You might also be interested in our Editorial policy
Contributor Guidelines
JewThink’s goal is to create a Jewish conversation.
Thank you!
JewThink is a volunteer run. So here is a guide for contributors who are keen to pitch in and help. We need your help and are immensely glad that you’re offering it. Let’s get that out of the way first.
What’s a suitable subject for JewThink?
A simple rule of thumb is: anything that you can’t get published in an existing British Jewish publication or platform.
But we are not interested in the daily 24/7 grind of news. Any kind of news that can be communicated by press release, such as emergency services news, or responses by political parties, are already well-covered by other media.
We are particularly keen to hear from marginalised voices
Punch up, not down
Feel free to criticise governments, organisations or authorities. But we won’t publish divisive, intolerant or hateful articles.
Find a timely hook
If possible, try to find a link between the piece you want to write and something ongoing in the news. People are more likely to read something about a topic they’re already interested in or have read about elsewhere.
Keep it short
Research suggests that the maximum most people will read on a screen is 800 words. If you’re writing pieces longer than that, most people will stop reading before the end and may not recommend the pieces to others. If you have many interlocking ideas, consider writing two or three separate pieces instead. However, don’t keep your pieces so short that you don’t say anything at all – somewhere over 500 and under 800 words is the ideal.
Keep articles to the point
Don’t get to the point halfway through. Let the reader know at the start what your piece is about and what your argument is. Make that argument without deviation or repetition, backed up by evidence. And then conclude what it means.
If you have a list, consider using bullet points. Consider separating different points with sub-headings.
Keep your language accessible
Write for the average person on the street. If you use academic terms or jargon you may earn plaudits amongst your peers but you are excluding 75% of readers from the conversation.
Please note: This doesn’t mean dumbing down your argument. People aren’t stupid, they just may not understand the specific language you’re used to using at work.
Think about the kind of posts people will share on Facebook, because that’s where a lot of your readers are going to come from.
Keep it short and snappy
Keep sentences short and punchy and paragraphs shorter than three lines in Word.
Use simple words and avoid jargon.
Make it clear in the intro what your piece is about.
Please help us by supplying free-to-use artwork and images and by embedding links into your text. We will also require a headshot and a one-line biography for your author’s page. Supplying everything when you submit will speed up the process of getting your submission published.
We aren’t just looking for non-fiction or prose writing
We are open to fiction, short stories, poetry, art, music, multimedia, podcasts and so on.
Market your work
If your piece is published and no-one reads it, there was no point writing it. We will publish your work to our followers on Twitter and Facebook, but the personal touch works wonders.
Draw attention to your piece online and send it to your friends and anyone else you think may be interested. Publish it in online groups you think may be interested.
Unfortunately, we can’t (yet) pay contributors.
If you’d like to contribute, please fill out the form below. Tell us a little about yourself and what you’d like to contribute.
What you will need to send us
If we decide to publish we will need the following from you:
A cover image we can use (if you own the copyright), landscape, 16:9 ratio.
One document containing text, any images, captions, links, etc. You are responsible for obtaining permission and making sure that the images are fair use if you do not own the copyright.
We will also need: a headshot (500px x500px); a one-line bio; (optional) Website URL and any social media links you’d like us to include (optional).