Berkley Forum Submission Guidelines

The Berkley Forum publishes short, accessible essays on critical topics at the intersection of religion and world affairs. Below, invited contributors can find more information on submission guidelines for the Berkley Forum.

We are not accepting unsolicited submissions at this time, but interested authors are invited to submit their research interests for future consideration.

Word Limit

Articles should be approximately 1,000 to 1,200 words in length. Submissions above 1,600 words in length will not be considered for publication, and the author will be asked to cut down their text in advance of editorial review. 

Style 

We look for essays written for an informed but non-specialist audience in order to increase the public understanding of religion. Accordingly, the use of academic jargon is discouraged. Authors are also encouraged to write in shorter paragraphs, of approximately 150 words in length, in order to best engage their audience.

For examples, please see:

References

Authors are encouraged to hyperlink to online sources (journal articles, news stories, videos, etc.) where relevant. When referencing a book, authors are welcome to hyperlink to a publisher page, WorldCat, Amazon, or Google Books. The use of footnoting is discouraged. 

​Embedded Photos

Authors have the option of including one or two embedded photos to improve the visual appeal of the published piece. Images must either be owned by the author, with permission for the Berkley Center to use, or licensed under Creative Commons (CC). Wikimedia Commons, Pexels, Pixabay, and Unsplash can be great resources to find CC-licensed photos. Flickr also has a wide variety of photos—any images under the “All Creative Commons” filter can be used with attribution on the Berkley Forum. 

Submission Process

Invited contributors are asked to submit: 

  • Essay with a short but engaging title, as a Microsoft Word document or via Google Docs;
  • 50-word biography, naming current affiliation, major publications, and research interests;
  • High-quality headshot; 
  • Personal X/Twitter handle, if relevant.

Editorial Process

All pieces are edited for style and clarity in advance of publication. If substantive changes are needed, the author will receive a revised version with changes tracked for their approval. 

Copyright and Republication

Authors retain the original copyright. 

We also welcome the republication of pieces, as long as attribution to the Berkley Forum as original publisher with a link is provided. For examples, please see:

Occasionally, the Berkley Forum will also republish pieces originally released by another outlet. For examples, please see:

Please direct any questions, comments, or concerns to berkleyforum@georgetown.edu.

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