Submissions
Welcome to Der Spekter’s contributors' guide! If you’re thinking of pitching a story for Der Spekter or have any questions about contributing, we aim to answer all of them here. The purpose of this document is to lay out our expectations for contributors in order to ensure the writing and editing process is as smooth and efficient as possible. Please read this document before pitching or submitting a draft.
As usual, please don’t be shy about reaching out to us directly if you have further questions by emailing us at spekter@derbund.org!
Pitch guide
The most important thing about writing for Der Spekter is ensuring your pitch aligns with at least two of the three pillars of the Bund: Jewishness, socialism, and doikayt (hereness). These themes may be broadly interpreted.
We print essays, opinion pieces, journalism, original artwork, media reviews, cultural criticism, music, original translations, historical pieces, and more. The best way to get a sense of what we’re looking for is by spending some time on our website and reading what we’ve already published.
We maintain high journalistic and editorial standards. For essays, reviews, or opinion pieces, this simply means that your work should be original, well-argued, forward-thinking, and ideally add something new to the Jewish left conversation. For journalism pieces, objectivity is not expected, but fairness is required. We are committed to accurate representation of facts and demand that work be “bulletproof.”
You do not need to be a member of the Bund to pitch an article to Der Spekter. Der Spekter is an independent publication and not directly affiliated with the Bund. As long as your work encompasses Bundist principles, it will be considered.
Please send all pitches to spekter@derbund.org.
Editing process
Der Spekter publishes a newsletter every other Friday. We request that drafts be sent in at least four or five days before intended publication to allow ample time for editing. That means the latest a draft should be submitted is Monday in order to be published in a Friday newsletter.
Once you submit your draft, it will be edited by 1 or 2 primary Der Spekter editors. The first round of edits will focus on content and ideas, while a final round of edits will check for spelling, punctuation, and grammar. The editing process takes place in Google Docs.
Things to keep in mind before sending us your draft:
- Please update Google document access to “anyone with the link can edit” before sharing.
- Please provide ample sourcing in your piece via in-text backlinks, not footnotes.
- Please provide image suggestions with sources. We only use images legally available to the public under Creative Commons licenses or photos shared with expressed permission for use by the artist. Wikimedia Commons is a great place to source usable images.
The contributor is expected to accept/respond to all edits in a timely manner. This does not mean every edit must be accepted. Feel free to tell us if and why you disagree with an editorial suggestion. However, you must respond to all editor comments left in a document. We will not publish a piece until all edits are addressed and the editorial process is completed.
After editing is completed, we will send you an invitation to become a contributor via our website host, Ghost. Please make a profile and upload a picture; this ensures we can give you a byline.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happens after I submit a pitch?
It can take up to a week for Der Spekter editors to review and discuss your pitch. If we like it, we’ll work with you to arrange a deadline for submission. We may ask some questions and offer suggestions to help ensure your piece is right for Der Spekter. We will also respond if your pitch has been rejected and tell you why it’s not a fit for us.
- Why was my piece rejected?
We usually reject pieces that do not encompass at least 2 out of 3 Bundist principles, pieces whose ideas are not fully articulated or fleshed out, pieces similar to those we have already published, or pieces written for a general — rather than Jewish left/Bundist — audience. For example, if you pitch a personal essay about how you discovered the Bund and why you like the idea of doikayt, this will probably be rejected because our readers are already deeply familiar with these ideas.
- How long should a pitch be?
We don’t have a preference for how long pitches should be. The most important thing is that you clearly communicate what you intend to write and how you will accomplish it.
- How long should submissions be?
We also do not have a word count preference for articles. We’ve published everything from brief artist statements of only a few paragraphs to essays of over 12,000 words. We encourage contributors to write as much as they feel they need to. If it ends up being too long, we will deal with it in the editing process.
- How long does the editing process take?
It depends on your piece. Some articles need more work than others, especially if they are on the longer side. Sometimes, we need only one round of editing for a piece to be finished (1-2 days). The editing process also depends on the responsiveness of the writer. If you respond to us in a timely manner, there is a greater chance we can publish your piece in time for our biweekly newsletter.
- Can I use a pen name?
We prefer that contributors use their real names in order to ensure transparency with our readers. However, if you need to use a pen name, please let us know why, and we will accommodate your request.