The CBC is looking for first-person essays and opinion pieces, and no, you don’t have to be a professional writer

 

“I survived a war as a child, but life doesn’t owe me anything”
a First Person column by Nadja Halibegovich. See  here

First Person columns are personal stories and experiences of Canadians, in their own words. These columns showcase a more intimate storytelling perspective, and allow people from across the country to share what they have lived through. 

A good piece will spur conversation. It could be a slice of life or a transformative moment that changed your life. Perhaps your personal story will inform how the reader thinks about the world. 

A good piece should focus on one thing and explore it in-depth, rather than giving a broad overview of a subject.

“We are looking particularly for personal stories that reflect contemporary Canada, encompassing experiences from outside major urban centres, from people with disabilities, from Black, Indigenous and other people of colour, and from diverse economic-social perspectives.”

First-time contributors are always welcome and can often have new insight on a topic. You do not have to be a professional writer, but you should have an interesting personal narrative with details that can sustain 500 to 600 words. Columns must be original work that have not been published elsewhere.

You can send a pitch summarizing your submission to: firstperson@cbc.ca

See full guidelines and examples of First Person pieces here.

CBC Opinion aims to represent a range of commentary and a diversity of political thought from new contributors.

“Our goal is to give the audience access to competing ideas and perspectives which complement CBC's news coverage and provide additional insight.

“We're looking for contributors from a variety of backgrounds who have a strong opinion that could illuminate an issue in the news or change how people think about a timely issue. Preference is given to unexpected points of view that challenge preconceptions, have not been widely published before, or covered by CBC News in our reporting. 

“Each Opinion column must stand independently, laying out the author's clear position with supporting arguments and researched context. Columns should not simply repeat facts.

“Authors do not necessarily have to be professional or high-profile writers.

“We generally prefer an email pitch summarizing the idea and supporting arguments so that there is not an extra effort made to create a full column, if it is not accepted and commissioned. However, if a draft column already exists, you are free to also send it along as a Word doc. 

“We prefer that columns be topical, have a word count of 600 to 700 words, and not be written in the first person unless it's unavoidable due to the subject matter or focus. A column pitched to us should be original work that has not been published elsewhere.” 

Send your pitch or column to: opinion@cbc.ca

See full guidelines and examples of opinion columns here.

Note: A First Person column relies on specific experience lived by the contributor. It should be a compelling narrative that readers may relate to because they, too, have experienced something similar or because they are learning something new through a perspective on a situation. 

An Opinion column relies on expertise held by the contributor that helps support an argument with a potential impact on society. These columns showcase a wide range of commentary to give the audience access to competing ideas and perspectives which complement CBC News coverage, and provide additional insight. 

*** 

See Brian Henry’s upcoming weekly writing classes, one-day workshops, and weekend retreats here.