Writer Guidelines

AlterNet accepts a small number of submissions from accomplished authors and some newer voices. Due to the large volume of submissions we receive we are able to respond to only those that interest us. We do not publish poetry or fiction.

Before sending your article, please familiarize yourself with the type of stories AlterNet publishes. If you feel your submission would suit our editorial interests, please consider the following:

• We like new ideas and investigations. Tell us a story we haven't heard from the mainstream press.
• Since we are a national online magazine, we publish articles that appeal to readers from Seattle to Miami and anywhere in between. Stories dependent on local references or characters are not suitable for AlterNet.
• We have a small editorial staff, so we cannot spend an enormous amount of time editing submissions. Please send us final drafts of your work.
• We will publish stories that have appeared in other publications as long as the author currently holds the rights to the story. Please make sure that you hold the rights before you submit.

Please send all stories as plain text in the body of an email -- no attachments, please -- to articlesubmissions@alternet.org with the word "submission" in the subject line. (To submit to WireTap, a youth-oriented site, read the WireTap writers' guidelines.) Include your name, contact information and a brief bio. We read all submissions and will contact you within five business days if we are going to publish your article. No follow-up calls, please. Thank you for your interest in AlterNet.