Write For Us

Yes, you. We’re always searching for fresh writers. If you have a concept that will challenge our audience and move the Internet forward, please let us know. But don’t wait for an idea that will revolutionize web design. Just try to provide your readers with a new perspective on an issue that keeps you up at night.

Writing for OAL, however, is a task. We want your essay to be its best, and we’ll urge you to get there. You’ll get extensive feedback from our staff after you’ve been accepted, and you’ll work with an editor on changes.

It’s also a pleasant experience. Thousands of your fellow writers (and potential employers, clients, or publishers) will read your work, and you’ll gain a lot of knowledge in the process—about presenting ideas effectively, about writing well, and even about the topic, you thought you knew so well when you first started.

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 why it matters to our readers) with an outline. The higher-quality your submission is, the better feedback we can provide you. Keep in mind that only original material will be considered; we will not consider anything else.

Look at our style guide and most recent pieces for ideas on structuring and formatting your essay, as well as checking to see whether the topic you’ve chosen is one that we’ve covered before.

• Offers a coherent case rather than simply a list of suggestions and methods. It has a voice.
• Be daring, engaging, and human. (no corporate speak)
• The target audience is designers, developers, content strategists, information architects, or other people who work in the field of design.
• Not only does this essay support your position with opinions, but it also includes facts and logical arguments.
• Verify and cite sources where necessary.

Please don’t send us press releases or sales pitches. They make us feel sad inside.

What we publish

We write articles ranging from 600 to 2,500 words, depending on the topic’s complexity. A normal length of 1,500 words is estimated. Articles frequently include a unique illustration. Articles may be informal in tone and substance—ideal for less-intensive tutorials and postings—or highly structured and edited. All should be well-thought-out investigations.

How to submit (and what happens next)

Email us your submission. We prefer submissions as Google documents so that editors can easily provide feedback and guidance directly within your draft. 

Do not send a ZIP file of assets unless requested by an editor.

Here’s what happens after you hit Send:

• An editor will evaluate your material and decide whether it’s a good match. If so, the entire team will look at and debate it. This takes place once a week.
• The editor will collect the team’s comments and return them to you with comments. (We seldom accept an article on its first submission, but we’ll let you know if we’re interested.)
• After you’ve dealt with our comments, send us your updated draft. The team will examine it once more before letting you know whether or not they accept it.
• If your article is accepted, an editor will work with you to improve it.
  We’ll get you published as soon as the edits are finished. We can’t give you a specific publication date until the article is almost ready to go live.