Some of the best IT leadership and strategic advice comes directly from our readers, and we want to make it easier for them to join in. InformationWeek accepts commentary columns from IT practitioners who want to share new ideas, offer insights on recent technology implementations, or exchange IT leadership experiences that could help not only their peers but also those on a leadership track.
Here’s a quick rundown of frequently asked questions regarding how to submit your column for potential publication:
Where do I send my submission?
Send your submissions for review at: [email protected]
Please note the specific requirements (found below) very carefully...anything missing will mean we will not review.
Can I submit something I've published elsewhere?
No. All copy for InformationWeek must be exclusive. It cannot appear elsewhere beforehand. However, after it has been posted on InformationWeek, you can summarize the column (one or two paragraphs) on a personal or corporate blog and provide a link back to the full version on InformationWeek.com.
What voice should I write in?
Write in your voice. Bring your personality and a distinct point of view. Please also write in active vs. passive voice.
How can I make my column most useful to readers?
- Provide real-world examples. The more you can draw from your own experiences, the better.
- Be practical in your advice. How can you help others who might run into the same problem or mistakes you or your team just solved? What are the takeaways?
- Provide specific details instead of generalities. It’s also always helpful to include links and attribution.
- Be original. We do often see the same ideas come through. Take a look at our recently posted content and tell us why your topic is fresh and important now.
- Draw from your technical background but think strategically about it (don’t get bogged down in the weeds).
Do you accept articles from IT leaders from vendor companies?
Yes, sometimes, but we do reject articles that promote products or trends associated with their company’s vested interests. We don't want to see articles that are in any way educating or promoting about their tech space. We do review the vendor website for conflicts of interest/promotional messaging. We don't accept columns that present/promote results of vendor surveys.
Do I get paid?
No. Commentary/guest pieces are unpaid.
Will you edit my submission?
We will copy edit the submission, but what you send us must be readable and clean when we receive it. If it doesn’t meet our standards, we will decline the submission. We may have some follow-up questions, and we're happy to discuss those with the author, of course.
What are your requirements for publishing?
Submit your draft to [email protected] as a Word attachment. Send us clean copy. Read it out loud, put it through spell check, fact check. The easier it is for us to read, the more quickly we'll have an answer for you.
You MUST have the following elements in a Word document or we will not be able to review due to high volumes of submissions:
- Headline (must be 60 characters or less including space)
- Short summary (two sentences roughly or specifically, 160 characters or less including space)
- Author byline (Full name, Title, Company)
- Author bio (Keep to less than 100 words; you can hyperlink here)
- Author photo (Small, square shape, and jpg format)
- Author email address (Must have this to create an author page … can suppress address from public view)
- Article must be no longer than 850 words
- (Bonuses but not required: Twitter handle and LinkedIn address).
How long will it take to get a response to my idea or submission?
We receive a large number of pitches and submissions; therefore, we can’t always respond to every inquiry. Please be patient, and we’ll try to respond within a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, we simply don’t have the resources to explain why a submission may not be selected.
We look forward to hearing from you. If we reject your idea this time, please feel free to try again! If we publish you, please be sure to promote on social media.
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