Write for Us

Yes, you. We’re always on the lookout for new authors. If you’ve got an idea that will challenge our readers and advance our industry, we want to hear from you. Don't feel pressured to come up with a groundbreaking concept—simply aim to present a fresh perspective on a topic that's been on your mind.

Writing for us requires effort. We aim to ensure your article is at its best, and we'll help you get there. Once your submission is accepted, you'll receive detailed feedback from our team, and you'll collaborate closely with an editor to refine your piece.

The experience is also rewarding. Thousands of your peers, including potential employers, clients, or publishers, will read your work. You'll learn a lot throughout the process about conveying your ideas, writing, and even the subject you initially thought you knew so well.

What We’re Looking For

You can submit a rough draft, a partial draft, or a short pitch (a paragraph or two summarizing your argument and its relevance to our readers) accompanied by an outline. The more complete your submission, the better feedback we can provide. Remember, we only accept original content—we do not publish material that has been published elsewhere, including on your blog.

Please avoid sending press releases or sales pitches. They dishearten us.

Before submitting, review our style guide and recent articles to understand how to structure and format your piece. Ensure your submission:

  • Has a thesis and presents a clear argument, not just a list of tips and tricks.
  • Has a distinct voice. Be bold, engaging, and personable.
  • Is tailored for an audience of designers, developers, content strategists, information architects, or similar professionals.
  • Is backed by convincing arguments, not just opinions. Fact-check and cite sources where necessary.
  • Adheres to our style guide.

For insights into the writing process, read “Writing is Thinking”. Also, check out “So You Want to Write an Article?” for advice on common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

What We Publish

We publish articles ranging from 600 to 2,500 words, depending on the subject's complexity. The average length is about 1,500 words. Articles often include custom illustrations. They can be casual in tone and content, which is great for less-intensive tutorials and posts, or they can be rigorously structured and edited. All articles should be thoughtful explorations of current and cutting-edge topics in the web industry.

How to Submit (and What Happens Next)

Email your submission to us. We prefer submissions as Google documents, allowing editors to provide feedback and guidance directly within your draft. You can also send a plaintext file, a Markdown file, or a link to an HTML document. (Please do not send a ZIP file of assets unless requested by an editor.)

Here’s what happens after you hit Send:

  1. An editor will review your submission to determine if it’s a potential fit. If it is, the entire team will review and discuss it. This happens once a week.
  2. The editor will gather the team’s feedback and get back to you with notes. (We rarely accept an article on the first submission, but we’ll let you know if we’re interested.)
  3. Once you’ve addressed our comments, send your revised draft back. The team will review it again and let you know if we want to accept it.
  4. If we accept your article, an editor will work closely with you on aspects like organization, argumentation, and style.
  5. We’ll schedule your publication as soon as revisions are complete. We can’t provide a specific publication date until the article is nearly ready to go live.

Thank you for considering writing for us. We look forward to seeing your ideas and helping you share them with the world.