Write for SHIFT

Shifting our society’s discourse is not just for professional writers, public intellectuals, and the occasional honest politician – it’s a challenge we can all take on. If you’re keen to add your voice to the shift in society’s discourse, read on, and find out how…

How can I contribute to SHIFT magazine?

If you would like to submit content for SHIFT magazine please use our contact form and select the option “I would like to submit an article for SHIFT magazine” from the drop-down menu. Please attach your submission as a word document. You do not need to include images as our publishing team takes care of all graphics. Take note of the list of themes below, and ensure that your submission is in line with one of these.

Please understand that not all submissions to SHIFT will be published in the magazine as we do our utmost to ensure quality and relevance to the the theme of each issue.

If your article has been accepted for publication you will be informed and asked to supply an author bio of no more than 100 words and a suitable photograph of yourself for inclusion alongside your article.

If your article is suitable in terms of content but needs some work before being accepted by our editorial team you will be informed of the changes you need to make.

If your article is unsuitable for inclusion in our magazine you will be informed of the reasons and invited to try again with an alternative article provided you take our advice on board.

Please note that any and all articles explicitly promoting the agenda of a particular organization, corporate entity, political party or religion will be rejected outright as inappropriate content for our magazine.

Please familiarise yourself with our submission guidelines (below) before submitting any articles for consideration.

Guest Contributors:

You may wish to submit an article for consideration in one of our issues as a guest contributor. Please ensure that your article is well within the parameters of the theme of the issue you are writing for, and that the content is in line with Sustainability Showcase’s stated vision and mission.

There is no remuneration package for magazine contributors. There is, however, the opportunity to engage with a new or wider audience, communicate one’s message further, and possibly add to one’s supporter base.

We do not publish writing that is inflammatory, seeks to defame individuals or organizations, or that incites any kind of violence or hate.

Magazine contributions are selected on the basis that their content is trusted as being resonant with the aims and objectives of Sustainability Showcase.

If you are writing for SHIFT magazine for the first time please send us a pitch for your idea to check with us whether it resonates with us before launching into a full article.

We ask that all contributors warrant that content submitted to SHIFT be their original work, and not published prior to release in Sustainability Showcase. This is required in order to provide our readership with material that meets their expectations.

SHIFT contributors retain intellectual property rights to their work, and are free to republish articles submitted to SHIFT anywhere else they choose. We ask only that SHIFT is credited with first publication and linked correctly.

Upcoming themes & important dates for SHIFT magazine:

Themes are intended to appeal to our stated target audience and supporter base, with the aim of informing, inspiring and empowering.

Themes selected for 2015 are based on Owen Flanagan’s model of neuro-existential meaning. Big words, yes, but it’s basically all about finding meaning in a material world without appealing to the supernatural.

Flanagan’s model describes six ‘spaces of meaning’: technology, politics, spirituality, science, ethics, and art. Each of these six spaces of meaning refers to a major domain of life. SHIFT considers these themes a solid base for exploration of topics and issues through 2015.

The theme of each issue is to be treated as a base for exploration of a writer’s chosen topic. It is an angle of approach, rather than a set of parameters for content.

Details on each theme are as follows:

For further details on select themes, please click here (recommended if you are planing to submit an article).

Submissions received after deadlines will not be considered.

Submissions that do not address the theme of the issue it is intended for will not be considered.

Please send all submissions via our contact form.

*Please note: themes are subject to change, so please double-check before submitting your article for inclusion.

Guidelines for contributors

General guidelines and parameters for SHIFT article submissions are as follows:

Writers must:

• Submit articles on or before deadlines
• Work within the topic parameters set for each issue
• Keep articles to between 800 and 1,200 words for features, and between 300 and 500 words if providing a review of a film, book, or sustainability event/initiative
• Provide links to sources in text for fact-checking purposes (these will be hyperlinked in published articles, so please provide full http link in brackets in the appropriate place in text) – articles will not be published if claims are not supported with evidence
• Provide the editor with a name, bio (100 words max), and high-quality thumbnail image for our “about the author” section (image does not have to be a photo of the writer if the writer chooses otherwise – avatars are fine)
• Accept editors’ guidelines and suggestions/requests for amendments

Writers may:

• Submit articles at any point before deadlines (provided the material does not become dated/irrelevant)
• Use the style of writing that is comfortable for them – no need to avoid upper register or colloquial language, but please do define any technical terms and jargon, and write with the assumption that your audience may not be familiar with your topic
• Write from an angle of interest to them and experiment with various perspectives
• Submit images for use in publication if they wish (the final cut will be that of the DTP guys, so don’t be offended if they don’t select your suggested images – these guys know best when it comes to what works in the graphics department) – as attachments, not embedded in text
• Use a pseudonym, nickname or abbreviated form of their name in their by-line
• Provide links in their bio to their own website or other source/s of their work
• Provide Twitter handle and/or Facebook profiles with author bio
• Refer to news stories/current affairs, but with the understanding that articles may not be published for some weeks (i.e. make sure relevancy is not lost by the time of publication)

Our readership:

Please bear our readership in mind with full priority as you prepare your submission. Our readers are:

• International, not just based in Australia
• Engaged in the broader sustainability movement with particular emphasis on degrowth, but not necessarily expert
• From various backgrounds, age groups and demographics
• Keen to engage with fresh ideas and practical strategies for sustainability, particularly degrowth, downshifting, and resilience
• Critical thinkers who require claims to be substantiated

Editorial process

SHIFT rarely publishes articles in the form in which we receive them, particularly in the case of first time contributors. Writers should expect requests for clarification and references.

Writers are often requested to revise and redraft their articles, and our editorial team may make significant cuts to original material. This process may require several stages of revision over a period of days or weeks in some cases. If deadlines are fast approaching writers may be asked to redraft their submissions at short notice.

We endeavour to ensure that writers see the final version of their articles before publication, but in cases where turnaround times are tight this may not always be possible.

Liability & Indemnity (the lawyers make us say this)

(a) To the extent permitted by law Sustainability Showcase accepts no responsibility or liability in relation to any material submitted for publication in SHIFT.

(b) Sustainability Showcase does not indemnify contributors against any legal action brought against SHIFT contributors as a result of the publication of material submitted by them unless otherwise agreed to in writing by Sustainability Showcase.

(c) By submitting material for publication in SHIFT contributors agree to fully indemnify Sustainability Showcase against any expenses, costs, losses (including consequential loss) or damages that may be suffered or incurred as a result of the publication of the submitted material.