Oriire is dedicated to the preservation and exploration of African mythology, history, and heritage. We publish well researched, factually accurate, and respectful content that documents African cultural knowledge for a global audience.
To ensure our content remains focused, we exclusively accept submissions that respond to our active monthly prompts. These are published on the first of each month, please expand the "See The Latest Prompts" toggle below to see what we are currently seeking.
Ensure all submissions follow the submission guidelines listed below
1. Content Pillars
We accept long-form content (1000-3000 words) within our three core pillars:
2. Core Requirements
- Specificity is Mandatory: Avoid generalizations. Your work must be tied to a specific ethnic group, culture, region, or historical period. (e.g., The role of the Griot in the Malian Empire, not Storytellers in Africa).
- Factual & Evidence Based: Your work must be well-researched and factually accurate. All claims must be verifiable, and sources must be cited where possible.
- Originality is Paramount: Your submission must be 100% your own work and not published elsewhere. The use of AI tools to generate written content or images is strictly prohibited.
- Visual Evidence: Submissions must include at least two relevant images. You must have the right to use them (e.g., they are your own, public domain, or used with explicit permission and correct attribution). All photos must have clear captions that explain their context.
3. Voice and Tone
Our voice is scholarly, authoritative, intellectual, semi-formal, and inquisitive.
- Write to Inform, Not to Evoke: Your goal is to describe, explain, and analyze. Use precise, objective language.
- Use a Documentary or Ethnographic Tone: Describe beliefs and practices with precision. Explain symbolism rather than using symbolic or metaphorical language yourself.
- Clarity and Accessibility: Your arguments and the links between them should be comprehensible to a reader outside your specific field of expertise.
- Respectful Language: Always refer to cultural groups with respect and precision. Capitalize the names of ethnic groups (e.g., the Hausa people, the Maasai warriors).
4. Content Types
- Long-Form Articles (1,000–3,000 words) - historical analysis, ethnographic studies, mythology deep-dives.
- Essays - critical or analytical reflections with academic grounding.
- Interviews - conversations with cultural historians, tradition bearers, or academics.
- Heritage Reviews - Book, film, or exhibition critiques from a cultural preservation perspective.
5. Formatting & Submission Checklist
Before submitting, ensure your article adheres to these formatting rules:
- Length: 1000 - 3000 words.
- Font: Times New Roman, size 12.
- Spacing: 1.5 line spacing.
- Justification: Fully justify the text.
- Titles: Use Title Case (e.g., “Half of a Yellow Sun”).
- Referencing: Use the Chicago Manual Style (CMS) with endnotes for all citations.
- Author Details: Your full legal name and email must be included in the submission for payment purposes, even if you wish to be published under a pseudonym.
- File Format: Standard text document (e.g., .docx)
6. Payment & Review Process
- Authors of all submissions selected for publication are paid a flat rate of N10,000 per article. Payment details will be requested in the submission form.
- We will do our best to inform you of the status of your submission within 1-4 weeks.
- Please understand that we cannot provide detailed feedback on rejected articles. The most common reasons for rejection are a failure to adhere to these guidelines, particularly regarding tone, specificity, and factual rigor.
- Some examples of submissions we would reject:
- An analysis of Nigerian deities (This is not specific).
- A recipe for Yassa (We don’t accept recipes on the main Oriire brand. Instead, ‘A historical analysis of Senegalese Yassa and its diaspora ties’ would be a better angle.
- Women in African History (This is not specific).
- Submissions which are too similar to content we have previously published.
Thank you for your interest in contributing to Oriire. We look forward to reading your work.
If you have any questions, contact us
