Proposing an article

Ancient Warfare magazine is not written by in-house editors. We commission articles from expert authors all over the world.
We publish both articles we plan ourselves, often to fit our themes, but also on suggestion of prospective authors.

Preparation
Please consider the following when planning an article:
- Review the editorial plan to see what themes are coming up and which other articles are already planned to prevent double coverage.
- Discuss your idea with the editor to check for objections. There may be other articles planned that have not yet made it to the editorial plan.
- Be prepared to have your article edited. There may be many reasons why an article needs some kind of rewriting. We will always try to discuss any problems with the author, but that may occasionally not be possible. If you are unwilling to submit to this, please reconsider turning in your abstract.
- Finally, please be familiar with Ancient Warfare. Sample copies may be requested from the editor.

Abstract
Once you have a clear idea of your article, submit your abstract to the editor using our contact form. Your query should include at least a short introduction and some credentials, the title of your article, an abstract of no less than 100 and no more than 500 words and finally a short list of websites or books for more information. The most important information in your abstract is what angle you plan to take, how you are going to tackle your subject and what sources will you use.
You should receive a reply to your query within 1 to 2 weeks. If and once your proposal is accepted, you will receive a confirmation outlining length in words, deadline and agreed remuneration. The latter is set at 11 eurocents per word.

Content level
Please keep in mind that Ancient Warfare is not an academic publication. In fact only a very small percentage of our readership consists of academics. All the others are here for one simple reason: they love ancient military history.
Your article should be based on solid research, but it should be easily and pleasantly legible for anyone who is interested in the subject. Articles in Ancient Warfare should not be weighted down with stacks of foot- or endnotes. References to primary sources should be in text, if necessary abbreviated. A short bibliography at the end of your article is highly recommended however.

Introduction
Our readership is deeply interested in ancient military history and devours anything on the subject. However, not everyone is deeply familiar with the exact chronology of every period ancient history or the exact geography of every corner of the Mediterranean. There is no need to 'dumb down' your article, but do make sure that your first paragraphs set the scene. With some well chosen broad strokes introduce your main characters, era and region. Please note that if you are writing an article within the theme of the issue, an extensive introduction to that theme will be provided as a separate article.
Of course the introduction - especially your first paragraph - serves to attract the attention of the reader as well. You put many hours into researching and writing your article - make sure it is read as well! Use a quote - but only if really appropriate - or an interesting snippet of information to pull the reader in. You might give a tantalizing hint of what you are going to talk about, but make sure you make good on your promise. In short, there are many ways to write a good introduction.
Pay attention to this part and it will pay off in the rest of your article and will save both you and the editor a lot of time at a later point. Besides, you do want your article to do well in the subsequent survey, don't you?

You - the author
People like to read about people and not just long dead warriors. If your research took you to interesting places, museums and events, tell about them. Not everyone is able to travel to the Roman Limes or the sites where Alexander the Great defeated the Persians. Give your reader a feeling for what it is like to stand where they stood. Let them relive your adventures vicariously through your eyes.

Technical details. Be careful with jargon and technicalities: explain uncommon words when they cannot be avoided, but first consider if they are necessary for a proper understanding of your text. Remember: jargon may confuse more than it elucidates.

Illustrations
Illustrations are not the primary responsibility of the author, although your input is valuable and needed. Please give us some idea of appropriate illustrations and where they might be found. If you have appropriate photos and illustrations free of copyright available, that would be very helpful.
We have a large collection of photos as well, with which your article may be illustrated. Please discuss your ideas.
Finally, some articles may be selected for illustration by one of our professional artists. In that case we will team you up as soon as possible so you can provide input for the artist in question.