How to pitch to The Ilkley Journal
We’re always open to pitches, ideas for stories and scoops that you think are worth investigating – which you can deliver well. That means original, high-quality, long-form journalism that is informative, insightful, provocative, entertaining and a joy to read.
Think The New Yorker, The Atlantic, the London Review of Books ... think Gary Younge, Sam Knight, George Monbiot.
Articles. Features. Essays.
It has to have a local focus – the stories have to matter to our readers in Ilkley and the surrounding areas, as well as the wider West Yorkshire region.
We pay for commissions but, for now, we have a limited budget. That also means we’re also happy to accept free commissions.
Pitching guidelines
Email info@theilkleyjournal.co.uk with Pitch: [title of pitch] in the subject line. Follow the guidelines below:
Keep the pitch short and to the point (a few paragraphs at most)
Explain what your idea is
Explain why it matters (to our readers)
Explain when it should be published and why
What we expect
Our aim is to produce high-quality writing by people for people – and that means no AI-generated content is ever acceptable.
Writers should be passionate about the written word, enjoy the challenge of crafting powerful, readable and memorable sentences, and to relish or at least appreciate the challenge of being able to write well (and, in turn, to think clearly and uniquely).
You can use AI to help come up with ideas, as part of the research process and when it comes to reviewing your work (for instance, using Grammarly), but your writing should be 100% your own.
That also means you must ensure that when you use quotes from interviews or words that belong to another writer, you attribute them accordingly. Plagiarism, whether it is done with intent or accidentally, is never acceptable. We expect everyone to have the same high standards that we have.
Before submitting your work:
Edit and proofread – always aim to deliver a final version
List primary and secondary sources used as part of your research (where applicable)
Give people or organisations a right of reply (where applicable)
Provide pictures/images where possible