Frequently Asked Questions
Contributing to HowlRound:
How is contributing to a “commons” different from publishing in an academic journal, blog, magazine, or other publication?
Let’s start with a definition: commons are living social systems through which people meet their needs in self-organized and collaborative ways. In a commons, a distinct community governs a shared resource and its usage. HowlRound is made up of the resources that we create together for our collective benefit, stewarded by the HowlRound team, and steered by your contributions. That process is called commoning.
So when you contribute to HowlRound, you are participating in a peer-produced commons. The knowledge you share helps to build toward our vision of a theatre field where resources and power are shared equitably in all directions, contributing to a more just and sustainable world–which you can read more about in our Theory of Change. Practically, this means our process includes steps like considering each submission as a team, responding thoughtfully, and engaging in a collaborative editorial process for each piece.
All content, unless otherwise noted, is free cultural work published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which means you are free to share, redistribute, adapt, and build upon anything you find on our platform. We believe that this free exchange of knowledge is vital to a thriving field.
Is the HowlRound Journal a peer-reviewed journal?
Nope!
What does a strong contribution look like?
The strongest ideas typically contain specific, actionable takeaways for theatremakers at any level, and we invite contributors to locate themselves and their perspectives within their work. We look for bright spots, impactful practices, and deep dives into marginalized or geographically specific ways of making theatre. We prioritize content about productions or organizations that intersect theatre with anti-oppression practices, theatre commoning, and/or the climate emergency.
As you fill out the Contribute Content form, take care to tell us not only what you would write about, but also how you would write it. Some questions to consider: Will you be interviewing other theatremakers? Continuing a conversation begun in another HowlRound piece? Citing other publications or scholarly research? Closely examining a production or business practice? How will your piece speak directly to theatre professionals? What takeaways and arguments do you want to leave readers with?
Is it okay to send in an idea if I’ve never published anything before?
Absolutely! Many contributors to HowlRound are in exactly this situation, and we encourage it. Our editors have lots of experience working with folks who haven’t published elsewhere.
I’m an artist or organization, and I’d like to have my production featured on HowlRound. How can I do this?
If you’re looking to share about your work or process yourself, go ahead and fill out our Contribute Content form. If you’re looking for someone else to write a NewCrit about your work, you should identify someone in your network and have them submit. In cases where you do not know someone who could write the piece but feel your work is a strong fit for a HowlRound piece, you can reach out to us directly at [email protected]. Please note that we do not have a staff of writers and do not assign people to cover shows the way a traditional publication may.
HowlRound exists not to promote or market theatrical works, but to deepen the conversation about progressive, disruptive actions and ideas in the global theatre field. In keeping with that goal, we don’t publish promotional materials and typically publish pieces about specific shows once they have closed.
I don’t know exactly what I want to write about, but I have a vague idea. How can I share it with you?
Take the time you need to refine the focus of your contribution. We recommend searching the site and our robust list of tags for any past HowlRound content that relates to your idea, since that will help you find your entrypoint into the existing conversation about your topic. It would also be appropriate to extend your research outside of HowlRound and figure out the people, productions, writing, or practices you want to use as core examples. If you start doing some prewriting in the form of an outline or early draft, we’re happy to receive that as part of your eventual submission!
Do I need to be an expert in the topic I want to write about? / Is it okay to submit if I’m not an expert in the topic I want to write about?
You don’t need to be an expert in the topic you want to write about. You just need to know enough–whether through experience, research, or other means—to form a focussed and knowledgeable argument about the topic. We encourage you to read, listen to, and watch existing HowlRound content on your topic to better understand the intellectual lineage of your work on our platform. You’ve also got the whole HowlRound team’s expertise behind you, too, and we may recommend other reading or sources if we see a gap in your idea.
Should I include a full draft with my essay submission?
We welcome but do not require a full draft or essay outline with your submission. If you do not include a draft, make sure you write clearly about your argument, scope, structure, and any key examples you will discuss in the essay. Give us our best shot at envisioning the essay you want to write.
Can I submit more than one idea at a time?
Our editorial team meets approximately once a week to review all submissions, and we respond to all submissions received through the Contribute Content form.
If you have not heard back about a submission after three weeks, you can send us a nudge at [email protected].
Why was my contribution rejected?
Here are a few of the most common reasons that submissions are rejected:
- The submission was not about theatre or centered commercial theatre in a way that obscured the diversity of performance practices.
- The submission was not aimed at an audience of theatremakers and/or was not grounded in theatrical practice.
- The piece took an established/extant idea and either a) inaccurately framed the idea as novel or b) did not put itself in conversation with the existing examples and discourse
- The content of the essay was too general and lacked grounding in contemporary practice.
- The piece contains attacks or takedowns. We publish constructive criticism and critique and welcome content addressing problems, inequities, or other challenging topics, but we prioritize work that focuses on solutions or better practices.
For more individualized feedback on your submission, you are always welcome to email [email protected].
Do I have to have read anything on HowlRound to contribute? How familiar should I be with HowlRound before I contribute?
For well over a decade, hundreds of people from all over the world have contributed a wealth of knowledge to this commons.
Reading, listening to, and watching HowlRound content is the best way to understand what kind of work we’re looking to publish.
While we don’t require you to explicitly reference past HowlRound content in your own contribution, we’re grateful to authors who acknowledge the intellectual lineage of their work, as this helps enliven the Commons.
THE EDITORIAL AND PUBLICATION PROCESS:
I’ve never worked with an editor before. How does that process work at HowlRound?
Our editorial process is very collaborative and prioritizes the voice of you, the contributor, at all stages. After your submission is accepted, you’ll turn in your first draft. We’ll connect you with an editor who will provide feedback on things like clarity of language, argument, and grammar. You’ll also receive edits to align your writing with our style guide (Chicago Manual of Style). Most essays go through 2-3 rounds of edits before they reach publication.
How long does the editorial process take?
Once your submission is accepted, you will sign a contract and determine your own due date for a first draft. Most pieces are published within six weeks after the first draft is submitted.
Will I get paid for my work on HowlRound? How much?
HowlRound has fundraised for this publishing platform, and we are happy to be able to offer honoraria to acknowledge your generous content contributions to this collectively held commons. You should receive the funds within 30 days of publication. Typical fees are as follows:
- Single-authored essay: $200
- Multi-authored essay or conversation/interview: $400 total (split among participants)
- Series curator: $300
- Podcasts: $400/episode
- TV event: Most events are produced by organizations who compensate participants with using their own institutional resources. We have a limited pool of funds to provide honoraria to support events produced by independent artists who do not have institutional backing.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & REPUBLISHING
Will HowlRound publish a talk I gave or a report I wrote?
Send it in! We’re very interested in increasing the reach of the ideas spurring the theatre field on. In that spirit, we do publish keynotes, executive summaries of reports, etc.
Will HowlRound republish something I wrote for another publication?
Probably not. Essays must be published in the HowlRound Journal before being republished elsewhere. However, we are open to a co-publication arrangement and can work with you or another publication to reach simultaneous publication.
Can my work on HowlRound be republished elsewhere?
Yes! All content, unless otherwise noted, is free cultural work made available to you by our community of content contributors under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). For more information, including the correct way to acknowledge original publication on HowlRound, see our Intellectual Property page.
MISCELLANEOUS
Do you have a question that isn’t answered here?
Write to [email protected] for Journal inquiries, [email protected] for TV inquiries, or contact us for inquiries outside of these projects.