Writer's Guidelines

Nextgov’s editorial mission is to lead the national discussion about how technology and innovation are transforming the way the federal government serves citizens and performs vital functions. It is produced by GovExec.

In addition to our daily journalism, we publish opinion and analysis pieces on issues related to the impact of information technology on federal agencies, employees and programs. Nextgov contributors include influential thinkers across government, academia and the private sector providing fresh and provocative insights on key federal IT topics.

Most successful submissions of such articles are 600 words or less, make a clear and convincing point about a topic of current interest to our readers, and are written by people who are experienced and qualified in their fields. We prefer our contributors to use real-world examples from federal agencies in crafting their submissions.

Our contributors have included professional journalists, current and former federal employees, scholars, think-tank experts, consultants and corporate leaders. We do not publish articles that seem to be aimed at promoting the fortunes of any individual, product or company.

If you’re interested in submitting an article for consideration, send an email describing what you propose to write about to submissions@govexec.com. The email should detail your relevant experience and expertise. We must be notified if the piece has been submitted to multiple publications simultaneously and if another publication plans to publish it.

If we accept the article for publication, we also require:

• Author bio. At the end of the article, please include a one- to two-sentence description of your professional background.
• Signed agreement. The first time you write for us, you must sign an agreement granting us permission to use your work, name, image and likeness across our platforms and guaranteeing that your work does not infringe on the rights of any third party.