automatic disqualification from the journal.
General guidelines
Our goal is to create a publication that is a high-quality, content-rich source of literary and artistic expression on a wide range of topics and themes. Therefore, we seek unique, insightful work displaying vivid, lively language and artistic skill.
Students are limited to three submissions in total. Submissions must be the original work of the student writer or artist. We do not accept previously published or plagiarized (Plagiarism Overview - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University) work.
We are committed to publishing stories and art created and edited by humans. We reserve the right to reject any submission we suspect is primarily generated or created by language modeling software, ChatGPT, chatbots, or any other AI apps, bots, or software.
While we strongly support intellectual freedom as the right of every individual from all points of view, we do not accept work that is pornographic, profane, exploitative, or that seeks to cause injury to an individual or group. Students should reach out to the editor if they have questions about the nature of their piece.
We have a zero-tolerance policy for AI generated submissions of any medium. This includes (but is not limited to), poetry, creative writing, essays, columns, and all mediums of art & photography. Any individuals found to be submitting AI-generated work will be disqualified from the process.
All submissions, whether literary or other, must save and upload each submission as lastname_titleofwork (Example: Minkel_DesertRun)
Different file types and upload instructions are on the submission instruction page(s). Students whose visual or literary artwork is published in The Bell Tower Arts Journal retain all copyrights to their work. Upon submission, students grant TJC permission to use any literary and visual artwork as a promotional tool for the journal. Students will not be compensated for this.
Art & Photography Submission Guidelines
Please carefully read the guidelines below. In submitting a work for consideration, the writer or artist agrees to abide by the editorial guidelines. Failure to adhere to the guidelines will result in automatic disqualification from the journal.
Fine Art Guidelines
This category could include:
- Painting
- Illustration
- Drawing
- Digital Art
- Other
In the interest of fairness, the judges should not know the identity of the artist when evaluating the artwork. Please conceal personally identifying info, such as an artist's signature, from your artwork(s). If your artwork is selected for publication in the journal, you may be asked for a version with the signature unhidden.
Certain works deemed pornographic, violent, or otherwise unacceptable for publication will not be considered for publication.
We are committed to publishing stories and art created and edited by humans. We reserve the right to reject any submission we suspect is primarily generated or created by language modeling software, ChatGPT, chatbots, or any other AI apps, bots, or software.
Photography Guidelines
This category could include:
- Landscape
- People
- Art
- Other
In the interest of fairness, the judges should not know the identity of the artist when evaluating the artwork. Please conceal personally identifying info, such as an artist's signature, from your artwork(s). If your artwork is selected for publication in the journal, you may be asked for a version with the signature unhidden.
Within legal parameters, certain works deemed pornographic, violent, or otherwise unacceptable for publication will not be considered.
Submission File Type
The quality of the image you submit of your artwork matters. While we appreciate that not everyone is a photographer, in the design/layout stage of creating the journal, we can “fudge the image a little” to enlarge a photograph, but we do so at the risk of losing detail. So, this is not our preference. Therefore, please submit the best photo you are able to take or solicit the help of a photographer to help provide the best photo of your artwork.
Please create and submit a high-resolution image of your artwork using these tips/instructions for submitting high-resolution files. Here is instructions text to resize photos.
The files must be no bigger than 8x10 with a resolution of 300ppi or 300 ppi in Photoshop. Ideally, they would be saved in the CMYK format instead of RGB. If you cannot access Photoshop, please see the tips/instructions for submitting high-resolution files. (link)
Save and attach all fine art and photography submissions as lastname_titleofwork (Example: Minkel_BigLove)
*Any errors on the submission form will result in automatic disqualification from the journal. Failure to follow submission upload instructions will also result in disqualification. Pay attention to detail. Contact Regan Minkel (rmin@tjc.edu) or Torrey Wylie (twyl@tjc.edu) with any questions about fine art and photography submissions.
Literary Submission Guidelines
Prose Guidelines
Works of short fiction or essays should be no longer than three pages in length and must conform to the accepted grammatical standards of American English.
Manuscripts must be typed and submitted according to the following guidelines:
- Microsoft Word document only
- Double-spaced text
- Size 12 font only
- Numbered pages
- Full name, top right
- Title of work, center
- All outside sources used must be properly documented according to MLA style (MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics - Purdue OWL® - Purdue University)
Prose works will be edited for clarity, grammatical precision, and space. When extensive revision is required, the manuscript will be returned to the author for approval.
Poetry Guidelines
We are looking for well-crafted poetry, both formal and free verse, which exhibits artistic skill with language. Poems should meet the accepted grammatical standards of American English in so far as doing so does not compromise the artistic intent of the poet. Poems must be typed and submitted according to the following guidelines:
- Microsoft Word document only
- Full name, top right
- Title of work, center
- Single-spaced text; double spacing between stanzas; size 12 font only
- Numbered pages
Save and attach all literary submissions as a Word document saved as: lastname_titleofwork (example: Minkel_BigLove)