Freelance reporting guidelines
WyoFile considers pitches and submissions of in-depth articles about crucial Wyoming issues that have statewide or local implications — particularly issues that are overlooked or under examined. This includes topics like energy, education, health care, criminal justice, economic trends, state policy or natural resources. Do you have the goods on a case of corruption or malfeasance? We want it. Well-researched and timely profiles of people and places are welcome as are insightful cultural pieces. Please, no stories with a national or out-of-state focus or on topics that have been widely reported.
Browse our website for an idea of the kind of deep-dive, investigative works we publish, and send us a pitch at editor@wyofile.com. Keep in mind that WyoFile’s audience consists of educated and engaged individuals who are passionate about the land, people and lifestyle of Wyoming. WyoFile’s freelance pay is competitive, and we share our material with news outlets across the state and beyond for free.
Opinion guidelines
WyoFile strives to reflect Wyoming’s rich cultural, political and experiential diversity on its opinion pages. Toward that end, we welcome op-ed and commentary submissions from writers of all walks of life and perspectives.
We invite you to share, in 500 to 800 words, your view on a current issue you feel is important for Wyoming.
Not all submissions we receive are selected by our editors for publication, but that doesn’t mean your commentary is flawed or violates our policies. Sometimes we have a high volume of news that leaves us with limited bandwidth to edit submissions. Other times we might be looking for commentaries on specific timely topics.
Please don’t be deterred from submitting again if we don’t immediately publish your commentary.
WyoFile editors work with each writer to help them present — but never change the intent or substance of — their arguments. This may include fact-checking and rhetorical challenges of included statements of fact, along with grammar and style fixes. Headlines and subtitles will also be suggested. Writers review and approve any suggested edits (beyond spelling corrections, punctuation fixes and simple grammar repairs) prior to publication.
WyoFile does not pay for unsolicited opinion pieces.
What we want
Newsworthiness, conciseness, connection to current events, clarity and strength of argument all contribute to a submission’s chances of publication. Likewise, we value differing opinions. Pieces that counter the popular narrative or offer novel angles on topics that have otherwise appeared in WyoFile’s pages are prioritized over submissions that restate or reinforce positions we’ve already printed. Civility is a must. Please provide links to your sources.
Pieces must specifically relate to Wyoming or, if tied to national or international news, have a clear and prominent Wyoming angle.
WyoFile uses AP Style for all of its work, and guest columnists should follow the same set of guidelines when it comes to grammar, style and terminology. If you’re unfamiliar with AP Style, there are plenty of online resources to help you out, and our editors will help too.
What we don’t want
Our editors review every commentary we publish, but we don’t have the resources to fact-check every assertion. We will not accept submissions with clear misinformation or falsehoods.
Discriminatory, abusive or prejudiced language will not be accepted, nor will personal attacks. Please don’t submit work that is not your own. That includes columns that rely on artificial intelligence tools for either research or writing.
We do not publish pieces that endorse or oppose political candidates or parties or engage in electioneering.
Politicians and officials
Op-eds from politicians, government officials, industry leaders and others with vested interests in, or influence over, the topics addressed are evaluated more strenuously. To be considered, the writer must first have been willing to stand for questions on the topic, or have not been given the opportunity to do so. They must also agree to be fact-checked before publication and be willing to provide evidence for statements of fact when asked. Pieces that provide nuance, depth or fresh perspective to topics of public interest receive priority. Those that attack opposing views, respond to items published elsewhere, or rely heavily on political talking points are unlikely to make the cut. The same goes for pieces that focus primarily on national issues.
Submission guidelines
Submit your commentary to editor@wyofile.com with the word “commentary” somewhere in the subject line.
Please include your full name, a headshot (or selfie) and a one-to-two-sentence bio including where you live. Please disclose affiliations relevant to the ideas shared in your commentary, either in the body of the piece or in the bio.
Please use size 14 Arial font. Do not indent new paragraphs and do not double-space after the period. The extra space is tedious for us to delete. The best format to share submissions is Google Docs, but we accept other formats.