How to Pitch Slate

ARCHIVED 2022-04-01, DATE APPROXIMATE · VERSION 20220401_rev01 · COMPARED WITH 20220301_rev01

Full text changes — 20220301_rev01 to 20220401_rev01

COLOUR MARKS THE SEVERITY OF A FLAGGED CLAUSE · + AND − MARK ADDED AND REMOVED

 So, you'd like to write for Slate-that's great! If you haven't worked with us before, here are a few pointers on how to craft a pitch and capture our attention.
 **Do** read Slate to get a sense of the magazine's voice and examples of pieces that have been done in a similar vein.
 **Do** Google your idea. It may seem like a no-brainer, but often we reject a pitch because the writer's argument doesn't feel fresh or original. A brief search for other articles on your proposed subject can go a long way to figuring out what's been written about it here or elsewhere, so you can avoid pitching something that feels familiar. This research might also help inform your take-perhaps someone has indeed made your point, but you see a fundamental flaw in their argument, or disagree with their conclusions. That's one way to frame your pitch!
+**Do** make a strong argument if you are pitching a story that is in our wheelhouse: opinion and analysis. Slate is known for surprising, witty, persuasive arguments. The best pitches are clear and concise, providing us with at least one or two specific examples that help solidify your thesis. You don't necessarily need to have answers to all the points your piece might raise, but we do like to know that you've done a bit of research to help formulate your pitch. We particularly appreciate ideas that don't take conventional wisdom for granted.
+**Do** make a strong argument if you are pitching a story that is in our wheelhouse: opinion and analysis. Slate is known for surprising, witty, persuasive arguments. The best pitches are clear and concise with just enough detail. You don't necessarily need to have answers to all the points your piece might raise, but we do like to know that you've done a bit of research to help formulate your pitch. We particularly appreciate ideas that don't take conventional wisdom for granted or assume the audience shares their beliefs.
 **Do** pitch reported pieces and dispatches. Much of the above still applies. In these cases, also tell us what insights your reporting will help uncover or crystallize.
 **Do** distill your idea into a pitch, even if you have a full draft already written. If you happen to have a draft ready, feel free to attach it, but please make sure you still include a full pitch describing the piece in the body of the email.
 **Do** specify what section of the site you're pitching and find the editor within each section-News & Politics, Culture, Human Interest, Business, and Technology-who is best suited to consider your idea. (For details on which editors to pitch to for what topics, see below.)
 **Do** include a bit about your background in the form of a one- to two-sentence bio. If you can, please provide any relevant published work that's written in a voice similar to Slate's. If not, writing from a personal blog or anywhere else is fine. We do not need a complete CV.
 **Do** be mindful if you pitch your idea to multiple publications. As a general rule, if the story isn't too timely, it's best to wait about a week before sharing the pitch with another publication. If you do decide to cast a wide net, it's helpful to let us know. We unfortunately aren't always able to respond to every pitch. If after a week or so you haven't heard back, feel free to take it elsewhere.
 **Avoid** sending your pitch to another Slate editor if the first editor passes. We are in close and constant touch with each other and frequently the decision to pass is not made alone.
+To give you a sense of the kind of pitches that will catch our eyes, here is one recently from a freelancer that [eventually became a Slate story](https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/01/merby-merman-calendar-history-masculinity.html):
+To give you a sense of the kind of pitches that will catch our eyes, here is one recently from a freelancer that [became a Slate story](https://slate.com/culture/2022/03/dua-lipa-levitating-copyright-infringement-plagiarism-case.html):
+> In St. John's, Newfoundland, a provincial fishing town roughly midway between Montreal and Greenland, the mermen began to appear in the summer of 2017. Sunning themselves on rocks by the harbor, or on the graffiti-strewn pylons of an abandoned waterfront factory, they caused quite a stir; one merman even ventured into a local tavern where he was spotted splayed out on the bar smoking a long cigarette. Soon a photo shoot was organized, and the [Merb'y calendar](https://www.nlbmc.com/)-b'y is Newfoundland-speak for dude-was born.
+> I specialize in musical borrowing and the ways musicians circumvent copyright law. In fact, I've written an article evaluating how Dua Lipa's music borrows from other artists in the past, so I was intrigued to learn that within the past week or so, Dua Lipa's "Levitating" has been hit with two copyright infringement lawsuits. The story has been reported widely, and plenty of opinions have been shared. Those opinions, suffice it to say, are running hot, and this is shaping up to be one of the more controversial musical plagiarism cases in recent memory, perhaps even rivaling the infamous "Blurred Lines" saga.
