Where Hidden Histories Meet Machine Futures
Illuminati Press Journal is an open-access, peer-reviewed venue for the dark corners of media studies: witch-hunt pamphlets, blockchain scriptoriums, AI-generated psalms, forgotten typographic sigils—anything that reveals how knowledge is filtered, encrypted, or commodified. We sit at the intersection of archival dust, GPU heat, and a stubborn belief in human voice.
Open‑access • Peer‑reviewed • ISSN pending
Mission
A modern literary journal for the curious, the skeptical, and the would-be contributor
Illuminati Press Journal (IPJ) publishes rigorous scholarship on hidden histories of publishing, esoteric media, and digital‐age textual forensics. We illuminate the unseen mechanisms by which knowledge is produced, controlled, and remixed—from Renaissance occult pamphlets to block‑chain scriptoriums.
Articles: We welcome well-researched thought pieces on modernity, humanity and artificial intelligence; and how those topics blur in scary or novel ways. We love technological creativity and we respect that any hidden dangers are human by nature.
If we love your article idea we’ll publish it on the blog here for $25, and if it gets chosen for our journal we’ll pay $150. It’s not much, unfortunately, but you’ll also be leveraging our platform to make sure your content reaches the right audience.
We’re also working on university accreditation to meet any graduate degree requirements; the majority of literary presses tend to be tame and old-fashioned, and we know creative but unorthodox positions or inquiries may have trouble finding an outlet: we exist for that reason.
1 | Why we exist
- Knowledge wants to be free, but gatekeepers keep inventing subtler locks.
- Anonymity is a civil-liberties right, not a sin. The EFF calls it “a shield from the tyranny of the majority.”
- Machine learning is devouring textual heritage; someone should audit what it eats.
- “Nonsense” and “truth” co-evolve. Ignoring conspiracy folklore lets it fossilise; dissecting it with primary sources teaches epistemic hygiene.
2 | Five pillars we publish under
| Pillar | Typical Headline |
|---|---|
| AI & Humanity | When AI Prays: Chapels, Confession Apps, and the Algorithmic Soul |
| Illuminati & Esoterica | Hidden Logos: Hermetic Branding Inside Big Tech |
| Education & Radical Learning | Memory Palaces in VR: MindRooms for Quest 4 |
| Art, Writing & Creativity | Prompt Grimoires: Renaissance Magic for Generative Models |
| Ancient Secrets & Modern Mysteries | AI-Decoded Voynich: Hype vs. Philology |
Each deep-dive runs 2,500-3,000 words, cites 3 rock-solid source per claim, and weaves modern case studies with archival finds.
3 | The journal at a glance
- Title: Illuminati Press Journal of Esoteric Media Studies
- Scope: Hidden information circuits, 1500 → tomorrow
- Frequency: Biannual (print & DRM-free PDF)
- Access Model: Diamond OA – no APCs, ever
- ISSN target: May 2026
4 | Call for Papers (Vol 2 / 2027)
Theme: Shadow Networks & Open Circuits of Knowledge 1500 – 2050
Deadline: 30 June 2026
Articles: 6 000–9 000 words
Research notes: 2 000 words
Submit: journal.illuminatipress.com/submit
Questions: editorial@illuminatipress.com
Suggested angles range from esoteric printing guilds to AI-driven textual forensics on apocrypha. We favour original primary-source work and creative DH methods.
Call for Papers · Volume 1 (2026)
- Theme: Shadow Networks & Open Circuits of Knowledge 1500–2050
- Deadline: 30 June 2026
- Article length: 6 000–9 000 words (Chicago notes‑and‑bibliography)
- Research notes: 2 000 words
- Submit via: journal.illuminatipress.com/submit
- Contact: editorial@illuminatipress.com
Suggested topics: • printing‑press subterfuge, 1500–1800 • AI textual forensics • censorship circumvention in Web3 • typographic talismans • clandestine archives & dark web libraries
Submission Guidelines (Author Quick‑Start)
- Format DOCX or LaTeX; 12‑pt Garamond; double‑spaced.
