Submissions

What is Comment looking for in a submission?

The best pitches come from writers who are familiar with Comment’s archives and animated by the same spirit of intellectual hospitality and literary excellence that characterizes our work. We’re not interested in hot takes, polemics, or preachiness; rather, we are looking for non-bland analysis on consequential or evergreen topics that you can speak to from a position of intelligent engagement (whether because of deep interaction with the topic, a shaping personal history or encounter, or both). In general, Comment publishes only original works.

For more detailed insight into what we’re looking for, read through our editorial principles below.

We do not currently accept unsolicited submissions for poetry or art.

What should I include in my pitch?

Your pitch should include:

• Your full original manuscript (we do not accept essays that have been published elsewhere)
• A clear one-paragraph summary of your proposed piece, including the specific angle you intend to take
• Previous writing samples (non-academic writing samples are strongly preferred)
• Brief biographical information (particularly if your professional expertise or personal experience contribute to the submission in a substantive way)

How can I submit a pitch or manuscript to Comment?

Any pitches or submissions should be emailed to team@comment.org.

When can I expect a response to my pitch?

We aim to respond to all pitches within six weeks. Due to the high volume of submissions we receive, we cannot offer editorial feedback on pitches or submissions that we do not accept.

What style or voice is Comment looking for?

You should aim to write for an intelligent general readership. We do not condescend to our readers, but we don’t assume that they have specialist knowledge. When terms of art are mentioned, they should be briefly explained, or put in contexts where their explanation is self-evident. Language level is approximately that of The Atlantic or The New Yorker, but style may vary according to writers’ individual voices, the nature of the piece, and so on. 

Comment adheres to the style guidelines set forth in The Chicago Manual of Style. Authors are asked to use Canadian spellings, which are roughly a hybrid of British and American spellings (so, “neighbour” and “favourite,” but “realize” and “civilize”). 

What citation style does Comment use?

Comment does not publish footnotes or endnotes. Where possible, please work narrative citations into the body of the text. You can also embed links to references. You do not need to include page numbers for book quotations.

How long is a typical Comment piece?

We are open to pieces of a wide variety of lengths, though 4,000 words will generally be the maximum. Our essays usually run from 2,500 to 3,000 words, while our book reviews can be as short as 1,500 words. We typically do not accept submissions under 1,500 words.

Does Comment pay its writers?

Comment pays all contributors. For unsolicited submissions, the payment rate will be determined upon initial acceptance of the pitch. Authors are paid by their publishing date.

Comment has no obligation to publish submitted work, and we reserve the right to change publication dates and/or media. Should we choose not to publish a piece we have solicited in writing, we will pay you 40 percent of the original committed honorarium.

Editorial Principles

The following principles guide Comment’s editorial judgments and public engagement:

1. Excellence: All content must be original, perceptive, honest, and consequential. Generally, we want to attract thinkers with a large vision of history and doers whose decisions discerned in real-time are helping to cultivate the neighbourly economy. We do not aim to cultivate a conversation focused primarily on pastoral accompaniment, worthy and needed though that is. We aim rather to host a conversation devoted to recalibration, reflection, and renewal, at both individual and structural levels.
2. Hospitality and Collaboration: Comment delights in embodying a notable generosity of spirit and intellectual hospitality, one that respects participants’ different traditions even as we leverage our commonalities to build a pluralistic approach to the critical issues at hand. We will strive to attract a contributing pool that is reflective of the rich diversity of God’s people.
3. Humility and Discernment: We will reject any tone smacking of Christian triumphalism, and we will discourage historical inevitability. We will beware the temptation to read current events—however dramatic—as the confirmation of a particular set of ideological priors.
4. Hope and Generativity: Comment is fundamentally oriented toward Christian hope, one that trusts in a God who is alive and able to create beauty from ashes. We strive to embody this hope in all content, events, and collaborations, in the force of our originality, and in our civic usefulness.
5. In Service to Practitioners: Comment seeks always to bridge the worlds of elite thinker and local doer, and will do what we can to make this content accessible and generative to all those seeking to faithfully fulfill their civic roles and vocations.