Submit to us!

Mission Statement

Okinawa Hai is a community blog for all of you in Okinawa or on your way to Okinawa. Most of us are connected, in some capacity, to the United States military. As such we are short-term guests of the island. We aim to connect you with the people, places and opportunities that allow you to embrace your best Okinawan life. This is for all of us here, by all of us here. I write, you write, he writes and she writes. It is a community of folks in the same boat helping each other out. Ganbatte!

 
How it Works

We've all got something to share about our Okinawan experience that would make someone else's experience three inches better. When you have eaten at that restaurant, shopped at that store, experienced that experience, done that thing that you can't stop talking about then THAT is the moment to share. Each post is a submission from you. Or YOU. Or you in the back. Okinawa Hai runs solely on Submission Power, which is to say it runs on posts you write with your most generous spirit. It's as green as it gets. Next we post it for the world to behold and then the world runs out to eat, shop, do or learn all because of you and your awesomeness.
 
So you want to write but you can't figure out what to write about? Get some inspiration HERE. Or hang out on the forum to find the questions everyone is asking and see if you have the perfect answer.

We have four categories for submission. Let's get to know them, shall we?

To Eat: Stumbled on a fabulous new taco joint?  An umbrella drink bar with a view?  A cafe with first-rate miso soup?  Figured out how to make soba at home from the items you discovered at Kanehide?

To Do:  Found a place to learn to play Taiko drums?  Discovered the ultimate arcade for little and big kiddos? Just want to share that groovy thing you do?

To Shop:  Did you find Anpanman hair clips? A place that sells shoes big enough for your American feet? Did you find that elusive food item you'd thought you'd have to give up during your time here?

To Learn:  Tell us what YOU have learned because of Okinawa and her people. Bring your heart-warming, embarrassing, quirky and life-altering tales to our community. Did you solve the mystery of the electric toilet seat symbols? Learn about next week's festival from your Japanese neighbor? Do you have a series of photos that illustrate an Oki-Adventure? Did you meet an Okinawan or an expat whose story should be shared? Feel free to write us and float your ideas by us at submissions@okinawahai.com.

What Posts Are and Are Not

Posts are...

• about your personal experiences, so use your beautiful voice. 
• inclusive of the details so that we can go try it, eat it, get it and do it just like you did.
• about places or events or things that make you feel good.
• respectful towards Japanese and Okinawan culture.
• long enough to cover your topic thoroughly.
• better with your pictures.
• well-written and spell-checked.

 

Posts are not...

• negative reviews of any which place or thing.
• advertisements. Writing about a place is obviously good advertising, but no self-promotion, kudasai.
• boring. Give us some spunk, pretty please.
• repeats of posts we already have. 
• plagiarized from anyone or any place.

Perks

• FAME!  Writers contributing 20 or more posts will have their photo and bio added to our "About Us" page.   
• FORTUNE!  Want to finance your CC Lemon habit?  Your Cocok's mani/pedi visit?  Your soba addiction?  Writers receive $15 per accepted post.  
• KARMA!  Good things come to people who share what they know and love. What goes around comes around.

Submission Details

Here's how to share your wealth and get paid.

1. Prepare your submission in a Word document.
2. If you want your name linked to a site on the post then put the URL above your text.
3. Photos need to be sent in a separate e-mail as jpeg attachments. The subject of this email needs to be the category, your name and the PHOTOS in all caps. To Eat/Meredith/PHOTOS. The photos you use must be yours or you must have permission to use them.  
   
4. Any links that you'd like to include in the text must follow this format. I went to Costco (www.costco.com). I found the most delicious mangoes (www.yummymangoes.com). Please do not embed the links yourself. Thank you kindly.
   
5. At the bottom, include directions, hours of operation, telephone number and payment types available where relevant.
6. Email all of the above to submissions@okinawahai.com. The subject of your e-mail needs to be the category and your name as you want it to appear in the post. For example: To Do/Jane Koshimizu or To Eat/Senkichi.
7. We will respond ASAP to let you know if your submission has been accepted and when it has been scheduled for posting.
8. At the end of the month, you will receive payment via PayPal for the submissions that were posted that month.

Fine Print

1. Submissions Editor has the final say in accepting or rejecting any submitted posts. You may be asked to make changes in order to keep a post in line with our overall tone and voice. Rejected posts can be resubmitted after necessary changes. Furthermore, the Submissions Editor reserves the right to make minor editorial changes.
   
2. Submissions editor will contact you regarding your post within 7 days.
   
3. Submissions will not be accepted if the topic has already been covered on Okinawahai.com. Please utilize the search and indexes on the website to be sure you are writing about something that has not been previously covered. If you have any questions, please email submissions@okinawahai.com to check.
4. Twenty posts are accepted for Okinawahai.com each month.
5. Posts for retired categories (To Live, To Parent, To Work) may be accepted pending approval. Please send your idea to submissions@okinawahai.com. 

 

E-mail all submissions & questions to submissions@okinawahai.com