Special notice: We’re looking into expanding our operations, seeking an experienced editor with knowledge of China and Chinese language, based in New York. A job description has not yet been posted, but for informal inquiries please write to editor@chinabooksreview.com.
To pitch an article to us, or to submit a drafted article along the lines below, please write to editor@chinabooksreview.com.
Below are the feature sections we 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.
Excerpts — If you are an author or publisher, feel free to propose a stand-alone passage for excerpt (2000-4000 words) from your recently published (<1yr) book, that tells an engaging story or reveals something new about China or the Sinophone world.
Profiles — Interviews with prominent Chinese or China-focused authors, thinkers, artists and other cultural figures, written up as a narrative with a particular angle, in long-form (~3000 words). We are especially seeking “literary profiles” that engage with an author’s body of work as well as their life, pegged on a recent publication.
Stories — Very occasionally, we publish original stories about China, both memoir and fiction, that tell an engaging narrative or draw out a surprising theme or perspective.
Photo/multimedia — We occasionally run photo essays (generally excerpted but also original), and will also consider short-form video documentary submissions.
Reader letters — We welcome reader letters in response to other articles on the site. Please submit 250 words maximum, including a one-line bio for yourself.
We pay a competitive flat rate for accepted articles, except for articles that have already been published, and reader letters. Long articles (~3000 words) will be considered to run as our cover story, paired with original artwork and featured prominently in our newsletter. Please review our standards before pitching, for expectations and further details.
To pitch, please write a single paragraph that conveys your idea succinctly, and the argument or approach you would take. Please keep it short, to demonstrate that your idea has a clear single focus. Also 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 why it would interest readers.
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 recent and can draw on the deep archive. Our working definition of “China” is broad, including Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Chinese diaspora. Please include publisher links to all books.
When pitching, consider why your proposed piece is thought-provoking and relevant. 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 key question does it answer? You should be drawing out an original argument about the topic under consideration, not just surveying a subject neutrally.
We read all pitches and endeavor to reply in a timely fashion, but we get a lot of mail. If you have not heard back from us after ten days, please accept our apologies for not replying and assume that we are not accepting it.
If you are an author, publisher, illustrator or reader, please see how to contact us instead. ∎