Writing for Salzburg Global

Guidelines for Op-Eds

Salzburg Global welcomes pitches and article submissions from our Fellows for SalzburgGlobal.org's Insights section. 

We gladly consider submissions from our Fellows, who are individuals who have attended a Salzburg Global session.

Guidelines on Submissions and Pitches

To pitch an op-ed to Salzburg Global, please email Audrey Plimpton, Communications Manager, with the following:
 

• A brief overview (one to two sentences) of the topic you wish to address and the angle you will take.
• A brief explanation of why you, in your professional or personal capacity, are well-placed to write this article.
• Information on which social media platforms you are active on and where you plan to share your article.
• Information on whether you have published this elsewhere or intend to do so.

Salzburg Global is open to republishing existing op-eds, provided they meet our editorial standards and are deemed suitable for our audience. 

If your article has already been published elsewhere, please provide Salzburg Global with both the original link and a contact to the publisher to gain clearance for republication.

Salzburg Global will review and give feedback on your pitch within a week of submission.

When writing for Salzburg Global, please first consider the kind of article that you would like to write. The main submissions that we publish from Fellows are op-eds and testimonials. 

Op-Eds

An op-ed should represent your expert and focused opinion on an issue of relevance. These should be written in an accessible tone and style for our informed, non-expert audience.  
 

• Be opinionated. These are opinion articles and can thus be provocative, but should also be engaging rather than confrontational. The article can outline a challenge or issue, but the focus should be on finding solutions. Including a forward-looking conclusion or call to action makes these articles even stronger. What do you want others to understand about this topic? How can your experience and insight change the way we approach the topic?
• Be concise and to the point. Remember: this is a short online article, not an essay or a long-read feature. The ideal length is between 500 and 700 words. The more concisely and clearly you can convey your argument, the better – think about the key argument that you want your reader to remember.
• Back your claims and be evidence-based. Do not use footnotes or endnotes, but instead include URL links to cited data, quotes, speeches, reports, academic research, etc., where appropriate. These can be from your own organization, reputable news outlets, or academic institutions, preferably in English. When in doubt, please provide a reputable external source to back up your claims.
• Be timely and relevant. Draw on recent and upcoming issues where you can. 
• Be aimed at a knowledgeable but non-specialist audience. Write in a clear and accessible style by clarifying key terms, avoiding overly technical language, and expanding acronyms. Our readership is primarily our Fellows across our programs who are based all over the world, so please keep in mind that your reader may not have expert knowledge and may be based in another country and/or field.  
• Have your professional affiliation publicly listed. Your professional background helps convey your expertise in this area. If writing with your professional affiliation, be cleared by your employer or corporate communications department ahead of publication, if necessary. This article should be publicly attributed to you in your professional capacity; unlike our programs, it is not subject to the Chatham House Rule and will be publicly available in print and online. If you want to separate your own views from those of your employer clearly, please add a disclaimer like the following: “The views expressed in this article are those of the Fellow and should not be taken to represent those of Salzburg Global or any organizations to which they are affiliated.”
• Include a short one-line bio description at the end. Make it clear to the reader your professional background and affiliation with Salzburg Global.

Testimonials

A testimonial is a reflective article that shares about your experience and takeaways from a Salzburg Global session. It can reflect on key moments or conversations that left an impression on you. 
 

• Be reflective. Ask yourself some key questions about the ideas and learnings that you gained from the session: Were there any topics or perspectives that came up at the session that you had not considered before? What were your key takeaways or learnings from the session? How did the style of convening and conversations affect your experience?
• Be authentic. Your authentic personality, emotions, and experience can shine through. What inspired, challenged, or surprised you?
• Be forward-thinking. Reflect on the impact that the session had on you - Did anyone or anything change the way that you now view a certain topic? How do you feel now, and what will you do next?
• Be short, concise, and to the point. Remember: this is a short online article, not an essay or a long-read feature. The ideal length is between 500 and 700 words.
• Be aware of the Chatham House Rule. If you include quotations or opinions from other Fellows, please first ask their express permission to do so. Otherwise, you can include anonymized quotes or input without attributing them to any individuals. 

Salzburg Global reserves the right to edit your article in adherence with our house style, especially with regard to references to and branding of Salzburg Global. 

If your article is edited, Salzburg Global will share this with you before publication. We also reserve the right to decline to publish the article if we feel it does not meet our editorial standards or is deemed unsuitable for our audience. 

If your article is selected for publication, we will publish it on SalzburgGlobal.org and share it across our social media channels. To amplify the article’s reach, we also ask that you share it with your own networks.

Salzburg Global is grateful to all of our Fellows who donate their time and expertise to create this engaging content. 

Questions can be directed to Audrey Plimpton, Communications Manager.