INC Longforms will showcase great content by up-and-coming authors.
Since 2005 the Institute of Network Cultures publishes research on the intersection of research, art and activism, manifestos and how-to’s in the field of digital media and internet critique. The INC holds experimental publishing dear, always looking into new ways of distributing, writing, editing, reading, communicating, etc. Multiple formats such as print, EPUB and PDF are equally used and scrutinized.
A new INC series was launched in Spring 2015: INC Longform. Talented, up-and-coming authors are invited to publish their work in a digital-first format. We aim to publish stand-alone essays of 3,000-8,000 words, written for the web and making use of digital options. We believe in longform as a genre that first and foremost points to depth of insight based on research – which can include video essays, visual reporting and multimedia.
Pointers for submission:
- the essay will cover INC subjects such as social media, online knowledge, creative work, alternatives, art and media activism - always critical and reflective, but aimed at a wide audience.
- word maximum: 8,000; preferably try to keep within 6,000 words
- language: English or Dutch
- keep an interested, but lay audience in mind, by writing with the following points in mind:
- write in an open, lively and accessible writing style with sentences and paragraphs that are not too long
- cut back on theoretical parts
- expand on examples (e.g. from the news, personal experience, etc.)
- use details that illustrate your main point
- open the essay with a telling anecdote / question / problem
- references should be incorporated in the text (no footnotes, no in-line references, use links where possible)
- keep only the references that are necessary to understanding your argument
- provide a list of used references in the end
- try to find multimedia sources that are free to use: photo, video, links to articles
Do you want to contribute to the INC Longform series? We offer elaborate feedback, professional copy-editing, a broad readership, and an opportunity to connect with the INC network.
For more information or to submit an idea for a longform, contact Miriam Rasch at miriam@networkcultures.org.