NOTCHES welcomes submissions on histories of sex and sexuality across all regions, periods, and themes. We especially welcome blogs that discuss pre-modern histories, the Global South, and the lives and experiences of people of global majority. Posts are limited only by the interests and specializations and interests of our contributors.
We expect contributors to think broadly—and boldly—about histories of sex and sexuality. Be political. Be playful. Be provocative. Bloggers outside the academy, and outside of the discipline of history, are especially welcome to participate, so long as the posts are historically-minded. For examples of the kind of topics we publish and the tone we wish to achieve, please read through existing posts.
After consulting the requirements below, please use the form at the end of this page to submit completed blog posts.
Original Blogs (ca. 1,000 words)
All post should be engagingly written, accessible to a wider public, and imaginative in their approach and scope. NOTCHES has an expectation of intellectual rigor combined with public accessibility. When writing for NOTCHES, language must be clear and free from jargon. Concepts, people, and theories should be hyperlinked or briefly explained for non-experts and international audiences. Limited suggestions for further reading are fine, and hyperlinks are required when other authors’ works or ideas are directly mentioned; use hyperlinks where possible instead of footnotes. Posts must also be submitted with at least one relevant image (see Image Policy) that is either the author’s own image, in the public domain or for which the author has secured permission. Posts should not have been previously published elsewhere.
Archives of Desire (ca. 500 words)
Archives of Desire posts illuminate the history of sexuality in 300-500 words by showcasing how we can interpret primary source collections, documents and objects. Writers select a single source to show how anything from a memo to a newsletter, a manuscript to a stained glass window can be analyzed to strengthen our knowledge of sex and sexuality in the past and present. Archives of Desire is historical research in action.
What we need from you
Please send your submission to NOTCHES at notchesblog@gmail.com with the following information and attachments as appropriate.
1. Name
2. Professional title and affiliation if appropriate
3. Twitter, Bluesky or other social media accounts you want tagged with the post
4. Your personal website or professional profile page
5. Blog post as an attached DOC file. Please do not send PDFs. Please include relevant hyperlinks.
6. Author bio and author image. The author bio can appear in the text of the email but the image should be included as an attachment.
7. Attached image(s) to accompany the blog post. (see Image Policy)
8. Image captions and confirmation for each image that either (1) it is in the public domain, (2) permission has been granted for its use, or (3) the image is your own creation or you hold rights for it.
9. A list of keywords for the piece with individual words separated by commas.
10. A very short (25 words or less) tagline describing the post.
