Call for Contributions 

A special issue of the Rappahannock Writers’ Journal is planned for this fall to honor its founder, Peter Hornbostel, who passed away on August 2, 2026. Peter will be remembered as a former lawyer, art director, wildly colorful character, and master storyteller.

We are currently soliciting material for our fourth issue. We accept general interest material, both fiction and non-fiction. Submission topics can be wide-ranging: human interest pieces, short biographies, humor, poems and even scholarly articles. You can describe how you discovered the county or write about your special hobbies or interests. Authors retain full copyrights to their material.

Guidelines for submissions are found below. Contributions for this next issue must be received by November 1, 2026.

Welcome to the third edition of the Rappahannock Writers’ Journal. Everyone who lives in Rappahannock County, Virginia, knows it is a special place. In addition to the county’s unspoiled natural beauty, it is home to numerous wineries, breweries, artists, and artisans. It hosts very popular annual art and farm tours. Community theater is alive and well here.

The county is also full of gifted writers. Until now, however, there have been few places to publish their work. That’s why we decided Rappahannock County needed a journal that would permit county residents from all walks of life to see their creations in print.

Initial funding for this project was provided by RAAC’s Claudia Mitchell Fund which provides grants to support local artists.

— Peter Hornbostel, Chairman of the Board

Order the third Issue
Order Issue 1
Order Issue 2

Submission Guidelines

All residents, including school-aged children, living in Rappahannock County are encouraged to submit pieces for future issues. Because of the nature of this publication, brevity is preferred. The subject matter can be anything that might be of interest to others, including biography, personal experiences, humor, short stories, and poetry. The work can be educational, inspirational, or contemplative. All submissions will be considered for publication as long as the material does not involve divisive topics or contain inappropriate language. Submitting a piece to this journal will be viewed as express permission to use the material in a future edition. All copyrights, however, will be retained by the author. Writers will be notified of any edits made to their submissions prior to publication.

Specific submission requirements:

  1. Submissions must be 2,500 words or less and include (in the body of the story) the author’s name, e-mail address, and contact phone number.
  2. Submissions must be sent as an e-mail attachment in either Word (.doc, .docx) or text (.txt) format to rappahannockjournal@gmail.com.
  3. Authors may include an optional bio (150 words or less) that will appear on all material we are able to use.

 

Copyright © 2026 Rappahannock Writers’ Journal