Public Discourse accepts unsolicited, unpublished submissions that have not been submitted for possible publication elsewhere.
What kind of content are we looking for?
Original Essays: 1500-2000 words, making an extended argument about a complex topic.
First-person stories: 800-2000 words, offering a thoughtful point of view on an important topic, based on personal experience. These articles should demonstrate the real-world implications of the more abstract topics dealt with in classic PD essays.
Review/Response Essays: 1500-2000 words, evaluating a book and exploring its topic by advancing an original, thesis-driven argument in conversation with the book.
Book Notes: 300-500 words, briefly reviewing and critically evaluating a recently published book.
Pitches for potential book reviews, essays, or interviews.
AI Policy
-
Research: You affirm that you did not rely solely on AI to research your essay. Using generative AI to suggest sources is an acceptable use, as long as the author reads the sources themselves instead of just the AI summary.
-
Outlining: You did not use AI to outline or organize any portion of your argument.
-
Drafting: You did not use AI to generate any text.
-
Editing: You did not use AI to condense, rearrange, or refine your essay. Catching errors with spellcheck or Grammarly is an acceptable use. Asking AI to make your work sound better is not. If your piece is accepted, you will have an opportunity to work with editors to refine your argument and narrative.
All submissions should be made through Submittable.
Click the button below to create a free author account and upload your draft.
If you have questions, please consult Submittable’s help section.
If you cannot find an answer to your question on the help page, contact us.