+>
+> It turns out that the Merb'ys did not suddenly emerge from the sea, but from the head of Hasan Hai, a Pakistani-Newfoundlander who works at a St. John's tech start-up and as a bartender on the side. Several years ago, Hai, a gentle giant with tattoos, shaved head and 12-inch mane of facial hair, started the Newfoundland Labrador Beard and Mustache Club, a social organization, he says, that has evolved into something akin to a woke Elks Lodge-"the intent is to promote healthy and non-traditional expressions of masculinity, to break free of those dated stereotypes," he told me recently. The bearded Merb'y models are mostly members of the club and their friends.
+> So, I'd like to pitch an article about _why_ these lawsuits have inspired such strong, contrasting opinions. My goal is not to argue that Dua Lipa and her songwriting team did or did not "copy" passages of "Levitating" from other songs. Instead, using the methods of "forensic musicology"-that is, comparing exactly what these songs have in common musically-I can demonstrate why it is reasonable to draw a wide range of conclusions from these examples.
+>
+> As skin-baring calendars go, the Merb'ys version has revealed significant demand for a chest-hair-and-pot-belly alternative to the busty-women-in-bikinis genre. The hope was to raise a thousand dollars for a local charity. The viral calendars ended up netting $300,000 in the first year through sales to 37 countries.
+>
+> Hai told me that some of the club members have found dressing up as a merman to be a cathartic experience, so I'd hope to capture some of that in the story. I'd also include the story of Hai's transformation from a man "unable to understand or express my emotions in a healthy way," he said, to being comfortable with vulnerability-a journey sparked years ago when he was called out for inappropriate behavior.
+> I've read plenty of the articles about music in _Slate_, including some contributions by other musicologists and music theorists, so I'm familiar with the tone of the venue. I just read Chris Molanphy's article about Dua Lipa's "Levitating" winning "Song of the Year" without reaching No. 1 on the charts; many of the features of the song that he describes are the ones that have allegedly been borrowed from other songs without attribution, by the way. Do you think such an article might be a good fit for _Slate_?
 Please refer below for the relevant editor for your pitch.
 ### Culture
 Sam Adams (television)
 [**sam.adams@slate.com**](mailto:sam.adams@slate.com)
 Allegra Frank (music, video games)
 [**allegra.frank@slate.com**](mailto:allegra.frank@slate.com)
+Forrest Wickman (movies)
+Forrest Wickman (movies and bigger features)
 [**forrest.wickman@slate.com**](mailto:forrest.wickman@slate.com)
 Books (arguments and literary essays, please-we are not looking for reviews)
 [**books@slate.com**](mailto:books@slate.com)
+### Health and Science
+Shannon Palus
+[**shannon.palus@slate.com**](mailto:shannon.palus@slate.com)
 ### Human Interest
+Jeffrey Bloomer (reported features and personal essays-high bar for those)
+Jeffrey Bloomer (features and reported personal essays)
 [**jeffrey.bloomer@slate.com**](mailto:jeffrey.bloomer@slate.com)
+Bryan Lowder (food, LGBTQ issues/culture)
+Torie Bosch (for [State of Mind](https://slate.com/technology/state-of-mind), on mental health)
+[**torie.bosch@slate.com**](mailto:torie.bosch@slate.com)
+Bryan Lowder (food and drink, LGBTQ culture)
 [**bryan.lowder@slate.com**](mailto:bryan.lowder@slate.com)
+Rebecca Onion (history, academia)
+[**rebecca.onion@slate.com**](<mailto: rebecca.onion@slate.com>)
+Rebecca Onion (history, academia, school)
+[**rebecca.onion@slate.com**](mailto:rebecca.onion@slate.com)
+### News/Politics
+### Longform
+Nicole Lewis (civil/voting rights, prison abolition, policing, criminal justice)
+Jeffrey Bloomer
+[**jeffrey.bloomer@slate.com**](mailto:jeffrey.bloomer@slate.com)
+### News/Politics & Jurisprudence
+Nicole Lewis (civil/voting rights, criminal justice, policing, prison)
 [**nicole.lewis@slate.com**](mailto:nicole.lewis@slate.com)
+Rebecca Onion (history)
+[**rebecca.onion@slate.com**](mailto:rebecca.onion@slate.com)
+Natalie Shutler (features)
+[**natalie.shutler@slate.com**](mailto:natalie.shutler@slate.com)
 Jeremy Stahl (jurisprudence)
 [**jeremy.stahl@slate.com**](mailto:jeremy.stahl@slate.com)
 Jordan Weissmann (economics, policy, politics, drinks)
 [**jordan.weissmann@slate.com**](mailto:jordan.weissmann@slate.com)
 ### Business
 Jonathan Fischer
 [**jonathan.fischer@slate.com**](mailto:jonathan.fischer@slate.com)
+### Health and Science
+Shannon Palus
+[**shannon.palus@slate.com**](mailto:shannon.palus@slate.com)
 ### Sports
 Seth Maxon
 [**seth.maxon@slate.com**](mailto:seth.maxon@slate.com)