You’ve come to the right (write?) place! Check out our Q/A for how freelancing for the Anchorage Press works and our pitching, editing, and payment processes.
Q: Do we work with freelancers and accept freelance pitches?
A: Yes! The Anchorage Press depends on freelancers! We have a small staff and aim to bring in 5-7 freelance commissions each month. Unfortunately, because our editors receive so many pitches daily, you might not hear back from us each time, but don’t worry, we’re reading every email!
Q: How do I write a story pitch?
A: It’s easy! Pitching shouldn’t feel like a super heavy lift. Take some time to think through your angle and potential sources. The most effective pitches explain a story idea in just a few sentences and cover a specific idea, like a newsy event, a new exhibition, or a profile of a new or up-and-coming artist. Other than that, give us a few sentences on your background, relevant experience (if you have it, totally okay if not!), and why you think you’re the best person to write this story!
Q: I already have a completed article, can I pitch that to the Press?
A: If you send us a fully written piece, we’ll certainly take a look. But we rarely accept stories or opinion pieces that we haven’t been able to discuss with you first.
Q: What kinds of stories should I pitch?
A: We’re open to just about anything Alaska-related! Our main areas of focus are arts, culture, government, politics, and the environment.
Q: How long should my piece be?
A: We tend to commission pieces between 700-1,200 words.
Q: What is the Anchorage Press’ freelancing rate?
A: We pay 50 cents/word based on the commissioned length, not the final word count.
For opinion pieces, we typically don’t compensate writers. We will consider payment in special circumstances, such as when we solicit a contribution or if payment can help afford a contributor time to work on an important piece that they would otherwise not be able to justify working on.
Q: What if I’m not a writer? Do you take art pitches?
A: We love art pitches! We’re always looking for more artists to commission sketches or cartoons from.
Q: What if I’m not a reporter or don’t have a reporting/editing/writing background?
A: That’s totally fine! We ask that all freelance contributors read the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics and commit to abiding by it. In addition, we ask that contributors not share fully drafted stories with sources before a piece is published. If you think there’s a case for an exception, check with an editor.
We do encourage reporters to check quotes with their sources as part of the writing process, and to conduct interviews over the phone or in person, as text or email communications tend to flatten people’s unique voice.
Q: How do I submit my pitch?
A: Just fill out this form! You can also email us directly, we read everything that comes into our inbox that’s from actual human beings.
For pitches about arts and culture, email Hannah Dorough.
For pitches on natural resources, public lands, and related subjects, email Max Graham.
For pitches on government, politics, or just miscellaneous stuff, email Nat Herz.
Q: What happens after I’ve submitted my pitch?
A: If we like your pitch, we’ll shoot you an email and set up a phone conversation to talk things through before going further.
If you haven’t heard back from us within a week, give us a gentle nudge. If you don’t get a response after that, it probably wasn’t the right fit for us.
Q: What if my pitch is rejected?
A: Even if we don’t think your pitch is the right fit, it’s good to put yourself on our radar! Often, we’ll send a pitch back with some questions and the idea can evolve into something different than you (or we) originally envisioned. We think of the pitching process as more of a conversation and less an open-and-shut deal — if you’re willing to be persistent and engage in a dialogue with us, you’ll likely end up in the Press before too long!
Q: What happens after I’ve sent you my completed article to edit?
A: Once you send us your completed draft, we’ll edit it!
The editing process can sometimes require multiple drafts and discussions with our editors where we’ll offer constructive feedback. Our edits are geared toward keeping readers engaged and making sure they’re able to comprehend and digest each story. We strive to bring out each writer’s voice and are keen to feature different and diverse writing styles and perspectives across our pages; we also need to conform to the Press’ editorial standards.
This process requires humility, flexibility, trust, and patience from both us and you. And it’s not always easy — especially the first time!
In the end though, our goal is to put out a finished product that everyone feels proud of and we’re committed to working with our freelancers to get there.