Instructions for Contributors

Are you interested in writing for #AsiaNow? We welcome your pitches! Contributors are not required to be members of the Association for Asian Studies (although we do encourage anyone interested in the field of Asian Studies to join the association).

If you have an idea for a post, email a pitch to the #AsiaNow editor, Maura Elizabeth Cunningham. Your pitch email should clearly and concisely address the following three points:

  1. Who you are: We don’t require all #AsiaNow contributors to have a PhD or an academic position. However, we do require that they know their subjects. Tell us a bit about your background, your knowledge of the country/region/topic you plan to write about, and any previous writing you have done for non-scholarly publications (links to those are helpful). 
  2. The big picture: What is the issue your post will address? Has it been written about elsewhere? Why is it important for other Asianists to know about this topic? Please keep in mind that we’re looking for posts that will be of interest to a broad swath of readers—many of whom know a lot about one part of Asia and somewhat less about the rest of the region. Don’t let your focus get too narrow.
  3. Your take: What’s your angle on this topic? Do you disagree with the coverage it has received elsewhere? Think that more historical context is necessary? Want to call attention to something that has been overlooked? Tell us what you have to say.

If your idea is pegged to a specific event/date, or if it’s linked to current events and you need a very quick response, please note that in the pitch email and we’ll do our best to reply within one business day. Otherwise, please give us up to one week to get back to you (if you haven’t received a reply by then, feel free to nudge us).

If your pitch is accepted (congratulations!), then it’s time to write your draft. Here are a few rules to keep in mind:

  • Keep it short. We’re looking for posts of 750-1000 words in length. Longer posts may be published at the editor’s discretion.
  • #AsiaNow is not an academic journal. No footnotes. Give appropriate credit to others by inserting hyperlinks in the text to point readers to relevant background material and/or data. It’s also okay to add a few (no more than five) suggestions for further reading at the bottom of your post.
  • No jargon. No verbiage. Write in a clean, clear, and accessible manner. 
  • Write for readers outside your specialty. You should not assume that most #AsiaNow readers will know as much about your area of expertise—or your country of expertise—as you do.
  • No politics. AAS is a non-partisan organization, and #AsiaNow will not publish any posts that engage in partisan political advocacy. It is fine to discuss political issues (in a fair and balanced manner), but not to lobby for a given side.

We do not offer compensation for #AsiaNow posts, nor do we run sponsored posts.