The Middle East Forum seeks paid freelance writers for four publications: Campus Watch, Middle East Quarterly, the Middle East Forum Observer, and Focus on Western Islamism. Each outlet has its own focus, format, and standards. Details follow. Submission instructions appear at the end.
Campus Watch
Campus Watch critiques Middle East studies at North American universities. It seeks freelance writers to contribute paid essays. Writers should command the field, including its major programs, professors, and problems. All writing must be rigorous, economical, accurate, and timely. Campus Watch does not self-publish. Finished essays appear first on third-party sites, then on the Campus Watch website. Writers work with editors to choose topics and to meet MEF standards. Remuneration follows publication.
Middle East Quarterly
Middle East Quarterly is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. Articles examine political affairs, social affairs, and security in the contemporary Middle East. The Quarterly prizes rigorous research and original thinking. Articles run 3,000–8,000 words.
Middle East Forum Observer
The Observer publishes pieces of 650–750 words that draw on primary-language research and sources to advance U.S. policy debate on the broader Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean, and on how the region connects to the Red Sea littoral, the Horn of Africa, and South Asia. Successful essays do not simply express opinions. They add context and expertise.
Observer style is strict. Write in the active voice. Avoid adjectives and adverbs. Let the facts make the argument. Hyperlink sources under single words, preferably verbs. Be precise with dates. Write for the expert and the general reader alike.
Focus on Western Islamism
Focus on Western Islamism (FWI) seeks freelance writers to produce well-documented news stories (600–1,200 words), analytical essays (2,000–3,000 words), investigations, and occasional opinion pieces (700–900 words). FWI educates readers about Islamist efforts to transform Western democracies, the failure of Western elites to counter those efforts, and practical ways to defend liberal freedoms. Successful pieces rely on primary sources, open-source research, interviews, and direct outreach for comment. They supply context, expertise, and a clear narrative. FWI opposes Islamism, yet it gives Islamist organizations and individuals a reasonable opportunity to respond to allegations made against them.
FWI follows the dictum: radical Islam is the problem; moderate Islam is the solution.
FWI style matches the Observer. Active voice. Few adjectives and adverbs. Sources hyperlinked under single words, preferably verbs. Precise dates. Authoritative yet accessible prose.
How to Pitch
Email info@meforum.org.
Put the publication name in the subject line. Include a one-paragraph pitch and links to two or three published samples. Editors respond to promising pitches, work with writers on topic selection, and confirm rates and terms before assignment.
