Space Law Journal
Submissions
We publish practitioners, academics and students. No fee to submit, no fee to publish, and a decision inside ten working days. Full guidelines and process.
We publish practitioners, academics and students. There is no fee to submit and no fee to publish, and we tell you either way inside ten working days.
Send your pitch or your finished draft to space@legaldesire.com. Read the rest of this page first. It will materially improve your chances.
What we want
Six things we will always read
Case notes
A decision, consent decree, enforcement action or arbitral award involving space activity. What it held, what it changed, what it did not settle. 900 to 1,500 words.
Regulatory analysis
A rule, proposal or consultation, explained for people who have to comply with it. Include the docket number and the dates. 1,200 to 2,000 words.
Jurisdiction briefings
How space activity is authorised in a country we have not covered. Especially wanted for Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia and the Gulf. 1,000 to 1,800 words.
Explainers
A concept, instrument or process written for someone encountering it for the first time. Hard to do well and always in demand. 1,200 to 2,000 words.
Opinion
An argued position, clearly labelled. We will publish views we disagree with if the argument is good. 800 to 1,500 words.
Practice notes
How something actually works from the inside. A licensing process, a negotiation, a filing. Written from experience, not from the rule text. 900 to 1,600 words.
The rules
Guidelines, in full
None of this is unusual. All of it is enforced.
Process
What happens after you send it
You email us
Send a pitch of a few paragraphs or a finished draft to space@legaldesire.com. A pitch is fine and often better, because we can steer the angle before you have written 1,800 words.
We acknowledge within two working days
If you have not heard anything after three, resend. Email goes astray and we would rather read it twice than not at all.
Decision within ten working days
Accept, accept subject to changes, or decline. If we decline we will tell you why in a sentence or two. It is usually scope or sourcing rather than quality.
Editing
We edit for structure, clarity and length, and we check sources. You see the edited version before it goes live. We will not change your argument or sharpen your position without asking.
Publication
Usually within two weeks of sign off, sooner if the piece is time sensitive. We add the image, the metadata and the internal links, and we send you the URL.
After
We promote it on LinkedIn. You are welcome to republish after 30 days with a credit and a link. If a rule changes and your piece needs updating, we will come back to you first.
Honest answers
The things people ask before pitching
Do you charge a publication fee?
No. We do not charge to submit, to review or to publish, and we never will for editorial content. If you are asked for money by anyone claiming to represent Space Law Journal, it is not us.
Do you accept student submissions?
Yes, and a good proportion of what we publish will come from students and early career lawyers. The guidelines are the same. Sourcing is where student pieces most often fall short, so put the effort there.
Can I republish my piece on my firm's website?
Yes, after 30 days, with a credit to Space Law Journal and a link to the original. Before 30 days, ask us and we will usually say yes if the timing matters to you.
Will you publish something critical of a regulator or a company?
Yes, if it is argued and sourced. We will fact check it harder than we would a neutral piece, and we may put the criticism to the subject for comment before publishing. That is normal practice, not a sign of hesitation.
How long until I hear back?
Acknowledgement in two working days, decision in ten. If a piece is time sensitive because of a decision or a rule change, say so in the subject line and we will move faster.
Can I write under a pseudonym?
Not normally. We publish under real names with a stated role and organisation, because attribution is part of how readers weigh an argument. In rare cases where the subject matter genuinely requires it, talk to us first.
Ready when you are
Subject line: Submission. Tell us what the piece argues in one sentence before you tell us anything else.