Last December we published our first Are.na Annual, a printed book (and PDF) about the past, present, and future of the internet, comprising pieces from the Are.na blog and five new essays written especially for the book. Contributors such as Mimi Onuoha; David Reinfurt and Eric Li; Cory Arcangel; and Claire Evans wrote on topics that explored the creative, poetic and personal potential of the web. It was a lot of fun to put together and we got a nice response from it, selling out our first print run in three days. 

We’re now starting to plan for the second Are.na Annual, tentatively titled Are.na Annual Too, and this year we’re opening it up for pitches. We’re looking for essays and interviews that take their root from one of your Are.na channels.Submissions should fall loosely under as in to care for or manage, to give your attention to, or to move toward a particular direction, an inclination or “tendency.” We’re also open to your own interpretation—think of the theme as more guiding than prescriptive. 

We will choose from the submissions and work with you to develop a short piece around your channel, expanding upon the connections, assemblages, and ideas held within. (Laurel Schwulst’s The Wildness Knows the Score, Omayeli Arenyeka’s Alternate Digital Realities, and Evan Collins’ The Global Coffee House Aesthetic are good examples of the results of such a process.) The writing will be published in the Annual in December 2020, and also in some capacity on the Are.na blog. Published authors will be offered a $100 honorarium.

Here’s how to pitch your idea for the Annual: 

1. Choose a channel that you’d like to expand upon in a piece of writing OR create a channel expressly for this purpose. (If you don’t already have an Are.na account, you can sign up here: are.na/sign_up.)

2. Use the theme “tend” to guide you in your selection. Tend: care for, manage, give attention to; a tendency or inclination. 

3. Write a short paragraph detailing what you’d like to write about. What’s the main idea and how does it relate to the theme? Why are you interested in writing about it? What format do you envision it taking? No particular writing experience is required, just a strong idea and willingness to collaborate / work with an editor. 

4. Fill out this form to send the paragraph and a link to your channel by and we’ll respond shortly thereafter. Feel free to share with anyone who may be interested!