Proposal & Symposium Pitch (jep-proposal-and-symposium)

When to trigger

• You have a JEP-fit topic (jep-topic-selection) and need to approach the editors
• You are tempted to write a full unsolicited manuscript (don't — pitch first)
• You want to propose a symposium (a themed cluster of articles)
• An editor invited "a short proposal" and you need to know what goes in it

Why a proposal, not a manuscript

JEP articles are primarily solicited by the editorial team, and even unsolicited ideas should enter as a 2–5 page proposal, not a finished paper (检索于 2026-06；以官网为准). Historically only about 10–15% of published articles originate as unsolicited proposals, so the proposal is the real competition — it must convince the editors that a broad, accessible, balanced article exists here and that you can write it. Send proposals and papers as Word or PDF email attachments to jep@aeapubs.org (re-confirm the address on the official page).

What a single-article proposal contains

A JEP proposal is a persuasive 2–5 page document, not an abstract. Cover, in plain language:

1. The question and why it matters now — one paragraph a non-specialist editor grasps immediately (the jep-topic-selection "why now").
2. The synthesis you will deliver — what body of work you will distill and the through-line (not a chapter list). What will a reader understand after reading that they didn't before?
3. Three to five takeaways — the memorable points the article will land. This is the spine; if you can't list them, the article isn't ready.
4. Balance plan — the competing views/debates you will treat fairly, and the open questions you will flag (signals you are writing synthesis, not advocacy).
5. Accessibility plan — how you will keep it readable by 90% of AEA members (intuition over notation; examples; selective evidence).
6. Your standing to write it — why you can synthesize this fairly (often your own work plus command of the broader literature).
7. Rough shape — approximate length and 2–4 exhibits you envision (not a full outline).

Symposium pitch (the JEP-distinctive move)

A symposium is 3–5 complementary articles on one theme, often by different authors, that together give a rounded view. To propose one:

• Frame the unifying question and why a multi-angle treatment beats a single article.
• Slate the angles (and, if you can, candidate authors) so the set is balanced — including dissenting or contrasting perspectives, not a like-minded panel.
• Differentiate each piece so they complement rather than overlap.
• Acknowledge the editors own the final lineup, framing, and invitations; you are offering a structure they can shape.

Checklist

• Proposal is 2–5 pages, plain language, persuasive (not an abstract, not a manuscript)
• Question + "why now" stated in the first paragraph
• The synthesis through-line is explicit (not "I will review the literature")
• 3–5 concrete takeaways listed
• Balance + accessibility plans stated
• Symposium pitch (if any) names complementary, balanced angles and concedes editor control
• Addressed/emailed per the current official instructions (jep@aeapubs.org)

Anti-patterns

• Submitting a full manuscript instead of a proposal (against JEP's stated preference)
• A proposal that is really an abstract — no through-line, no takeaways, no balance plan
• "I will survey everything" — JEP wants a curated argument, not exhaustive coverage (that's JEL)
• A symposium of like-minded authors that reads as a coordinated campaign, not a balanced conversation
• Over-promising length/scope the article cannot accessibly deliver

Output format

【Pitch type】single article / symposium
【Question + why now】[...]
【Synthesis through-line】[...]
【Takeaways (3–5)】1) … 2) … 3) …
【Balance plan】competing views to treat + open questions to flag
【Accessibility plan】[...]
【Symposium slate (if any)】angle1 / angle2 / angle3 (+ balance note)
【Send to】jep@aeapubs.org (re-confirm) as Word/PDF
【Next step】jep-narrative-arc (build the essay if invited)