Book Review Submission Guidelines

As a graduate journal based in the Rice University Department of Art History, Ars Noctuae is dedicated to supporting emerging scholars in art history and visual and material cultures through rigorous yet accessible publishing opportunities. The following guidelines outline expectations for book reviews submitted by graduate students. 

​Eligibility and Scope
  • Submissions are welcome from MA and PhD students at any stage of study, whether from Art History or a related discipline.
  • Books reviewed should be recent scholarly publications (within the last 3 years).
  • Reviews must be relevant to art history, visual culture, or material culture. Interdisciplinary publications are welcome, provided their relevance to art-historical or material inquiry is clearly articulated.

Length and Format
  • Reviews should be 500–1,000 words.
  • Submissions should be written in clear, professional prose appropriate for a scholarly audience.
  • Reviews should not be previously published or under consideration elsewhere.

Content and Structure
Reviews should evince critical rigor and balance detailed description of the publication with critical, analytical assessment of its contribution to the field.
A strong review will include:
  1. Bibliographic Header
    • Author(s)/Editor(s)
    • Title (italicized)
    • Place of publication: Publisher, year
    • Page count, number of illustrations (if relevant), price (if available)
  2. Overview of the Project
    • A concise account of the book’s central argument, scope, and structure.
    • Identification of the author’s research questions, sources, and methodological approach.
  3. Critical Analysis
    • Evaluation of the book’s contribution to existing scholarship.
    • Attention to the author’s use of materials, objects, images, archives, or technical processes, where applicable.
    • Consideration of the book’s strengths, limitations, and interventions, grounded in evidence from the text.
  4. Scholarly Context and Audience
    • Situate the book within relevant historiography or interdisciplinary debates.
    • Indicate the audiences for whom the book will be most useful (e.g., specialists, students, interdisciplinary readers).

Tone and Approach
  • Personal language should be avoided.
  • Critique should be constructive and professional, avoiding overly harsh critique and overwhelming praise.

Citations and Style
  • Reviews should follow the Chicago Manual of Style (notes and bibliography).
  • Formal footnotes are generally unnecessary; references to other works may be incorporated sparingly and clearly in the text.
  • Quotations from the book under review should be limited.

Images
  • Images are typically not required for book reviews.
  • If images are essential to the argument of the review, contributors will be expected to secure permissions themselves.

Review Process
  • Book reviews are reviewed by the editorial board.
  • Authors may be asked to revise their submissions in response to editorial feedback.
  • Acceptance is contingent on meeting the journal’s scholarly standards.

Submission Instructions
  • Please submit reviews as word documents (.doc or .docx)
  • Reviews should be submitted by email to [email protected] with the subject “Book Review Submission”

​Questions about book review submissions may be directed to [email protected].