op-ed

Learn more about New York Times Opinion guest essays, including how to submit a guest essay for review and publication. New York Times Opinion guest essays deliver an argument in the author’s voice, based on fact and drawn from expertise or experience. Our goal is to offer readers a robust range of ideas on newsworthy events or issues of broad public concern from people outside The New York Times. We welcome ideas for submissions in all media, including audio, illustration, data and visualization. If you’d like to submit a video guest essay , please visit New York Times Opinion Video guest essay for more information on the submission process. Opinion guest essays were known as Op-Eds because they appeared in print opposite the editorial page. At its core, an Opinion guest essay provides an argument defined and substantiated with evidence. Rich discussion and debate, combined in a unique way, offer New York Times readers a better understanding of the world. Inviting “intelligent discussion from all shades of opinion” has been core to the work of The Times since 1896, when our publisher Adolph Ochs declared it part of the newspaper’s mission. We believe in the value of creating space for people who aren’t journalists and who often have no institutional affiliation with The New York Times to speak directly to readers instead of being mediated through a reporter. By design, these arguments and voices often contrast with or challenge those of our newsroom and our own Opinion columnists and editorials . Guest essays should provide New York Times readers with the most robust, wide-ranging and distinctive collection of arguments and ideas available. We discourage essays that are fundamentally responses to other Opinion articles, columns or editorials. The best forum for responses is the Letters page. To send a letter, email [email protected] . This is an ever-evolving question because what we look for depends on the news and the issues in public conversation at any given moment. Challenge and engage audiences that do not necessarily agree with the writer’s point of view. Give specific and original insight into complicated problems or thorny ideas. Anticipate readers’ questions and even confusion around news that has an impact on their lives and the world. One important role of a guest essay is to clarify and explain the stakes of changes and world events. Start conversations, influence policymakers and have an impact far beyond the pages of Times Opinion. Delight readers with great writing and originality and open a window to a world they might not otherwise see. Have a word count typically from 800 to 1,200 words, although we sometimes publish essays that are shorter or longer. Originality: Essays must be original and exclusive to The New York Times — meaning they cannot have appeared elsewhere in any form in print or online. Ethics and conflicts: Guest writers are expected to avoid any conflict of interest or the appearance of such conflict and comply with The Times’s policies on ethical journalism . We will work to verify the facts in your article, but as the writer, you bear the ultimate responsibility for the accuracy of your work. We cannot fix anything after publication without appending a correction, and corrections are permanently archived. Past errors are a factor when we consider whether to accept future work from a writer. A member of our staff will read and review every submission, but because of the large number of messages we receive, we may not be able to respond to everyone individually. Unfortunately, we have to reject many excellent essays and ideas. If you do not hear from us within three business days, you should feel free to submit your work elsewhere. To send feedback or story ideas to the newsroom, please contact the The Newsroom . For more options on how you can reach The New York Times, visit our Contact Us page. Tell us what we can improve - Please do not submit personal information through