Write for us
We commission a small number of external pieces from writers and researchers who hold themselves to the standard we hold ourselves to.
We do not run an open contributor network. Quality control and open submission at volume do not coexist, and we would rather commission four pieces a quarter that we are proud of than forty we have to defend.
That makes the bar high and the process slower than most. It also means a commissioned piece here gets real editing, a fact-check, and a byline on work that will still be worth reading in two years.
The pitch form is not yet live on the rebuilt site. This page will carry it as soon as the submissions service behind it is deployed.
What we commission
- Long-form analysis that takes a subject apart rather than summarising it, typically between 1,800 and 4,000 words.
- Research-backed features built on primary material: datasets, filings, legislative records, field reporting.
- Specialist explanation from people with genuine standing in a field, written for an intelligent reader who is not in that field.
- Argued opinion, clearly labelled as opinion, where the argument is grounded in evidence a reader can check.
What makes a strong pitch
A strong pitch is short and specific. It states the claim you intend to make, the evidence you already hold, what reporting remains to be done, and why you are the person to do it. Three tight paragraphs beat three pages.
The single most common failure is a topic rather than an argument. "The state of fintech regulation in Ghana" is a subject. "The 2025 licensing regime has pushed three categories of provider into an exemption that was written for a fourth" is a pitch, because it can be wrong.
- Tell us the claim
- One sentence that could be falsified. If nothing in your pitch could turn out to be untrue, there is no piece in it yet.
- Tell us what you have
- Documents in hand, interviews already given, datasets already obtained. Be honest about the difference between what you have and what you expect to get.
- Tell us what is missing
- The gap in your own reporting, and how you plan to close it. A pitch that admits its weakest point is more persuasive than one that hides it.
- Tell us about you
- Relevant background and two examples of published work. Where you have a relationship with the subject, disclose it now rather than at the editing stage.
What we do not commission
- Pieces written to promote a company, product, campaign or client, however they are framed.
- Trend pieces with no reporting behind them, or opinion whose evidence is other opinion.
- Republication of work already published elsewhere, and pieces pitched simultaneously to other outlets without saying so.
- Anything generated by a language model and presented as your own reporting. We will find it, and it ends the relationship.
Working with our editors
A commissioned piece goes through the same seven stages as anything written in-house, including structural editing before line editing, an independent final read, and a fact-check against your sources. You will be asked for your research file, not merely for your draft.
Expect to be pushed. Editors here argue with writers about structure and evidence, and the argument is the point. What we will not do is impose a house voice over yours. A good line edit makes you clearer rather than making you sound like someone else.
Terms, fee and deadline are agreed in writing before you begin work. We do not commission on spec and then decide.
Response and timing
We aim to respond to a pitch within ten working days. A commissioned piece typically runs three to six weeks from commission to publication, depending on the reporting involved.
If you do not hear from us in that window, it is reasonable to send one follow-up. Silence from us is a failure on our side rather than a verdict on your pitch.