For Authors

Manuscripts and communications should be addressed to:

Initial Submissions

Manuscripts for consideration should be submitted to the Editor at the above email address. 

For review purposes, please submit the following:

• A single PDF with all the elements of the manuscript (title, abstract, text, notes, references, tables, figure captions, and figures). Be sure to use footnotes, not endnotes; number all pages consecutively; and label each figure with its figure number or figure number and caption. Abstracts are required and should be 115 words or less. Do not include individual image or table files; all images and tables should be incorporated within the single PDF.
• A completed and signed Checklist for Initial Manuscript Submission (found below).
• A cover letter that specifies (1) the authors of the submitted manuscript and their affiliations and contact information; (2) the names of any other scholars who have read the manuscript.
• A letter of recommendation from the current director of record (if the manuscript contains primary material from an excavation that is being published for the first time).

To the extent possible, manuscripts should be prepared in such a way as to maintain the anonymity of the author. Although we do not insist that authors conform to our house style when initially submitting their manuscripts for review, footnote citations should be formatted in an author + date format, with a full reference list provided at the end of the text. You may find our Author Guidelines useful (available below). Please do not submit original artwork or individual digital figure files at this stage.

Articles estimated to be longer than 76 (published) pages will not be considered. To estimate the published length of a manuscript, assume ca. 600 words per printed Hesperia page and then add pages as needed for illustrations and tables.

Review Process

Hesperia conducts double-anonymized peer review. Copies of the manuscript are sent to two outside referees. The review process may take up to three to four months. Delays are possible due to the continuing effects of the pandemic. After the reviews are received, authors are advised of the Editor’s decision to accept, reject, or request changes to the article, and of the substance of the referees’ comments. In the case of conflicting reviews, the Editor may solicit a third review, which could add time to the review process.

To facilitate transparency and manuscript preparation, the Referee Guidelines sent to reviewers may be viewed in advance. These Guidelines show the specific points we ask reviewers to address in their reports.

Accepted Manuscripts

Authors whose manuscripts have been accepted should download Author Guidelines, the Checklist for Final Submission, and an Art Inventory Form (available below). The Editor will provide a detailed editorial assessment along with the acceptance letter and copies of the referee reports.

Once the necessary revisions have been made, final manuscripts should be submitted to the Editor at the address above. Please include the following: 

• A complete digital copy of the manuscript, with a separate Word file for each component of the manuscript (abstract/text/endnotes, caption list, reference list). Any tables should be submitted as individual Word files.
• The final artwork for production, with each file name labeled by figure number.
• Physical printouts of the manuscript and artwork; these must be identical to the digital files.
• A completed Author Warranty.
• A completed and signed Checklist for Final Manuscript Submission.
• A completed Art Inventory form.
• All necessary permissions to reproduce artwork or long text extracts.
• A cover letter detailing the revisions made to the manuscript.

Completed manuscripts must incorporate all requested changes and conform to the Author Guidelines.

Both text and notes should be double-spaced, single-sided, and in a consistent font type (we prefer 12-point Times New Roman for English and KadmosU for Greek). Use endnotes rather than footnotes. Margins of 1 in. (2.5 cm) should be left on all edges of the page. 

A manuscript will not be accepted for production until all requested revisions, all illustrations, and all permissions have been received by the Editor. Once the revised manuscript has been approved and accepted, the manuscript will enter the production queue. 

Offprint Policy

Authors will be supplied with a full-color digital PDF of their article upon publication for personal, non-commercial use.

Open Access

Hesperia supports self-archiving, or Green Open Access. Authors may post a copy of their final paginated version (published in the journal) in their funding agency’s or affiliated institution’s secure digital repository.

Authors may not post the pre-print (original manuscript before peer review) or the post-print (final accepted version; i.e., after peer-review but without formal copyediting and typesetting) versions of the manuscript without consulting the Editor. Considerations will be made in cases where the deposit of either version is required to fulfill the contracted terms with funding agencies. Uncorrected, watermarked page proofs should not be deposited at any time. 

Non-Affiliated Repositories: Only the title page and a link to the version of record on JSTOR or Project MUSE may be posted in an institutional repository that is not affiliated with the author or on for-profit networking sites.