Guest Columns
How to Submit
Email your submission to:
Include with your submission:
- Your draft as a Google Doc or Word document (with sharing access)
- Proposed title in format: "Guest Column: Your Title Here"
- Your full name
- Your contact information
- Minimum 1 hyperlink to a reputable source
What We're Looking For
We accept guest columns that offer unique perspectives on topics relevant to our campus and community. Guest columns can be about any topic and be submitted at any time. Publication is at the discretion of the opinion editor.
Required
- Google Doc or Word file
- At least 1 hyperlink
- Full name & contact info
- Title format: "Guest Column: ..."
- 700–900 words
Optional
- Pull quote (2-3 sentences)
- Dek (2-3 sentence summary)
- Social media dek
Important: Every column must include at least one hyperlink to a reputable source. Statements of fact must be supported by publicly available sources. If you cannot provide sources, your column will not be published.
FAQ – Submission Process
Can I submit any topic?
Yes. Guest columns can be about any topic. We encourage submissions that are thoughtful, evidence-based, and relevant to our campus and community.
How long should my column be?
Guest columns should be 700–900 words. If your draft is significantly longer than the range, we may ask you to revise before we can publish it. Significantly shorter submissions will probably not be accepted without major revisions.
Do I have to include hyperlinks?
Yes. Your guest column must include at least one hyperlink to a reputable source. We accept links to news articles, government databases, research papers, official organizational statements, and other publicly available sources. We do not accept private recordings or purely anonymous sources. All sources must be verifiable and credible.
FAQ – Writing Guidelines
How should I structure my column?
Look at existing guest columns and regular opinion columns for inspiration. All columns follow the same writing guidelines regardless of whether they're written by staff or guests.
Can I exclude any of my personal information when I submit?
No. Guest columns cannot be submitted anonymously and will not be published if your full name and contact information are not provided.
Should I avoid certain language?
Yes. We do not accept any profanity or vulgarity. Please keep your language professional and appropriate.
Do I have to write my own headline?
You should include your proposed title in the format "Guest Column: Your Title Here," but the opinion editor reserves the right to change the headline.
FAQ – Selection & Publishing
How does The Daily Gamecock choose which columns to publish?
We aim to publish a range of perspectives, but publication is at the opinion editor's discretion. We don't accept columns with false accusations, privacy violations, or personal attacks against private individuals. Criticism of public figures, elected officials, and campus leadership is acceptable.
What is The Daily Gamecock's publishing policy?
The Daily Gamecock will have sole publication rights to your column. You will retain rights related to the ownership of the work but will not be permitted to sell or provide the work to another organization for a minimum of three months after publication by The Daily Gamecock.
Can I submit my column to another publication after The Daily Gamecock publishes it?
No. After The Daily Gamecock has published your column, you may not send it elsewhere to be published.
FAQ – Other Questions
Will I receive compensation for publishing?
No, this is a volunteer contribution.
What if I have another question?
Reach out to the opinion editor at sagckopinion@mailbox.sc.edu. If your question is already answered in this FAQ, they may not respond.
Editorial Policy
We reserve the right to edit for clarity, style, and grammar. If your article requires major revisions, you must correct them yourself before resubmitting for publication. Columns may be shortened in print for space; they will always run in full online. Statements of fact must include at least one reputable source. If you cannot provide a source, your content will not be published.
Submitting a guest column constitutes the granting of a non-exclusive, perpetual worldwide license to The Daily Gamecock to reproduce, display, distribute, perform and electronically transmit the work in the course of its publishing and broadcasting operations, by any means and in any medium now known or later discovered, with proper attribution to the submitter.
Maintaining a complete and accurate historical record is an imperative aspect of The Daily Gamecock's mission as an organization. Requests to have any published content removed from The Daily Gamecock's digital or physical archives, including guest columns, will generally be denied. Organization leadership may consider correction to, update of, or retraction of a story under specific circumstances that are entirely up to the current leadership's discretion.