When I joined Sigma Tau Delta in 2024, I had very little idea of what lay in store. I simply sent an email confirming my interest, promptly received a warm welcome, and was invited to the induction ceremony that, until its commencement, I couldn’t stop thinking about. Will I get along with the members? I wondered. What kinds of activities will we do? And, perhaps most importantly, Will the catered food be any good?
When I arrived at the ceremony, I was at once relieved and excited to find that the members were friendly, the schedule was full of opportunities, and, yes, the food was quite good. However, I now recognize that these were the wrong questions. A different question would have better prepared me for the journey to come. It’s been over a year since I joined this Society, during which I presented at the annual convention, submitted to the Rectangle, and became close friends with Sigma Tau Delta members, alumni, and staff. I have found valuable expertise among my peers, as well as immense gratitude and joy from the publication opportunities this organization offers. With this in mind, if I could return to the days preceding my induction ceremony, I wouldn’t worry about fitting in, or the quality of the food. Instead, I would ask myself, How will I change?
There are so many answers. At the 2025 Convention, I confronted the edges of my comfort zone as I spoke with a wide variety of writers, professors, and researchers. Not only did I gain valuable insight into the academic and publishing worlds, but I learned how poets such as Natalie Diaz and Diana Khoi Nguyen tackled challenges inherent to writing. How can we represent our cultures authentically yet accessibly, personally yet relatably? How can we use a poem’s form to best capture a feeling? What do we foreground in writing, what do we understate, and how do we choose? The conference gave me much to chew on while editing poems to submit to the Rectangle, a process that changed both how I view my poetry and how I view myself. I have always been very critical of my writing—I’d spend an hour or so reading then re-reading each line, crafting poems word by word. However, after listening to the authors at the convention, I decided to tweak my editing process. Instead of starting small, I started big, noting prominent themes and motifs, emphasizing them to create a sense of continuity. I found it refreshing, invigorating—I’d discovered a new pair of eyes through which to view my writing.
Of course, yet another change occurred after receiving the email. Congratulations! it read, and my hand flew to my mouth as soon as I saw my name, bolded, right next to the E. Nelson James Poetry Award. I’ll admit—writing can be a tenuous thing. Because it’s so subjective, so deeply personal, it’s difficult to recognize when you’ve produced something of quality. Will the editors like the language? I often worry. Will they understand it? Is this even worth understanding? When I clicked that submit button, similar concerns plagued me.
But, yet again, those were the wrong questions.
It’s November 30, 5 p.m. A cold front has swept through Texas like a bad mood, and I’m inside, finishing up this essay. I feel intense gratitude for the award, and amazement, and even the beginnings of ambition. The award, my time at Sigma Tau Delta, has changed me—I feel a bit more confident, a bit more capable, like I’ve taken the next step in a series of who knows how many steps. The first lines of a new poem brew in the back of my mind. Something about my grandparents and their wrinkled smiles.
How will it change me? I wonder. When I finish that poem, what new person will I become?
Marcus Tsai
E. Nelson James Poetry Award Recipient for “Know Me,” published in the 2026 Sigma Tau Delta Rectangle (pp. 132)
Alpha Psi Nu Chapter
The University of Texas at Dallas
Journal Submissions
Annually, Sigma Tau Delta publishes two journals to distribute the best writing and criticism produced by active members of the Society.
Undergraduate and graduate students who are enrolled through the spring semester and are members of active Sigma Tau Delta chapters are invited to submit their work to the Sigma Tau Delta Review and the Sigma Tau Delta Rectangle. Chapter Advisors, faculty members, alumni, and honorary members are not eligible to submit.
Sigma Tau Delta Rectangle (founded in 1931) is an annual journal of creative writing—fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Submissions should not exceed 2,500 words. Members whose works are published also may participate in a reading at the annual Sigma Tau Delta convention.
Sigma Tau Delta Review (founded in 2005) is an annual journal that publishes critical essays on literature and rhetoric/composition and essays devoted to pedagogical topics. Submissions should not exceed 3,000 words, excluding notes and works cited. Critical essays follow the style guidelines as defined in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (latest edition).
Claim your copies of the 2026 Sigma Tau Delta Rectangleand Sigma Tau Delta Reviewto read samples of the quality of work habitually accepted for publication.
Submission Guidelines
Learn more about guidelines for submissions including eligibility, formatting, and acceptance notification.
View: Submission Guidelines
Submission Instructions
Find out what application materials you must have prepared when you begin the submission process.
View: Submission Instructions
Submission FAQs
Learn tips about successful journal submissions as well as specifics for each journal and information about the publication in general.
View: Submission FAQs
Publication Archive
View: Current and Past Publications
Publication and Awards
These two journals are refereed, with faculty reviewers from around the world selecting works to be published. The journals have had illustrious head judges including Jane Brox, Henri Cole, Jim Daniels, W. D. Earhardt, CJ Hribal, Kyoko Mori, Lisa Russ Spaar, and Mako Yoshikawa.
The Sigma Tau Delta journals are catalogued with the Library of Congress.
The best writings in each category are acknowledged with five awards (each $500):
- E. Nelson James Poetry Award
- Eleanor B. North Poetry Award
- Frederic Fadner Critical Essay Award
- Herbert L. Hughes Short Story Award
- Elizabeth Holtze Creative Nonfiction Award
Award Winners
View: Past Award Winners
How to Apply & Deadlines
Submissions for the Sigma Tau Delta journals are accepted through AwardSpring during the Spring Awards Cycle, which is open March 16 – April 13, 2026, 4 p.m. CT.
Past Journal Submission Blogs
Check out blog posts submitted by former Sigma Tau Delta student members who have been published in the Sigma Tau Delta journals to gain inspiration for your journal submission.
View: Past Journal Submission Blogs
Sigma Tau Delta
Sigma Tau Delta, International English Honor Society, was founded in 1924 at Dakota Wesleyan University. The Society strives to
- Confer distinction for high achievement in English language and literature in undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies;
- Provide, through its local chapters, cultural stimulation on college campuses and promote interest in literature and the English language in surrounding communities;
- Foster all aspects of the discipline of English, including literature, language, and writing;
- Promote exemplary character and good fellowship among its members;
- Exhibit high standards of academic excellence; and
- Serve society by fostering literacy.
With over 900 active chapters located in the United States and abroad, there are more than 1,000 Faculty Advisors, and approximately 9,000 members inducted annually.
Sigma Tau Delta also recognizes the accomplishments of professional writers who have contributed to the fields of language and literature.
