CONTRIBUTOR GUIDELINES
"Bringing Heritage Stories to Life,
through the People Who Live Them"
ETHNOMAD is a storytelling and ethnographic organisation dedicated to documenting the cultural and ecological wisdom of the world’s Indigenous, tribal, nomadic, and traditional communities. Our flagship editorial initiative, the Fading Cultures Project, is produced through the ETHNOMAD platform and focuses on cultures facing rapid change, displacement, or disappearance.
Through immersive writing and photography, the Fading Cultures Project captures the lives, creativity, and resilience of communities living at the intersection of tradition and transformation. This project does not romanticise the past, nor does it treat tradition as static. Instead, we reveal the dynamism, adaptation, and ingenuity of cultural life on the margins.
1. Editorial Vision and Tone
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Voice: Informed, respectful, empathetic, and grounded. Contributors are expected to listen deeply and write with humility and precision.
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Style: Long-form journalism mixed with narrative ethnography and photo essays. Lyrical when appropriate but always anchored in real people and real places.
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Core Message: Diversity is not decoration: it is vital knowledge. Fading cultures offer lessons in sustainability, identity, spiritual ecology, displacement and the human experience.
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Avoid: Exoticism, generalisations, sensationalism, or portraying cultures as frozen in time or defined solely by their struggles.
2. Thematic Parameters
Contributors should align their work with one or more of the following focus areas:
A. Intangible Cultural Heritage
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Oral traditions, storytelling, rituals, music, dance, tattoos, languages
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Festivals and spiritual ceremonies
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Knowledge systems (e.g., astrology, herbal medicine, dreamtime stories)
B. Material Culture & Livelihoods
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Artisanal crafts (weaving, ceramics, stonework, textile dyeing, etc.)
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Traditional tools, clothing, architecture, food systems
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Sustainable, ancestral practices (farming, herding, fishing)
C. Spirituality, Ecology, and Place
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Sacred landscapes, pilgrimage routes, forest or desert wisdom
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Human-environment relationships shaped by faith and folklore
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Resistance to extractive industries or destructive conservation models
D. Communities Under Pressure
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Stories of resilience in the face of displacement, loss of land, conflict, or assimilation
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Living heritage in refugee camps or urban diasporas
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Climate and cultural change (e.g., melting traditions, rising waters, cultural loss)
3. Geographic Scope
Global. ETHNOMAD welcomes stories and photography from any part of the world where traditional cultures are alive, adapting, or under threat. We seek broad representation across regions and encourage contributors to consider lesser-covered areas, including island and oceanic communities.
Emphasis is placed on communities from:
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Asia: South and Southeast Asia’s tribal belts, Indigenous Himalayan peoples, remote hill tribes, and syncretic traditions
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Africa: Nomadic and traditional communities across North, West, East, Central, and Southern Africa
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Latin America & the Caribbean: Amazonian, Andean, Afro-Indigenous traditions, and coastal cultures
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Europe: Marginalised rural cultures, ethnic minorities, and living heritage in post-industrial or depopulated regions
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Oceania & the Pacific: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Polynesian, Micronesian, and Melanesian communities, including those in Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati, and the Solomon Islands
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Middle East & Central Asia: Endangered crafts, oral traditions, and Indigenous knowledge in post-conflict or migratory settings
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Arctic & Sub-Arctic: Inuit, Sámi, Chukchi, and other northern Indigenous groups are experiencing cultural shifts and climate change
4. Guidelines for Writers
A. Story Requirements
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Length: 1,500–4,000 words (features); 500–800 words (spotlight/shorts)
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Structure: Clear narrative arc; start with people, not theory.
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Sources: Minimum of two on-the-ground interviews or first-hand accounts.
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Language: Use descriptive detail, but be accurate and respectful.
B. What to Include:
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Names, locations, and dates (when safe and appropriate).
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Historical context and cultural nuance. Reflections on change, adaptation, and agency.
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Ethical transparency (how access was granted, how quotes were obtained).
C. What to Avoid:
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Speaking on behalf of others (“the tribe thinks…”)
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Overuse of metaphors for “ancient wisdom” or “timeless rituals”,
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Framing traditions as either lost or unchanging (show the in-between)
5. Guidelines for Photographers
Photography is not decoration, it is storytelling. Your lens must do more than capture a face; it must carry the weight of a story, a context, a culture in flux.
