Pamphletariat

Submit a Pamphlet

Argument Scope and Constraints

Pamphlets may advance a wide range of arguments. To be eligible for submission, however, a pamphlet must be lawful to publish and distribute under United States law and must comply with the requirements below:

  1. Technical Requirements
  2. Editorial Criteria
  3. Rules of Argument
  4. Author Requirements

Editorial Control

  1. We reserve the right to judge compliance with our requirements.
  2. We will not provide feedback or explanations for our decisions.
  3. We do not evaluate argument correctness, ideology, or conclusions.
  4. We do not conduct peer review, verify sources, or independently validate empirical claims.
  5. When publishing, we may adjust frontmatter as deemed necessary.
  6. We may make minor formatting or typographic edits only prior to publishing.

Process Overview

  1. Download our Markdown text file template as a starting point.
  2. Write your pamphlet in keeping with our requirements, below.
  3. Fill in the "frontmatter" metadata at the very top of the file as best you can.
  4. Do a final review that it meets our requirements.
  5. Submit your pamphlet to us.
  6. We will either accept for publishing or reject without comment if we do not believe it meets our rules.
  7. Rejected pamphlets can be revised and resubmitted.

Technical Requirements

  1. Markdown format UTF-8 text file
  2. Text only (one file only)
  3. English language
  4. Completed frontmatter per our template
  5. Generally between 2,000 and 10,000 words

Editorial Criteria

  1. Fit with the Format. Takes the form of a complete, self-contained pamphlet.
  2. Addressed to a Reader. Directed toward an unknown reader, not a faction or movement.
  3. Serious Engagement. A sustained attempt to examine a question or position.
  4. Cogency. The pamphlet advances at least one identifiable argument or line of reasoning.
  5. Clarity and Legibility. Readable without specialized training; difficulty is acceptable.
  6. Claim Visibility. Claims stated plainly enough to be understood and contested.

Rules of Argument

  1. No Ad Hominem Attacks. Arguments must address claims, reasoning, and evidence.
  2. No Straw-Manning. Positions must be represented fairly.
  3. No Harassment, Threats, or Intimidation. Targeted harassment is not permitted.
  4. No Incitement to Violence or Lawless Action.
  5. No Dehumanization. Persons or groups may not be denied basic human standing.
  6. No Obfuscating Harm. Where an argument endorses or relies on coercion or intentional harm, that fact must be made explicit.

Author Requirements

By submitting a pamphlet to Pamphletariat, the author agrees to the following:

  1. New, original work. The pamphlet is your own original work and has not been previously published elsewhere in substantially the same form.
  2. Pseudonymous publication. Pamphlets are published under a pseudonym. Currently this is your GitHub account name, so this must not be personally identifying.
  3. No public authorship claims (ongoing). The author will not publicly claim authorship of a specific pamphlet or disclose identifying information that would reasonably allow attribution, now or hereafter.
  4. GitHub anonymity responsibility. Submission currently occurs via GitHub. The author is responsible for ensuring that their GitHub account, profile, commit metadata, pull requests, comments, and related activity do not reveal their identity, both at the time of submission and in the future. A new, special-purpose, anonymous GitHub account is recommended. Pamphletariat cannot guarantee anonymity beyond the published pamphlet itself.
  5. Exclusive publication license. The author retains copyright but grants Pamphletariat an exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual license to publish, reproduce, distribute, and display the pamphlet in any medium or format, now known or later developed, and to sublicense those rights solely as necessary for hosting, archiving, or distribution. This license includes permission to make minor typographic or formatting corrections that do not alter the substance of the argument. The author may not republish the pamphlet elsewhere in substantially the same published form.
  6. Permanence. The author understands that published pamphlets cannot be retracted or substantively modified. Clarifications, revisions, or reversals must be made through a new pamphlet.

If a submission is not accepted for publication (i.e., the GitHub pull request is closed without merge), no license is granted and the author remains free to publish or use the work elsewhere in any form.

Submission via GitHub pull request constitutes agreement to these terms.