- Abstract 150–200 words + five keywords.
- Figures TIFF/PNG 300 dpi; supply alt‑text.
- Reference Style Chicago 17th (notes & bibliography).
- Licensing All accepted work published under CC‑BY 4.0.
Upload blinded manuscript + cover sheet (names, ORCID, funding) via the online portal.
5 | Peer-review ethics
- Double-blind (author↔reviewer).
- Two referees, 21-day window, COPE flowcharts for disputes.
- Plagiarism checked in iThenticate (> 15 % similarity flagged).
- Optional open-review pilot starts 2027.
- All empirical work must deposit data/code.
Peer‑Review Process
- Desk Check Editor‑in‑Chief verifies scope & format.
- Double‑Blind Review Two referees; 21‑day window.
- Decision Accept · Minor rev · Major rev · Reject.
- Transparency Reviewers remain anonymous; optional open reports pilot in 2027.
- Ethics COPE Core Practices; plagiarism screened with iThenticate.
6 | Editorial backbone (2025–28)
- Dr Amara Singh – Digital Manuscript Studies, Editor-in-Chief (University of Delhi)
- Prof Jonas Leclerc – Book History (Sorbonne)
- Dr Lucía Martínez – Cryptography & Cultural Memory (UNAM)
- Dr Kai Okafor – AI & Textual Forensics (Howard)
- eight more scholars spanning DH, occult typography, and copyright law.
Advisory Board includes senior scholars from Oxford, MIT, and Tokyo, for disciplinary and geographic breadth.
7 | Funding & indexing roadmap
| Goal | Date |
|---|---|
| ISSN / e-ISSN confirmed | May 2025 |
| Crossref DOIs live | Aug 2025 |
| Vol 1 published | Feb 2026 |
| DOAJ application | Oct 2026 |
| Scopus pre-review | 2027 |
Financing: library-consortium pledges, print anthology sales, small grants (SPARC, Europeana, NEH).
Open‑Access & Funding
IPJ follows the Diamond OA model—no author fees. Costs covered by a consortium of university libraries, small grants (SPARC, NEH DH), and annual print‑on‑demand anthologies.
Publishing & Indexing Roadmap
| Milestone | Target Date | | ISSN assigned | May 2025 | | Crossref DOIs live | Aug 2025 | | Volume 1 online (≥5 articles) | Feb 2026 | | DOAJ application | Oct 2026 | | Scopus pre‑review | 2027 |
8 | For authors & artists
Submit a blinded DOCX or LaTeX file (Chicago 17, notes-bibliography). 12 pt Garamond, double-spaced. Figures at 300 dpi with alt-text. Confirm CC-BY 4.0.
We welcome:
- Digital-forensics walk-throughs (code repos encouraged)
- Translations of rare occult tracts with scholarly framing
- Creative works that interrogate algorithmic authorship (the Human Genre Project prints a special section each issue)
Honoraria are modest but real; we believe labor deserves payment even in open access.
9 | Friends & inspirations
- Electronic Frontier Foundation – anonymity & speech rights
- PEN America – global censorship tracking
- Noema Magazine – lucid speculation on consciousness & AI
- Stanford HAI – data-driven AI-impact reports
- MIT Technology Review – sane coverage of machine-learning hype
We link to them often; bookmark their work, interrogate ours.
10 | Silence, voice, and the haunted margin
Illuminati Press Journal stands between two fires: the silence demanded by power and the noise demanded by algorithms. We favour the third way—signal—even when it requires masks. Whether you arrive as whistle-blower, archivist, artist, or scholar, know that our pages are built to safeguard truth, contextualise nonsense, and keep the ghost in the machine honest.
Light the lamp. Turn the page. Speak.
Contact & Updates
Website: journal.illuminatipress.com · Twitter/Mastodon: @IlluminatiPress · Email: editorial@illuminatipress.com
Subscribe to our newsletter for CFP reminders, webinar invites, and behind‑the‑scenes glimpses of the peer‑review process.