Submissions

Magazine articles centre on themes of critical, contemporary relevance and are determined by the editor in advance. Typically, we solicit articles from writers for the magazine. Please get in touch with us if you wish to be considered for a future issue. If you have an idea for a theme, we welcome your suggestion.

1. The word limit is typically 1700-2000 unless otherwise stated.
2. Directions for authors:

• Submit your completed article by the deadline (midnight in your time zone). Submissions made after the deadline may be rejected.
• Submit your article as a Word Doc attachment, using your name for the document name.
• Include your Title and Author’s name as you would like it published at the top of the first page.
• At the bottom of the last page, please include a biography about yourself written in prose and in the third person of approximately 70 words or less. Include your current country of residence and/or origin. If you are an ICORN or PEN guest, please state that. If you have concerns publishing under your given name, please contact us.
• Submit a profile photo of yourself.
• You may use in-text citations, hyperlinks, or endnotes (not footnotes) and a bibliography (any reputable style). Citations are not required for creative writing, testimonials, and narratives. However, we expect citations in articles that address contemporary social and political issues or theories and may ask you to supply references if our editors determine more are needed.
• Please be aware that your article will go through an editorial review before publication. Articles will be edited for clarity and grammar. If substantive changes need to be made, the author will be notified.
• We reserve the right to reject your article if, for example, the writing is not up to standard.

3. Photos or images can be included but need to be either from your personal collection or have no copyright restriction. It is the author’s responsibility to confirm that images are not restricted. Please provide the URL link if the image is from another website and is not copyright protected. We may edit the image to fit the magazine’s theme if necessary.

We expect writers for our Essay section to produce commentaries on contemporary socio-political issues and events that demand rigorous scrutiny, constructive criticism, and sober reflections. We also accept literary criticism, analysis of philosophical or societal ideas, and other original thought-provoking work. We do not accept unsolicited submissions. Please send us a pitch (maximum of one page) for your essay at editor.shuddhashar@gmail.com. We will reply within ten days if the editorial board approves your pitch. Please be aware that your submission will go through an editorial review before publication. We may respond with the edited and proofread version. We cannot guarantee publication even if the pitch is initially approved.

1. Essay word limit is 1500-2000.
2. Directions for authors:

• Submit your completed essay by the agreed-upon deadline (midnight in your time zone). Submissions made after the deadline may be rejected.
• Submit your essay as a Word Doc attachment.
• At the top of the first page, include your Title and Author’s name as you would like it published.
• At the bottom of the last page, include a brief biography that highlights your expertise in the field you have written on. Biography should be 70 words or less and written in prose and in the third person.
• Submit a profile photo of yourself, if you have not done so before.
• You may use in-text citations, hyperlinks, or endnotes (not footnotes) and a bibliography (any reputable style). We may ask you to supply references if our editors determine more are needed to substantiate your points.
• Shuddhashar FreeVoice reserves the right to make necessary changes or improvements to the submitted work. Shuddhashar FreeVoice will consult with the author first if the essay requires significant revision.

3. We reserve the right to reject your article if, for example, the writing is not up to standard.
4. We do not publish articles that summarise IGO and NGO reports.

Translation plays an indispensable role in the creation and communication of knowledge. This section aims to contribute to the larger struggle of breaking down language barriers and bringing people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds closer to learn from each other — a prerequisite for creating a peaceful, tolerant world.

1. The translator should inform the editor beforehand if the translated piece was published on another platform. The translator must secure permission from the original author or their estate and provide this permission to the editor of Shuddhashar FreeVoice for their records.
2. The original work can be in any language, but the translation should be in one of the following three languages: Bangla, English or Norwegian.
3. Directions for translators:

• Submit your essay as a Word Doc attachment.
• At the top of the first page, include your Title and Author’s name as you would like it published.
• The translated piece should include a link to the original text (if available), a brief description of the original author, and the translator’s short bio (70 words or less and in third person and prose).

4. Shuddhashar FreeVoice reserves the right to make grammatical and stylistic improvements to the translated work.

We publish reviews of books and films. The reviewer must inform the editor if their review was previously published on another platform. Please find below the guidelines for submissions of book and film reviews.

Book review: 

We accept reviews of non-fiction books on political and philosophical issues and theories, aesthetics, key events, and historical figures. We also welcome reviews of fiction books that address the human condition. These reviews should connect with Shuddhashar FreeVoice’s mission of promoting critical thinking and understanding of the human condition in its various manifestations.

1. The word limit is 1000-1500.
2. We publish reviews of recently published books. The reviewed book’s first edition should not be over three years old. Exceptions may be considered if an older book suddenly has particular relevance to our current world (for instance: George Orwell’s 1984and Albert Camus’s The Plague), but the reviews must be unique and thought-provoking.
3. The book review should include a brief description of the author and a short biography of the reviewer (70 words or less and in third person and prose).
4. The reviewer should submit a profile photo for the author’s profile.
5. Reviewer should submit the book cover image, bibliographic information (year published, publisher, etc.), and ISBN number.

Film Review:

We accept reviews of films and documentaries that reflect on the human condition or that deal with controversial issues and any uncomfortable truth. We do not publish reviews of films based on comics and video games.

1. The word limit is 1000-1500.
2. We publish reviews of recently released films and documentaries. The film or documentary should have come out within the past 2 years.
3. Reviewer should submit a film poster image, indicate year released, and list names of director, producer, and main performers.

