Published since 1951, Montana The Magazine of Western History showcases the people, places, and events that shaped the state and the western region. In addition to scholarly feature articles, the magazine includes book reviews, commentaries on historical events and people, and advertising relevant to the West.
The best guide for submitting work to Montana is a recent issue of our magazine, but generally we follow the latest revised edition of the Chicago Manual of Style.
How to Submit a Proposal to the Montana Historical Society Press
The Montana Historical Society Press invites proposals for books about Montana, northern Plains, and Rocky Mountain history. We seek books that are well written, meticulously researched, and that make a significant contribution to the field of Western history.
If you are interested in publishing with the Montana Historical Society Press, please submit a proposal that includes the following:
1. Your curriculum vitae, including your contact information, occupation, education, and any previous publications (books and/or articles)
2. A summary of your project, including the main argument (300 words), a table of contents, and outline of each chapter
3. Your contribution to the field and a list of comparable books
4. Your anticipated audience for the book
5. Word and page count, including notes and bibliography
6. Number and type of illustrations or tables (black and white, color, maps, etc.) you hope to include in the book
7. Timeline for completion
8. Sample chapters (one or two), that are representative of the work
Please submit your proposal via our online portal at: Montana The Magazine of Western History and MHS Press site: https://mhspublications.submittable.com/submit
Direct any questions to:
Diana Di Stefano
Editor
diana.distefano@mt.gov
Manuscripts for Montana The Magazine of Western History articles are submitted to peer review and must show evidence of original research on significant facets of history or provide a new interpretation of historical events that changes the way we view a particular historical topic. A rewriting of standard incidents generally available in other sources will not be accepted. Manuscripts should be previously unpublished and must include endnotes.
In the cover letter of your submission, please include the title of your article, your full contact information, and a one to three-sentence bio.
If your article is judged appropriate for Montana, we will submit it to anonymous review; that is, a blind copy of your manuscript will be sent out-of-house for evaluation, usually to two experts in the field. Upon receiving their comments, we will forward a summary of the readers' reports to you with our determination. The process usually takes six to eight weeks.
Style Guide:
Montana The Magazine of Western History adheres to the guidelines of Chicago Manual of Style. Please refer to CMOS for formatting notes.
- Manuscript should be submitted as a WORD document, 5000–8000 words (excluding notes).
- Please format the entire document in Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins.
- Place title and author at top of first page, no special formatting. No title page is needed.
- Do not include any headers or footers, other than page numbers (bottom of page, right).
- Notes can be footnotes or endnotes, and should be done in WORD using the “Insert Endnote” feature under the “References” tab. Please do not number notes manually or as a separate document. Please consult Chicago Manual of Style for formatting.
- No ibids. Please change all ibids in notes to full citations. This ensures that no “ibid” gets parted from its parent during editing. After editing, we can change to ibid or an abbreviated citation where needed.
- Also, in the notes: Use this date format: Jan. 15, 2019 rather than 15 January 2019. Abbreviate months (Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.) Newspaper articles need full article title in quotation marks, Newspaper, City (if not indicated), state in parentheses if not MT, date of article. No page number or author is needed. (Example: “Massacre or Battle?” Anaconda Standard, Feb. 1, 1867.)
Please email with any concerns or questions, as we are happy to assist you as you prepare your manuscript for consideration by MMWH. Contact: Diana Di Stefano (Diana.DiStefano@mt.gov, 406-444-0090).
The magazine’s Commentary section seeks to place contemporary issues within historical context, shedding new light on topics of historical significance. Commentaries give writers a chance to reflect on their role as historians, what influences their work, and why understanding the past is critical to knowing our place in the present.
Commentaries range from 1500 to 500 words long, doubled-spaced, and must be relevant to Montana or the West. In the heading of your submission, include your name and title/affiliation as you'd like it to appear in the magazine.
The best style guide for Montana is a recent issue of our magazine, but generally we follow the latest revised edition of the Chicago Manual of Style.