🌻 Cha is an Asia-focused literary journal. Given our limited resources, time, and energy, we can consider only pieces with a meaningful connection to Asia and relevance to our readership. We warmly welcome writing that engages with Asian literature and culture and hope you will keep Cha in mind for such work. If you’re unsure whether your work is suitable or have any questions about submitting to us (including our submission guidelines), you can always send us a brief initial inquiry. We will try to respond within a month.

🌻 If you send us a new submission or correspondence of any kind, please wait at least one month before sending a follow-up email. We deal with a huge amount of correspondence each day and are always trying to catch up with the backlog.

🌻 Please note that editorial decisions may take up to three months from the date of submission. We ask all prospective contributors to respect our editorial process and refrain from sending repeated enquiries or requests for an earlier decision. If you prefer a shorter interval between submission and publication, we encourage you to consider other journals or publications whose editorial timelines may meet your expectations more satisfactorily.

🌻 Our current calls can be found HERE.

🌻 If you are submitting a review:

▚ Please note that our reviews typically run between 1,200 and 1,800 words, with an emphasis on analysis rather than straightforward summaries of a book or film.

▚ Pieces between 500 and 800 words, including those incorporating personal reflections, generally appear as First Impressions, while those exceeding 1,800 words may be better suited to our Essays category.

▚ We ask that submissions be sent to us within two months of receiving a book, whether by post or email. We understand, however, that schedules vary and are happy to accommodate a longer timeframe if needed. Just let us know.

▚ At Cha, we publish multiple pieces on the same work to present our readers with different perspectives. Seeing another piece on a work you have been commissioned to write about does not mean that we do not wish to publish yours.

🌻 To gain a better sense of our editorial preferences, you may wish to browse pieces in First Impressions, Cha Review of Books and Films, and Essays.

🌻 Please note that all submissions may undergo peer review before a final editorial decision is made.

🌻 Upon acceptance, we kindly ask for your patience while we edit and schedule your piece for publication on our website(s). From acceptance to publication, the process may take three to four months or, in some cases, longer. We therefore ask that you refrain from requesting expedited publication. If prompt publication is a priority for you, our journal may not be the best fit.

🌻 Additionally, please note that, once you have approved the final edits, your piece may not appear immediately, as we may be working through a publication backlog or attending to other editorial commitments. We also ask that any further substantive changes be kept to a minimum, although necessary factual corrections are, of course, always welcome.

🌻 Lastly, as Cha is run entirely on a voluntary basis and supported by personal resources, we regret that we are unable to offer honoraria to contributors.