We are always open to having new writers and photographers join our team on a freelance basis. Freelance writers can contribute to any area of the magazine, from short blurbs to cover stories. The best way to start writing for us is to become familiar with the magazine and then send an e-mail to the editor (no phone calls, please) describing your background in writing/journalism, along with a few writing samples and a resume. Most of our stories are determined ahead of time, so we generally give writers specific story assignments based on their strengths. However, we also welcome pitches. Please keep in mind that our issues are generally planned several months in advance, so we may not be able to turn your idea into an article until up to a year down the road.
If you would like to pitch us a story idea, please remember that it must have a local slant, appeal to our demographic (professionals ages 25-45) and fit into one of our topic categories: food, drinks, nightlife, careers/money, love/relationships, fashion, beauty, health, fitness, travel (we profile one getaway within driving distance in each issue), party/event hosting, music, shopping and automobiles. We also run Q&A pieces on local, notable individuals.
Approximately 75 percent of our editorial content is written by freelancers, and the other 25 percent is written by Stir Publishing's staff and interns. Local freelance photographers shoot virtually all of our photos. If you are interested in taking photographs for our magazine, please send an inquiry e-mail to the editor describing your photography experience along with some image attachments; if we are interested, we will contact you and may have you come into the office to meet with us. We generally assign photos directly after making story assignments and we always provide contact information for the photographer so he or she can reach the photo subject and/or the writer of the story to simplify the coordination of the photo shoot.
Payment Procedures
If you get an assignment from us, the style, content, deadline and payment is always negotiated when the assignment is made. Writers and photographers will then be issued a contract stating that we own the rights to the story or photo. Expenses such as phone calls, mileage and meals are generally not reimbursed but will be taken into account during the payment negotiation process (for example, we may raise the payment amount if your story involves a trip to Camden).
When you turn in your assignment, please send us an invoice that includes your mailing address and the amount we originally agreed upon for the assignment. Freelancers are paid by mail on or up to 30 days following publication date. All editorial material is protected by copyright. stir retains the right to reprint editorial material for promotional use, with credit given.
The following pay scale applies for all writing and photography assignments:
Editorial
Cover stories: $350
Features: $200-$350 depending on length and writers' experience level
One-page listings, columns and Q&As: $150
Short pieces less than one page in length: $50-$75
Photography
Individual shots: $50-$125 depending on assignment
Fashion spread: Negotiable depending on work involved
Our current payment cap is $350 per assignment.
