---
name: jep-proposal-and-symposium
description: Use when crafting a proposal to the Journal of Economic Perspectives (JEP) editors — a short article proposal or a symposium pitch — since JEP is largely invited and editor-organized. Builds the pitch and its contents; it does not write the full article or run the final submission preflight.
---

# 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)
```