To pitch an article to us, or to submit a drafted article along the lines below, please write to editor[at]chinabooksreview.com.

Below are the sections we currently accept contributions for:

Reviews — Punchy, argument-driven reviews of recent (<1yr) single titles (~1500 words), and longer review-essays that engage with multiple titles and deeper themes (~3000 words). We like our reviewers to say something of their own about a topic, using the reading as a springboard, rather than just rotating their thumb around the book.

Essays — Essays that engage with broader ideas and trends relating to China and the Sinophone world, from culture and society to politics and history, adding original voice or reporting while engaging with existing literature on the topic. Either short (~1500 words) or long (~3000 words), but arguing something new about a specific topic.

Profiles — Interviews with prominent Chinese or China-focused authors, thinkers, artists and other public figures (especially in the literary or cultural sphere), written up as a story with a particular angle or focus (~3000 words). We are especially seeking “literary profiles,” that engage with an author’s body of work as well as their life.

Archive Picks — Articles (~1200 words) or lists (5 books framed around a particular theme/period/author) presenting older China books (>10yrs, all the way into the deep archive) in a fresh light, within historical context. In your pitch, please list information on the title’s first edition, and tell us why it deserves a second look now.

We pay a competitive flat rate for accepted articles. Please review our standards before pitching, for expectations and further details.

When pitching, consider why your proposed piece is thought-provoking and timely. Why should the general reader care about this topic? What does it say more broadly about China or the Sinophone world? Will it surprise us, or tell us something we already know? What questions does it answer? You should be drawing out an original argument about the topic under consideration, not just surveying a subject neutrally.

Please keep it short, both in consideration of our inbox and to demonstrate that the idea has a clear single focus. Include a brief bio, and links to previous work of a similar form. A suggested title/sub can be helpful to clarify your angle and show how it might pique readers’ interest. Remember that we are a publication for the general reader, not just for China “experts”. If your topic is too niche, or the approach too academic, it is likely not a fit.

Note that principal books under review should have been published in the last year. Additional books that are mentioned, paired or recommended in lists, need not be.

We read all pitches and endeavor to reply in a timely fashion. If you have not heard back from us after ten days, however, please accept our apologies for not replying — we get a lot of mail — and assume that we are not accepting it.

If you are an author, publisher, illustrator or reader, please see how to contact us instead. ∎