Lapis Lazuli: An International Literary Journal (LLILJ) is a refereed, International Bi-annual e-journal of emerging Literary and Linguistic perspectives in the contemporary literatures in English, published on behalf of PINTER SOCIETY OF INDIA and is designed to publish theoretical articles and book reviews on literature and language. Each issue will contain various pieces (academic and creative) on the major works of literatures in English or on topics related to literary interest presented in a lively and engaging style.

 

Article processing charge

 

• Publication Fee & Access Policy

  To support high-quality open access publishing, a one-time Article Processing Charge (APC) of  2500 INR for Indian Authors and 120 USD for  Foreign Authors is applicable only after a manuscript has successfully passed peer review and is formally accepted for publication.

  This charge encompasses all aspects of the publishing process, including:

• • Crossref DOI Assignment — Provides each article with a permanent, globally resolvable, and citable digital identifier.
  • Crossref Metadata Integration — Ensures seamless dissemination of article metadata across the Crossref network immediately upon DOI registration.

  • Editorial management and peer review coordination

  • Professional formatting and typesetting

  • Website hosting and technical maintenance

  • Inclusion in indexing services and promotion across relevant channels

  • Ongoing post-publication support

• Institutional Funding Fee: LLILJ  also accepts institutional funding for promotion and maintenance of the journal and its resources. This fee will be charged  after completion of the peer review process and acceptance of the article. Authors with institutional affiliation should declare funding opportunities and commitments at the time of submission and contact the Journal after the acceptance of the article. They may process the fee after completing the due process for disbursements.

Note:All Submissions are to be sent only through e-mail to the official mail id of the journal: <lapislazulijournal@gmail.com>

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SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Ø  Authors are requested to use the LLILJ Manuscript Template to format their manuscript.

Ø  The authors who wish to submit their papers in LLILJ are first strictly required to use the template file for the Blind Peer Review process. The papers which are not submitted in the given templates of LLILJ will not be taken into account for further editorial process. Links are given here:

1. Download Template-  BLIND PEER REVIEW LLILJ .
2. Download Template-Cover Letter LLILJ .

Ø  Publication is strictly subject to blind peer-review.

Ø  Submissions missing out on any criteria of the guidelines are liable to be rejected summarily. Please read the guidelines carefully before submitting: https://pintersociety.com/submission-guidelines/

Ø  All Submissions and queries are to be sent through e-mail ONLY to <lapislazulijournal@gmail.com>, and NOT to the personal email-ids of any editors or advisory board members or reviewers.

Ø  The journal has ZERO TOLERANCE towards any kind of plagiarism.

Ø If any case of plagiarism/ unethical academic malpractice is detected by the Journal at any stage or point in time, the Journal shall initiate strict and immediate action including, but not limited to: outright rejection, removal of the piece, blacklisting, public announcements, informing the parent institution of the author of such works.

• There are TWO distinct LEVELS of screening of submissions: editorial desk screening and, blind peer review by experts.
• Submissions missing out on any criteria of the guidelines are liable to be rejected summarily.
• In case of a rejected paper, you are requested to please wait for at least ONE  CYCLE before sending fresh submissions.

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Instructions for Contributors

The Journal welcomes high-quality, original research that advances scholarship in Literatures in English, Language Studies, Cultural Studies, Comparative Literature, Translation Studies, and related interdisciplinary fields. Authors are requested to prepare their manuscripts in accordance with the following standards before submission.

A. Before You Submit

By submitting a manuscript, the author(s) affirm that:

• the work is original and has not been published previously;
• the manuscript is not simultaneously under review by another journal or publisher;
• all sources have been appropriately acknowledged;
• the submission complies with accepted principles of research ethics and academic integrity.

Any manuscript found to contain plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct will be rejected.

B. Manuscript Organization

Every submission should include the following elements in order:

1. Title
2. Abstract
3. Keywords
4. Main Text
5. Endnotes (if applicable)
6. Works Cited

A separate title page containing author information must be emailed in the given Template-1,   and Blind Peer review  Template -2  for editorial use.

C. Title Page

The title page should contain:

• Full name of the author(s)
• Institutional affiliation
• ORCID iD (optional but encouraged)
• Email address for correspondence

To preserve anonymity during peer review, none of this information should appear in the manuscript file.

