War on the Rocks — Pitches & Submissions Portal

Pitching War on the Rocks

Tell us about yourself

We prioritize writers with direct, relevant experience.

I'm submitting on behalf of the author(s).For a colleague at the author's own organization — for example a staff aide to a senior official, or an in-house communications teammate. Third-party PR/communications firms and outside representatives are not permitted. We'll email you a link to verify your address before any editor sees the pitch.

Full name *

Name only — no title, degree, rank, or call sign. Write “Jane Smith”, not “Dr. Jane Smith” or “Col. Jane Smith (Ret.)”. Rank and credentials belong in the bio below.

Email *

Please use your professional/work email if you have one — it helps us confirm your identity. We'll send a confirmation link here.

Professional bio *

Include your current employer. Relevant military, government, academic, professional, regional, or lived experience helps editors assess your authority on the subject.

Co-authors

Writing with others? Add up to 3 co-authors (4 authors total). Each of you gets your own private tracking link, so the editors can see which of you writes to them.

Make your pitch

Lead with the argument, not just the topic.

A strong pitch answers three questions:

1. What is your argument?
2. Why does it matter now?
3. Why are you the right writer?

Your pitch *0 / 200 words

The limit is guidance rather than a hard block, but concise pitches are more effective.

Topic or format (optional)

Confirm the guidelines

Every confirmation is required before the pitch can be submitted.

I have read the War on the Rocks submissions guide in full.I am the author and am pitching on my own behalf. I am not a communications/PR staffer, consultant, or third-party firm.This pitch is not under consideration anywhere else. If I later change my mind, I will formally withdraw it before submitting elsewhere.This pitch reflects genuine human voice, judgment, and expertise and is not AI-generated.I have avoided jargon and acronyms/initialisms.My eventual draft will cite factual claims with embedded hyperlinks (no footnotes/endnotes).I have provided a short professional bio that includes my current employer.This pitch contains no classified or controlled unclassified information (CUI).

Optional

Pen name or safety request

We only grant this if (a) you are legally and ethically allowed to write your proposed article but would face unjust career consequences if it were published under your real name, or (b) you or someone you are close to could reasonably expect to find your/their safety compromised if it was published under your real name. An editor will discuss the request with you. But please note this is something we grant very rarely.

I may need to publish under a pen name because using my real name would put my career or safety at serious risk.

Verify you're human

Ready to send your pitch?

Next you'll get an email with a verification link. You must click it or editors will never see your pitch — we only share it and send your private tracking code after you verify.

Make the case for your idea.

Tell us about yourself

Make your pitch

Confirm the guidelines

Pen name or safety request