Youth Journal

We accept articles by student writers who seek to comment on contemporary socio-political issues, events, or creative work. If an article is accepted for consideration, we will respond with feedback on improving the work, as needed. It is the author’s responsibility to address Shuddhashar FreeVoice’s editorial comments by editing and improving the submission. Our intention is to encourage a strong submission for publication. If the author’s effort to improve the work does not meet expectations, we may decline to publish the submission or suggest it be published in the Blog section.

1. Word limit: 1200 minimum.
2. Directions for authors:

• Submit your completed essay by the agreed-upon deadline (midnight in your time zone). Submissions made after the deadline may be rejected.
• Submit your essay as a Word Doc attachment.
• At the top of the first page, include your Title and Author’s name as you would like it published.
• You may use in-text citations, hyperlinks, or endnotes (not footnotes) and a bibliography (any reputable style). We may ask you to supply references if our editors determine more are needed to substantiate your points.
• Shuddhashar FreeVoice reserves the right to make necessary changes or improvements to the submitted work. If the essay requires significant revision, Shuddhashar FreeVoice will consult with the author.

3. We reserve the right to reject your article if, for example, the writing is not up to standard.
4. We do not publish articles that summarise IGO and NGO reports.
5. We do not publish student’s academic assignments. If a previous assignment serves as a basis for this essay, it must go through significant revision to meet publication standards and the expectations of our diverse readership (in other words, do not assume readers will be familiar with your particular geo-political context. You will need to provide sufficient background and context for international readers).

We encourage new writers to make the best use of our blog section. Depending on the circumstances and quality of the work, we accept poetry and stories for the blog section. If found more suitable, articles submitted for the Essay or Magazine section may be published in the blog section instead.

1. Word limit: 1000 minimum
2. Directions for authors:

• Submit your completed essay by the agreed-upon deadline (midnight in your time zone). Submissions made after the deadline may be rejected.
• Submit your essay as a Word Doc attachment.
• At the top of the first page, include your Title and Author’s name as you would like it published.
• You may use in-text citations, hyperlinks, or endnotes (not footnotes) and a bibliography (any reputable style). We may ask you to supply references if our editors determine more are needed to substantiate your points.
• Shuddhashar FreeVoice reserves the right to make necessary changes or improvements to the submitted work. If the essay requires significant revision, Shuddhashar FreeVoice will consult with the author.

3. We reserve the right to reject your article if, for example, the writing is not up to standard.
4. We do not publish articles that summarise IGO and NGO reports.
5. We do not publish unfounded conspiracy theories, hateful rhetoric, or misinformed notions about any group, but especially not about historically marginalized.

Shuddhashar FreeVoice publishes cartoons and art images that inspire and raise awareness in our theme-based magazine issues and other sections. We are especially interested in political cartoons from anywhere in the world.

1. Send high-quality images as jpg, gif, or png, along with clear instructions about serial order and captions.
2. Include a short prose introduction in a Word document.
3. Include captions with translation (if necessary). These can be either brief or longer with analysis or explanation of context.
4. If images are created by a single artist, please include a biography of up to 70 words in prose and written in the third person. If there are multiple artists, a brief description of their name and place of origin or organisation is sufficient.
5. Numbers 2-4 above should all be included in a single Word document submitted together with the images.

Shuddhashar FreeVoice publishes books on contemporary socio-political issues that demand scrutiny, constructive criticism, and sober reflections. We also accept literary criticism, analysis of philosophical or societal ideas, and other original thought-provoking work. If you would like to be considered for publication, please send us a prospectus following the guidelines below to info@shuddhashar.com.  After we confirm receipt of your prospectus, we aim to reply within one month the editorial board’s decision about whether to proceed to the next stage, which is external review. Authors will be expected to respond to external reviewer’s feedback as well as recommendations from the editorial board about how to improve the text. Please be aware that your submission will go through a standard editorial process before publication. We cannot guarantee publication even if the prospectus is initially approved. If the external reviewer does not recommend publication, or the author does not respond to feedback about improving the text, we reserve the right to deny publication. If we accept the text for publication, we will issue a contract.

Send a Book Prospectus in a Word document labeled “LAST NAME – PROSPECTUS” to info@shuddhashar.com. The Prospectus should include the following information:

1. Author’s name:
2. Is the Manuscript currently being considered by any other publisher?
3. Tentative book title:
4. Estimated total word count:
5. How much is currently complete?
6. Projected date of completion:
7. How does your book fit with Shuddhashar FreeVoice’s mission? That is, why are you interested in publishing with us?
8. Share a brief biography of yourself, describing your experience and background.
9. Provide a brief description of the book and your argument.
10. What is unique about this book? How is this book a contribution to the field?
11. Who is the intended audience? For whom will this book be especially interesting?
12. List of chapters with a brief summary of each one. Here also indicate which chapters have been previously published (in part or in full) and what revisions have been made since the original publication.
13. Will your book include any photos or illustrations? If so, do you need special permission for use?
14. Do you have (or need) permission to include any material previously published? Please give details.
15. List 5 potential reviewers who have the expertise to review your manuscript. Reviewers should not have any conflict of interest. They should not be friends or family. They may, however, be previous academic supervisors who can speak to your training and integrity.