D. Abstract and Keywords

Each article must include:

• Abstract: 100–150 words summarizing the research problem, approach, and major conclusions.
• Keywords: 4–6 significant terms placed immediately after the abstract to facilitate indexing and searchability.

E. Length of Submission

The journal considers manuscripts of 3,000 words or more.

For optimal presentation and review, contributors are encouraged to keep their articles within 3,000–7000 words, including endnotes and the Works Cited section.

F. Document Formatting

To ensure consistency throughout the journal, manuscripts should follow these specifications:

Element	Specification
Font	Times New Roman
Title	14-point, Bold, Centered, Title Case
Main Text	12-point, Justified
Line Spacing	Single
Margins	1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides
Paragraphs	0.5-inch first-line indent with no extra spacing before or after

Authors should maintain uniform formatting throughout the document.

G. Citation and Documentation

The journal follows the MLA Handbook, 9th Edition.

Authors are expected to:

• use MLA style consistently for in-text citations;
• prepare a complete Works Cited section in MLA format;
• include only sources actually cited in the manuscript.

Where supplementary explanation is necessary, endnotes may be used. Endnotes must appear immediately before the Works Cited list. Footnotes will not be accepted.

H. Language Requirements

All submissions must be written in English.

Quotations taken from texts in other languages should be accompanied by an English translation within the manuscript to ensure accessibility for an international readership.

I. Tables, Figures, and Illustrative Material

Authors should:

• number tables and figures consecutively;
• provide descriptive captions;
• acknowledge all borrowed or reproduced material;
• obtain any required copyright permissions before submission.

Responsibility for permissions rests entirely with the author.

J. Artificial Intelligence and Writing Assistance

If generative Artificial Intelligence tools have been employed for drafting, editing, translation, or any other stage of manuscript preparation, their use must be disclosed transparently.

Such disclosure does not diminish the author’s responsibility for the originality, accuracy, interpretation, or scholarly quality of the submitted work.

K. Anonymous Peer Review

The journal operates a blind peer-review system.

Authors should carefully remove all identifying information from the manuscript, including:

• names and affiliations,
• acknowledgements,
• self-identifying references,
• document metadata,
• headers and footers containing personal information.

Failure to anonymize the manuscript may delay the review process.

L. Acceptable File Format

Manuscripts should be submitted exclusively as:

• Microsoft Word (.doc)
• Microsoft Word (.docx)

Files in other formats will not be processed.

M. Presentation Guidelines

For a clean and professional appearance, authors should avoid:

• coloured or decorative fonts;
• page borders or elaborate page designs;
• embedded hyperlinks;
• tracked changes or comments;
• excessive text formatting;
• author-identifying headers or footers.

N. Final Author Checklist

Prior to submission, authors are advised to verify that:

• the manuscript follows MLA (9th Edition);
• the abstract and keywords are included;
• references and citations are complete and accurate;
• spelling, grammar, and formatting have been thoroughly checked;
• all identifying information has been removed from the review copy;
• the file has been saved in Microsoft Word format.

Editorial Statement

Every submission undergoes an initial editorial desk screening followed by blind peer review. The Editorial Board reserves the right to make minor stylistic or formatting revisions to ensure consistency with the journal’s publication standards.

Submission of a manuscript signifies the author’s acceptance of the journal’s editorial policies, publication ethics, and copyright requirements.

Authors are encouraged to consult the latest edition of the MLA Handbook (9th Edition) before submission to ensure full compliance with internationally recognized standards of scholarly writing and documentation.

SUBMISSION PROCEDURE

1) Submissions will be entertained ONLY AS EMAIL ATTACHMENTS. Submissions should be mailed latest by midnight of the specified date in the given template

2)  The submissions should not contain any kind of inflammatory, derogatory or pornographic content, which shall immediately be rejected.

3) All submissions must mention the details in the subject line: “(Research Paper/Poetry/Fiction/Book review/Interview) Submission for (Spring/Autumn) Issue of Lapis Lazuli” [using whichever is applicable] and mailed to <lapislazulijournal@gmail.com>. PDF documents are not preferred.

4) Acknowledgement of a submission will be communicated within a few hours of submission. In the unlikely case of an acknowledgement not received within a day, authors are requested to resend the mail.

