Submission Guidelines
The Bedrock Principle publishes commentary, analysis, and original perspectives on freedom of expression in the United States, Europe, and around the world.
We welcome submissions from scholars, researchers, legal experts, journalists, advocates, and anyone with meaningful expertise or firsthand experience relevant to free expression.
Our editorial perspective is grounded in a commitment to robust free speech protections, applied consistently and without partisan favoritism. We welcome contributors from different political and intellectual traditions, including those who disagree about the best ways to protect and advance free expression.
We’re particularly interested in submissions that:
Offer an original argument or perspective. Tell us something readers might not already know, challenge a familiar assumption, or provide a fresh way of understanding a free speech controversy.
Bring expertise to current debates. Help readers understand the legal, political, historical, technological, or cultural dimensions of an issue affecting free expression.
Examine free speech fights beyond the United States. We want to hear from people who can shed light on developments in countries and regions that receive less international attention.
Explore the intersection of technology and free expression. From artificial intelligence and social media to internet regulation, Section 230, and emerging technologies, we’re interested in how technological developments shape freedom of expression, and how laws, policies, and cultural attitudes toward free speech shape the technologies we use.
Tell compelling human stories. The consequences of censorship are often best understood through the experiences of people who have faced it. We welcome firsthand accounts that illuminate broader questions about free expression.
Explore ideas and solutions. Identifying threats to free speech is important. We also want thoughtful analysis of the principles, policies, legal protections, and cultural practices that can help defend it.
Guidelines on Voice and Tone
Before submitting, we encourage prospective contributors to familiarize themselves with our published work. While there is no single formula for a successful essay, the following principles guide our editorial decisions.
Make an argument, not just an observation. We want pieces that give readers something to think about. A strong submission should have a clear thesis and explain why it matters.
Write for an informed but general audience. Our readers are interested in free speech, but they aren’t necessarily lawyers, academics, or specialists in your field. Explain technical concepts, avoid unnecessary jargon, and make your work accessible without sacrificing intellectual rigor.
Support your claims. Ground arguments in verifiable facts, credible research, sound reasoning, or clearly identified firsthand experience. We value intellectual honesty and expect contributors to engage fairly with evidence that might complicate their conclusions.
Be principled, not partisan. Free speech controversies cross ideological, cultural, and political lines. We’re interested in arguments that apply consistent principles regardless of who benefits from them. Criticism of government officials, political movements, institutions, and ideas is welcome, but partisan point-scoring is not our purpose.
Challenge ideas without resorting to personal attacks. Strong criticism is welcome, including criticism that some readers may find provocative or uncomfortable. Arguments are more persuasive when they engage opposing positions seriously rather than caricaturing them.
Give readers a reason to care. A free speech controversy may be interesting on its own, but the strongest submissions explain its broader significance. What does it reveal about the state of free expression, and why should readers pay attention?
Submission Process Basics
Length: We generally seek essays of 800 to 1,200 words, although we may consider longer submissions when the subject warrants additional depth.
Format: Google Docs is preferred. Please share your document as a link and grant editing access to “Anyone with the link.” We will return suggested edits through Google Docs so authors can review and discuss proposed changes before publication.
Sources: Hyperlinks are the preferred way to document sources. Please link directly to relevant research, court decisions, legislation, official documents, or other primary materials whenever possible.
Author information: Please include a short biography (approximately 50–100 words) with your submission, along with any relevant professional affiliations. Contributors should also disclose financial, professional, or other relationships that could present a conflict of interest.
Substack account: Accepted contributors will need an active Substack account with their real name and a profile photograph so they can be credited as byline authors. Requests to publish anonymously or under a pseudonym will be considered on a case-by-case basis, particularly when identifying an author could expose them to retaliation or other serious consequences.
House Style: We generally follow the Associated Press Stylebook (AP style), with a few exceptions, including our preference for the Oxford comma. We favor clear, concise writing; spell out acronyms on first reference; and encourage subheadings to break up longer essays. We may make additional edits for clarity, consistency, and house style during the editorial process.
Originality: Submissions should represent the author’s original work. Please disclose if an essay has been published elsewhere or is under consideration by another publication.
Review and Editorial Process
All submissions will receive editorial consideration, and we aim to respond as promptly as possible.
Submissions selected for further consideration may undergo substantive editing, fact-checking, and copyediting. We will share proposed changes with authors and work collaboratively to reach agreement on the final text.
Acceptance is at the discretion of the editor and leadership of The Future of Free Speech. We reserve the right to decline submissions that do not fit the publication’s editorial mission, standards, or needs, and to consult confidentially with other members of The Future of Free Speech when making editorial decisions.
Nonprofit and Political Activity
As a nonprofit organization, The Future of Free Speech does not endorse political candidates or parties. We welcome rigorous, nonpartisan analysis of political developments, legislation, and public policy, including criticism of government officials and their decisions.
Submissions must comply with applicable nonprofit restrictions on political campaign activity and lobbying. We may request revisions or decline pieces that raise concerns under these requirements.
How to Submit
Please send a Google Docs link to your completed draft or a short pitch outlining your proposed argument to Justin Hayes, Managing Editor, at justin@futurefreespeech.com.
If you’re unsure whether an idea would be a good fit, feel free to reach out before writing a full draft.
I look forward to reading your submissions and working with more of the people who make the global free speech community so interesting and important.
The floor is yours.
Justin Hayes
Managing Editor,
The Bedrock Principle