Contributor Information

The American Whitewater Journal is a volunteer publication that relies on paddlers to submit the stories and photos that make up its content. We publish articles that are less than 3,000 words long, though exceptions do exist.

We’ve made it easier than ever to submit your work for publication via our Journal Submission Form.

Individual issues of American Whitewater are not concentrated on a single topic, but rather offer something for everyone. American Whitewater publishes stories on a variety of topics related to whitewater rivers. Below is a list of topics that we have received stories on in the past. If you would like to write about a topic that you do not see in this list, please do so, or feel free to contact the editor before submitting.

Deadlines for our issues are listed below. While we will not necessarily publish everything we receive on a topic in the same issue, submitting contributions before a deadline will make it easier for us to find placement for them in the Journal. Please be advised that several months may elapse between the time a story is submitted and the time it appears in print. Please see deadlines below:

Please read the following carefully before submitting any articles and/or photos to American Whitewater. All text should be submitted as Google Docs. Be sure the sharing settings allow the editor@americanwhitewater.org account editing privileges. Please do not alter the margins or spacing parameters; use Google's standard default settings. In the layout process, article formatting will be lost, so please don't put effort into your written story’s appearance in the document you submit.

All photos should be submitted as digital files (both .jpeg and .tiff format accepted). Higher resolution photos make it possible to print your pictures at larger sizes (1 megabyte per photo is the minimum recommended file size). American Whitewater does not have the ability to scan slides, photos, or negatives in high resolution; scanning your own photos and sending them to us digitally helps us use them and also ensures that your art is not lost in transit. All photo submissions should be made through our Journal Submission Form.

In articles written for American Whitewater, profanity should be avoided in almost every case; this publication serves a wide range of readers, and we will not compromise its dedication to young or sensitive readers for the sake of a single discourteous article—no matter how many other redeeming qualities it may posses. Please check all facts carefully, particularly those regarding individuals, government agencies, and corporations involved in river access and environmental matters. You are legally responsible for the accuracy of such material.

Articles will be edited at the discretion of the editors to fit our format, length, and style. Our production schedule limits an author’s ability to review the editorial changes made prior to publication. Expect to see changes in your article. If you don’t want us to edit your article, please don’t send it. American Whitewater is a nonprofit organization with a mission “to conserve and restore America’s whitewater resources and to enhance opportunities to enjoy them safely.” Our publication is fully dependent on volunteer writers and photographers, like you, who do not expect reimbursement for publishing their material.

Email the Community Contributions Editor, Emerald LaFortune, at editor@americanwhitewater.org.