Richmond magazine welcomes story pitches from freelance writers. Please tailor your pitch to one or more of the following departments and titles.
- Arts & Entertainment: Artist profiles, galleries and museums, theater and dance, sports (specific events), concerts and performances, books and movies (length varies; 800-word max)
- Local: News stories including business, education, city/county government and politics, crime, environment, sports (business), nonprofits, infrastructure (length varies; 900-word max)
- Living: Local shops; volunteering; older adults; hobbies; health, fitness and wellness; travel (within Virginia and contiguous states); family life (length varies; 900-word max)
- Eat & Drink: Restaurants (new and established), food- and beverage-related businesses and makers, food trends (length varies; 900-word max)
- Features: All of the above! (2,000-3,000 words). Pitches for photo features also welcome.
- R•Home (bimonthly): Local decorators, homes and decor trends. Note availability of professional photography.
- Richmond Bride (June, December): Local couples, wedding professionals, venues, shops, events and trends. Note availability of professional photography.
- R•Health & Beauty (January, July; health topics are also covered monthly in the Living section): Health, wellness, fitness, doctors and dentists. Idea must have a local connection; we prefer local experts.
- Welcome, Inc. (annual): Business profiles and topics
- Annual Guides (March: Summer Camp Guide, June: Real Estate, August: Private Schools Guide, September: Virginia College Guide): 250-1,500 words
Your pitch should include a resume; a cover letter explaining your story idea, how you plan to approach the piece and your qualifications for writing the story, if appropriate; recent samples of your published work; and information about photography, if applicable. With few exceptions, we do not publish poetry, fiction, puzzles or cartoons. Please don’t send unsolicited manuscripts. Any material you submit will not be returned.
Tips for a successful pitch:
- Explain the Richmond connection. Your idea needs to have a connection to the city of Richmond, Virginia, and/or the surrounding counties.
- Read the magazine. Make sure you understand how our publication is formatted, who our audience is and how your idea fits our needs.
- Check the website to see if we’ve covered your topic.
- Make sure your story ideas are specific and unique. If there’s a timely element, make it clear (and, as noted below, reach out well ahead of the date).
- Plan ahead. We assign most print stories about three months before the cover date. We have more flexibility with digital stories, but we plan that schedule in advance, too.
- Follow up. We value your submission, but we get a lot of emails.
Email your pitch to the appropriate editor.