A. Visual Philosophy:
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You are not just taking pictures; you are constructing a visual narrative.
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Each photo should serve the story: Who are these people? What do they value? What is changing? What is being held onto? Think in sequences, not snapshots.
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A good story includes context, environment, interaction, emotion, detail, and action.
B. Required Photo Types: For each assignment or submission, aim to include a visual arc:
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Context Shots: landscapes, villages, tools, signs of change
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People in Place: individuals in their environment, doing what they do
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Detail Shots: hands weaving, food cooking, feet on pilgrimage, heirlooms
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Emotional Moments: joy, grief, laughter, prayer, concentration
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Portraits: formal or candid, with the subject’s dignity, agency, and story in mind
C. Storytelling Approach
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Be curious. Observe not only what people do, but how and why they do it.
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Look for contrasts: tradition and technology, youth and elders, continuity and change.
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Let your photo series answer these questions:
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What is at stake here?
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What does this culture want to say to the world right now?
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How does this moment fit into something larger?
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D. Technical & Delivery Guidelines
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Quantity: Submit 10–30 images per story
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Format: RAW + high-res edited JPEGs (300 dpi)
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Captions: Include names, place, date, and cultural or contextual notes
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File Naming: Use a consistent system (e.g., 2025_KraskaGurjar_01.jpg)
E. What to Avoid
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Shallow portraits that lack context or connection
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Over-processed or aggressive post-processing
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Staging scenes without full consent and narrative purpose
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Extractive imagery: photos taken without understanding, relationship, or consent
F. Ethics & Reciprocity
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Always introduce yourself and explain the project clearly.
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Ask for permission before taking any portrait or emotionally sensitive image.
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Offer to share the photos with the individuals or communities portrayed.
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Work collaboratively; treat the subject as a partner in the image, not just a subject of it.
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Always give back, copies of photos, connect and share where possible.
6. Ethics & Consent
All contributors must follow the Ethical Code of ETHNOMAD:
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Informed Consent: Always explain who you are, what the project is, and how stories or images may be used.
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Obtain verbal or written consent.
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Respect for Privacy: Do not photograph or publish sensitive moments (e.g., rituals, grieving) without explicit permission.
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Reciprocity: Give back where possible: send photos, offer copies of the magazine, amplify the voices you record.
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Credit & Collaboration: Name translators, fixers, or local guides who supported your access.
7. Editorial Process
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Pitch First: All contributors must submit a short pitch (200–300 words) outlining the proposed story, location, and angle.
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Approval & Agreement: Once approved, you’ll receive a contributor agreement and editorial brief.
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Submission: Submit drafts and photos by agreed deadlines. Expect 1–2 rounds of editing.
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Publication: Stories will appear in digital editions and/or the print magazine under ETHNOMAD "the Fading Cultures Project."
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Contributors will be notified and credited.
8. Rights & Compensation
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ETHNOMAD retains first publication rights, with full credit given.
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Contributors retain rights to their work, with the option for future republication after 120 days.
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Compensation: Modest fees or honorariums may be offered depending on funding. Travel support may be provided for special assignments.
9. How to Submit a Pitch
Email: info@fadingcultures.org Subject Line: Story/Photo Pitch: [Your Name]: [Location or Theme]
Include:
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Brief bio and sample of past work (writing or photography)
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Proposed title and summary
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Why this story matters now
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Any logistical needs or access arrangements
10. Final Note
ETHNOMAD is a living organisation, dynamic, responsive, and deeply engaged in the real-world application of ethnographic knowledge. Beyond the Fading Cultures Project, we collaborate with universities, international agencies, NGOs, and local partners to conduct fieldwork, design inclusive development strategies, and amplify community-led heritage work.
We do not seek to “save” cultures; we believe communities must be free to evolve in their own way, on their own terms. Our role is to highlight, support, and amplify local voices, allowing space for change that is self-directed and culturally grounded. We accompany, not intervene; we document, not define.
If this mission resonates with you, if you are drawn to meaningful stories and grounded fieldwork, then welcome aboard.
"Bringing Stories to Life Through the People WHo Live Them
