OBSCURE
HISTORIES
BRINGING HISTORY TO LIGHT
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
GUIDELINES FOR WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS
OBSCURE HISTORIES wants to hear from you.
The pieces we publish are submitted by our GLOBAL community. As such, very few ideas and submissions are not accepted. We work with all submissions collaboratively to create polished posts.
Authors are compensated at market freelance rate, or with an in-kind donation receipt.
These guidelines are broadly general. Each submission is treated individually.
SPECIFICATIONS
PITCH
Before proceeding with a piece, please submit an inquiry first.
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Length: 1 to 2 sentences that summarizes your topic.
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Sources: A note of any primary materials you will use as a research base and a few secondary sources you would like to list, if applicable. We do not encourage a lot of referencing of secondary materials in our works, unless it is impossible not to include. But a list of "additional reading" materials is terrific and encouraged.
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Submit in the body of an email to: dana at obscurehistories.com
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Replies: Please allow 3 to 6 weeks for a reply.
AFTER PITCH APPROVAL
FORMAT
Word Document or Google Doc submitted to dana at obscurehistories.com
OH prioritizes pieces that rely on written and visual primary sources.
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Length: 500-1500 words
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Vocabulary level: High School to College level
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Sources: Use links to your sources in the text where you would make a footnote reference (highlight 2-3 relevant words in your sentence to footnote). A list of "additional reading" sources is highly encouraged, especially if they are linked to online sources.
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Images: Please place images within the body of the text, with appropriate captions and links to online image source. If the image was taken by you, note that in the caption. If the image is taken by you of an archival material, make sure it isn’t already online.
LANGUAGE
We want to eliminate any barriers to information, and this means making the vocabulary in the piece broadly accessible.
Please pitch your language to newspaper-level (~10th grade) or slightly higher. Some higher level words are ok! Our audience is smart, and we don’t want pieces that talk down to them, either. We just want the information to be presented well and easy to read. Here is an online assessment you can use to get an approximation of grade level.
ONLINE ARCHIVES / RESOURCES
Many texts are able to be searched for specifics. You are also able to create links that go to specific page numbers.
Google Books is also a resource with searchable text.
IMAGES
Please use images that are in the Public Domain or Creative Commons. Please identify and link to all images found online in your captions.
OH, Jr. Resources
Obscure Histories, Jr. has a page of extensive links to search engines for online visual materials. If you use an image from a museum, check to make sure it isn’t restricted. Note links and all citation information for your caption.
COMPENSATION
We offer graded compensation for word count, at market rate.
We can also issue in-kind donation receipts if you would prefer to donate your piece to OH.
SUBMIT AN IDEA
If you have an idea for a topic, please send it through the contact form below.
We look forward to hearing from you.