All stories should be original work, submitted in English, following these guidelines:
- Story length: 1500–2500 words
- Should be submitted through the specified online form
- If an online form is not provided, should be submitted in Microsoft Word, single-spaced.
- All pages should bear the title of the contribution and name/s of the author/s and the submission accompanied by this Submission Form to: submissions@wewillleadafrica.com.
- Subject line should read ‘WWLA Submission: [Volume Name]‘.
Contributing Author Eligibility
You are an eligible author/group of authors if you:
- are African by lineage, heritage, citizenship, immigration and/or self-identification, living anywhere in the world and;
- have recently done (in the past 3 years) or are currently doing work in any African country that is already showing outcomes or making a difference as defined by you and/or the group(s) you are working with.
- You may also interview others who have done / are doing the work, and submit a story on their behalf. If you would like to tell someone else’s story, you must have their confirmed permission in writing or where not possible in writing, their recorded verbal consent. In addition they must be listed as a co-author.
Content
Submissions should be narrative or story-based, answering the following questions:
- What’s your personal story?
- What inspired you to start/do the work you are doing?
- What was the challenge you sought to address or potential you sought to unlock?
- What did you do and how did you do it?
- What have been the outcomes and impacts of the work to-date?
- What has the experience taught you?
- What do you see for the future?
- How does your story express one or more of the themes? (Note: this applies only if the volume has a specific theme designated by WWLA, e.g. women; refugees, peacebuilding, security; regenerative leadership.)
Style and Citations
- All stories must use non-discriminatory language
- The book is aimed at a broad audience, so the use of jargon and acronyms should be limited to those strictly necessary for the argument, and if used should be spelled out the first time they are mentioned.
- Citations should always be accompanied by precise references and anecdotal information provided may be fact-checked.
- Graphics or images that enhance the story are encouraged—you must have permission to use these, and they must be submitted separately in high resolution.
Review Process & Disclaimer
All stories will be reviewed by the editorial team, who reserve the right to accept or reject submissions. Stories will be reviewed based on a combination of the following:
- Strength of storytelling
- Thoroughness of the story, covering all the elements requested in the call for submissions, including details of outcomes and impacts
- Likelihood that the story will inspire and galvanize those that are living and working for a prosperous Africa
- Representation of work from a geographical spread
- Representation of authors of diverse African backgrounds
- Representation of stories from a variety of sectors and disciplines
- Disclosure and use of AI assistance.
Note: Although ALL stories will be given full consideration, preference may be given to stories that would otherwise / usually go unnoticed or unheard.
By submitting a story, you acknowledge that the intent is to publish selected stories within the We Will Lead Africa volume and other publications, at which point you will be expected to sign over rights. Upon submission, you will be sent an acknowledgement of receipt. All submissions will be given full consideration and will receive a response, whether they are accepted or not, but detailed feedback on rejected stories may not be possible. Authors of final accepted submissions will be asked to accept a contributors’ agreement before publication.
AI Disclaimer
We value originality, and consider transparency about the use of AI and AI-assisted tools across the production of WWLA volumes as crucial to maintaining authenticity, trust, and credibility with readers.
Thus, Contributors are required to disclose the use of AI and AI-assisted tools in the production of submitted work. Specific sections for this are provided in the online and offline submission form.
WWLA permits the use of AI for light editing assistance (clarity, language improvement, grammar and spellchecking), but not for full content generation nor substantive editing (extensive rephrasing and restructuring).
Contributors are accountable for ensuring that AI-assisted and -generated output reflects original work; does not infringe on copyrights; and has been reviewed, checked, and endorsed by a human before submission.
The WWLA Editorial Team reserves the right to reject stories based on non-disclosure or excessive use of AI.