Thanks for Crushing the Submissions Inbox. We're Trying to Keep Up

CYBERSECURITY OPERATIONS COMMENTARY Thanks for Crushing the Submissions Inbox. We're Trying to Keep Up It might be taking a bit longer than usual to respond to your submissions — here's why. Becky Bracken,Senior Editor,Dark Reading June 26, 2026 2 Min Read SOURCE: OKSUN70 VIA GETTY IMAGES COMMENTARY First off, a huge thanks to everyone in the cybersecurity community for sharing your thoughts, rants, technical chops, and shoulder chips with Dark Reading. Our submissions inbox is bursting at the seams, and I just wanted to drop a note to tell you we see all of your emails and are doing our best to keep up!  When our previous editor Jim Donahue was in charge of submissions, that inbox was run like a Formula 1 pit crew. And now, in comparison, I feel a little bit like I'm on the side of the road trying to get a donut spare on my Subaru Outback. I know!  So, I am dropping a little mea culpa and asking for your help.  Please don't send us AI-generated content.  We can tell. We don't want it, and we won't run it. But most importantly, it's making it even harder for us to get to the good stuff and slowing down our review process a ton.   Here's another biggie. Please don't promote your business. This one is worth repeating. If your chief of product wants to opine about how important their solution is, there are better places to do that. Dark Reading is looking for brand-agnostic, experience-driven ideas that can spark a wider conversation. As we've said before, do not use this opportunity to promote products or trends tied to your company's business interests. Just leaving out product or company names is not enough. This rule was true before, and it continues to be true: If you are McDonald's, writing a blog about why hamburgers are terrific is not OK, even if you don't mention your own restaurant.  Related:AI Decline? Confidence in Autonomous Penetration Testing Falls What do we want?  Fresh, original opinions written by experienced humans that aren't intended to drum up interest in a specific industry segment, product, tool, etc.  Technical breakdowns from deep experts who can help Dark Reading's audience gain a new understanding of some aspects of their job, or the industry overall.  In terms of length, 750 words is a nice, sweet spot to aim for. Please try not to go over 800 words.  Dark Reading prides itself on being a team of dedicated humans working to bring cybersecurity practitioners the best news and views they simply can't get anywhere else — ChatGPT included.  As a reminder, Dark Reading has two basic forms of contributed content, pure op-ed and solid thought leadership. We've previously described what we are looking for in these pieces: Opinion, Technology Talk, and Ask the Expert. Those guidelines and our submissions process are current and provide details on what we are looking for. We are working on being more prompt with our responses to your submissions, but we could use a little help along the way. So please send your thoughtful takes to DarkReadingSubmissions@informa.com. We want them! We're sorry there's been a bit of a backlog. Can you help us too?  Related:AI Won't Wipe-Out Entry-Level Cybersecurity Jobs Read more about: Opinion About the Author Becky Bracken Senior Editor, Dark Reading Award-winning journalist and senior editor at Dark Reading reporting across diverse media platforms, including podcasts and video. Becky is passionate about delivering insightful, high-quality information and storytelling that informs and engages the cybersecurity community. Her specific focus is on the intersection of cybersecurity and public policy and its impact on the enterprise.  As the host and producer of the recently Azbee-recognized Dark Reading Confidential podcast, she presents compelling conversations with industry leaders, exploring the latest trends and challenges in cybersecurity. Becky is also the moderator Dark Reading's popular editorial webinars, and oversees Dark Reading's Commentary section, curating expert perspectives intended to drive meaningful dialogue. Additionally, she is the host of Dark Reading's Black Hat News Desk, delivering timely and in-depth coverage right from the heart of one of the industry's most important events. Beyond editorial responsibilities, Becky is a regular writer and reporter for Dark Reading, contributing articles that delve into the evolving cybersecurity landscape.  Prior to joining Dark Reading, Becky honed her expertise as a cybersecurity reporter for Threatpost, where she covered breaking news and emerging threats in the digital security space. She holds a BA in political science from the University of Arizona, and a BA in journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.  Want more Dark Reading stories in your Google search results? 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