Contributors are kindly requested to read these guidelines in full before submitting an article. Submissions that are not in line with the guidelines will not be considered for publication. Thank you.
Fox and Lion exists to bring clarity and candour to the conversation around defence capability and technology. We are fortunate to be read by platoon leaders and procurement officials alike, by engineers, founders, investors, and civil servants, and, most importantly, by serving and former warfighters. We ask a great deal of those who write for us, and in return we offer a readership with a genuine interest in what is written. We would ask that this guide be read in full before a pitch is made; it will save contributors and editors alike a great deal of time.
Whom We Publish
Our contributors are those who have stood close enough to a subject to have earned an opinion on it. In practice, this generally means one or more of the following: service in uniform, meaningful time within government or industry, or a clear record of peer-reviewed or otherwise rigorously tested research. Engineers, programme managers, and founders working at the sharp end of the defence technology sector are all equally welcome. Other valuable grounding includes considerable time spent on the ground, working on or studying an issue of interest to our readers, particularly within a conflict zone; this may include work with a non-governmental organisation or in journalism, though we would note that Fox and Lion is dedicated to analysis and commentary rather than journalistic reporting. We would ask that contributors explain clearly why their experience makes them the right person to write the piece proposed.
We are conscious that our field has not always drawn upon the full range of talent available to it. Pitches from writers of backgrounds under-represented in defence and technology, as well as from those earlier in their careers with something genuinely new to say, are particularly welcome.
We are not in a position to accept pitches or submissions from those whose sole claim to the subject is academic interest, absent other relevant, non-academic experience.
We do not accept pitches or submissions routed through communications agencies, PR consultants, or press offices, and would ask to hear from the author directly, whatever their seniority.
The Submission Process
All pitches should be submitted through our submissions portal; we would ask that pitches not be sent by email or any other form of personal correspondence. A pitch should be brief (under 200 words) comprising the main argument to be made, together with a short account of why the author’s experience qualifies them to make it.
Every pitch received is read, though as a small team your patience is greatly appreciated. We aim to respond within five working days. Should a fortnight pass without a response from us, a polite follow-up through the portal is entirely welcome. Silence on our part reflects the volume of work before us, never a judgement on the pitch itself.
Should a pitch be accepted and a full submission requested, review and editing may take anywhere from a day to over a week. Being asked for a full submission is not equivalent to acceptance for publication; we review thoroughly, at times with the assistance of outside subject-matter readers, and do occasionally decline pieces at that later stage. Where this occurs, we will endeavour to suggest another outlet that may better suit the work.
We would further ask that a piece not be submitted elsewhere while under consideration with us, and that we be informed promptly should circumstances change. Editorial time, once given, cannot be recovered, and we take this courtesy seriously in both directions.
Additional Notes
On our readership. Fox and Lion is read across the world, and contributors are asked to bear in mind that their work may reach those unfamiliar with the institutions or context of a particular nation or region.
On assumed knowledge. Our readership spans a broad range of professions and experience, and few readers will share a contributor’s own background. Contributors are asked to take the time to explain concepts and terms with care, so that the piece may be followed by as wide an audience as possible.
On specialist language. Acronyms, initialisms, and terms of art are a feature of military and technical language, yet they vary considerably by service, nation, and field. With the exception of the most widely understood (UN, NATO, FY20XX for example) such terms should be spelled out and explained at first use.
On form. We would ask that submissions take the form of a considered article rather than a memorandum; bullet points and numbered lists are not part of Fox and Lion’s style. Prospective contributors are encouraged to read previously published analyses to gain a fuller sense of the form we publish.
On voice. Fox and Lion places considerable weight on personal experience, and contributors who feel it appropriate are warmly encouraged to write in the first person. Opening a piece with one’s own experience is often the most effective means of establishing credibility with the reader.
On sourcing. Contributors are kindly requested to cite factual statements and the words of others by way of an embedded hyperlink, wherever this is possible.
On the use of artificial intelligence. Contributions should reflect the contributor’s own judgement, research, and voice. While the growing capability and ubiquity of artificial intelligence is recognised, Fox and Lion’s purpose rests upon personal experience and considered opinion, and a published piece stands as a direct reflection of its author. Contributors are strongly encouraged to write without recourse to artificial intelligence, and submissions found to have been substantially generated or edited by such tools will not be accepted.
Your Biography
A biography of two to three sentences should be included at the close of the piece, setting out the author’s background, affiliations, and previous work. This is the appropriate place for credentials to speak for themselves; contributors are welcome to include a hyperlink to a personal or company website, a Substack, or the Amazon page for a published book.