PEER REVIEW PROCEDURE, ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION

1) All submissions will be subjected to Blind Peer-review, meaning the identity of the author and the reviewer will be unknown to either of them, in the spirit of ethical academic publication.

2) Submissions will be accepted till midnight of the last date specified for each issue, and no submission will be accepted thereafter, on any grounds: whether technical or personal. Authors are requested to submit their works well in time. Submission deadline would be generally be 30th April for the Spring issue, and 30th October for the Autumn issue. The decision to extend the deadlines would rest solely with the editors.

3) The Blind Peer-review process will ideally be completed within a month AFTER the last date for submission/deadline.

4) Acceptance/request for revision of the submitted work will be communicated to the authors a month prior to publication. We do not  intimate rejections unless specifically inquired for.

Publication Ethics

 

At Lapis Lazuli – An International Literary Journal, maintaining the highest standards of originality and ethical publishing is of utmost importance. We hold a steadfast zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism. We require all contributors to affirm the originality of their work, confirming that it has not been plagiarized from any source and has not been previously published. Simultaneous submissions to other publications are also discouraged.

We strongly advise our esteemed authors to meticulously review their submissions prior to sending them for publication. While we suggest employing plagiarism-checking software as a preliminary measure, it’s important to note that these tools, though useful, may not be infallible. Authors are encouraged to utilize the licensed plagiarism-checking software endorsed by their respective institutions or universities.

Author Responsibilities

Upon submitting their work to LLILJ, authors attest to its originality, confirming that it has not been copied from any source. Additionally, authors affirm that their work is not previously published or concurrently under consideration elsewhere. Collaborative efforts must be explicitly indicated, with authorship limited to individuals who have substantially contributed to the work’s development. All significant contributors should be acknowledged as co-authors.

Authors have a responsibility to promptly notify the journal’s Editorial Board if any substantial errors are identified in their published work. Corrective measures or retractions will be taken as appropriate. If an article is returned to the author for revisions based on peer review feedback, timely adjustments must be made, and the revised submission must be resubmitted within the stipulated timeframe provided by the editor.

 

Appropriate Attribution and Acknowledgement

The corresponding author is tasked with ensuring:

a. The Manuscript’s Authenticity: The submitted manuscript must represent genuine research work created by the designated author/s.

b. Author Awareness: All co-authors are informed about the manuscript’s submission and are in agreement with the content and its submission for publication.

c. Permission for Publication: Necessary permissions are secured from all co-authors before the work is published.

d. Adequate Author Recognition: The contributions of each author are suitably acknowledged to reflect their individual roles in the research endeavor.

e. Acknowledgement of Contributions: Additionally, contributions made by individuals or entities that enhance the work in any capacity must be duly acknowledged.

f. Resolution of Conflicts of Interest: The Conflicts of Interest document is accurately completed, signed, and timely submitted to us.

 

In summary, it is the duty of the corresponding author to uphold the principles of authorship and ethical publication. This involves guaranteeing the originality of the submitted work, facilitating collaboration and agreement among co-authors, securing permissions for publication, giving appropriate credit to each contributor, acknowledging external contributions, and ensuring the correct submission of Conflict-of-Interest documents. These measures collectively contribute to the promotion of transparency, fairness, and ethical conduct in the realm of academic and creative publication.

Editor Responsibilities

The role of our editors encompasses evaluating submitted papers based on academic merit and alignment with the journal’s aims and scope. Information regarding submitted manuscripts is confidential and shared only with the corresponding author, reviewers, and relevant members of the editorial board. Editors are committed to expeditious management of the review process.

The merit of manuscripts is evaluated solely on intellectual grounds, devoid of considerations related to gender, caste, religion, nationality, ethnicity, race, or sexual orientation. If our editors or peer reviewers detect any instance of plagiarism during any stage of the publication process, the submission will be promptly declined, and the author will be duly notified.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The decision of the Editorial Board will be binding and final.

Any change of address/designation or discrepancies in publication should be notified immediately to LAPIS LAZULI: AN INTERNATIONAL LITERARY JOURNAL and PINTER SOCIETY OF INDIA via email to <lapislazulijournal@gmail.com>.

Please note that LAPIS LAZULI :AN INTERNATIONAL LITERARY JOURNAL and PINTER SOCIETY OF INDIA do not retain copies of rejected articles.