Thank you for your interest in contributing to Humu Mo`olelo - Journal of the Hula Arts, which is published four times a year. Humu Mo`olelo's publishing goals are to provide a voice platform and forum for those who research, author and photograph the hula and its related arts. Accordingly a contributor's story, photos or artwork must capture the essence of the hula or increase knowledge and provide tools needed to better understand the art, its historic context and current progression.

Each issue of the journal contains five or more features, roughly balanced between historic and contemporary subjects. Generally, we are interested in information that is not easily accessible to most enthusiasts. The topics we cover vary widely, from mainstream to traditional.

Humu Mo`olelo features are usually narrow in scope. Subjects of particular interest to us are historic, newly translated, instructional, and profiles of practitioners who represent vision in the tradition, and encourage interaction among devotees. We want all of our articles to be tightly focused and to tell a story. The picture-to-text ratio is approximately 7 to 3. Occasionally we do photographic essays with minimal text on subjects appropriate to such treatment.

We accept freelance queries for most of our regular departments. Ideas for features are generated both by the Humu Mo`olelo staff and by freelance contributors. Check the Humu Mo`olelo index, published each year in the January Resource Directory, to make sure we have not recently run a piece on the topic you are proposing. Be sure to include your credentials. Although we will review unsolicited ideas and submissions, we do not give assignments to authors or photographers who cannot provide solid evidence of their aptitude or published work. We do not accept phone queries.

Restrict each submission to one or two well-developed proposals that have been crafted especially for us. A carefully considered proposal combines support for doing a particular topic with some premise or hook. A good query has a headline that suggests what the story is, a deck that amplifies on that, a strong lead, and not much more than a page that clearly sets out the premise and approach of the piece. The query should answer these questions about the story: Why now, and why in Humu Mo`olelo?

Proposals need not be accompanied by photographs or artwork. We do not send out want lists, nor can we provide information regarding our future editorial plans. We will consider previously unpublished coverage if the subject interests us. All proposals are carefully evaluated, but because of other requirements, even excellent ideas may be rejected or delayed.

Prospective contributors doing preliminary research for a story must avoid giving the impression that they are representing Humu Mo`olelo. They may use the name of the Journal only if they have a definite assignment. When Humu Mo`olelo gives an assignment, the terms are clearly stated in a written contract.

Submissions should consist of a carefully selected sample of writing or images that demonstrate your ability to meet our requirements. Thoughtful study of one or more issues of Humu Mo`olelo is the best guide to putting together such a portfolio, which should be submitted for review to our Editor Iwalani Klaima or Art Director Joseph Kalima to:

Humu Mo`olelo - Journal of the Arts
84 Pukihae Suite #102
Hilo, Hawaii 96720