Submissions

As well as inviting people to contribute articles to The Public Domain Review, we are also now accepting open submissions.


What is The Public Domain Review?

The Public Domain Review is a web-based review of works which have entered the public domain and which are freely available on the internet.


But doesn’t what is in the public domain depend on where you are?

Yes indeed. As copyright varies from country to country, we favour submissions relating to works which are in the public domain in most countries around the world. If you have an idea for something but are unsure as to whether it qualifies, or if you’d like some help determining whether something is in the public domain or not then just get in touch.


Do you have something like a guide to help me explore and find interesting public domain works which I might want to write about?

Why yes we do! Have a look at our very useful Guide to Finding Interesting Public Domain Works Online.


What kinds of contributions are you looking for?

We encourage contributions which highlight:
* the works of interesting figures who are less well known;
* lesser known works by well known figures (e.g. forgotten or oft overlooked short stories, lost correspondence, poetry by painters, paintings by poets, etc.);
* curiosities, anecdotes, strange inventions, obscure theories, and so on.


I have seen something in your collections section which I would love to write on, is this okay?

Certainly.


What are you looking for regarding style/tone, etc?

We tend to favour the ‘playful’ and informal over anything too expository or Wikipedia-like. I would direct you to our previous articles to get a feel for the kind of thing we like, particularly: this, this, this and this.


Who is it for?

The Public Domain Review is aimed at an intelligent, non-specialist audience, and contributions should not be overly academic and not presume too much detailed background knowledge.


How long should contributions be?

Contributions should be ideally between 500-1500 words, though longer or shorter pieces will of course be considered.


What format should I submit in?

Please submit contributions in either plain text (as a text file or in the body of an email) or in word processor format (e.g. Open Office, Word, …).


Should I include links?

An important aspect of The Public Domain Review is that readers are able to access works which the articles are about via online archives or collections. Hence please include links to works featured in your contribution wherever possible.


How should I submit my contribution?

Please submit your piece to submissions at publicdomainreview dot org, and be sure to include a title, a brief biography (preferably no more than a few sentences) and any relevant links to further information about you.

We also license all content under the Creative Commons Attribution license, which means that others can share and republish your article as long as they credit you. Hence please include a statement along the following lines:

> I hereby consent to you publishing my contribution under a Creative Commons Attribution license.


Can I send you an idea, with examples of my writing before going ahead and writing the whole thing?

Yes you can, please do, and include a short biography of yourself as well.