How to submit a pitch to Atlanta magazine

Who are we?

Compelling, provocative, fair, and authoritative, Atlanta magazine has for six decades been a trusted voice and an indispensable guide, helping readers better understand and navigate the metro area. Our goal is to reflect the city and demystify the cultural, political, and economic capital of the South—and we rely on pitches from freelancers to help us do that.

How do we approach and report stories?

  • We focus on Atlanta and the metro region. We’re looking for stories that haven’t been told before, that help us see the city, the state, the region, and ourselves in new ways.
  • We’re open to a variety of nonfiction formats—news features, profiles, narratives, Q&As, reported essays, lists, roundups, humor, infographics, annotated photos, etc.
  • We’re most often looking for shorter, newsier pieces in the front of the book (for the Connector and Bite sections) but feel free to share pitches for long narrative or investigative features as well.
  • We assign print stories several months in advance but are constantly looking for digital content. (Our website covers the same topics as our magazine and is best for especially timely stories.)
  • We avoid conflicts of interest, we’re fair and strive for accuracy, and we don’t accept gifts or freebies from the people and institutions about whom we’re writing. Our editing process includes detailed fact-checking, so be prepared to provide references.

What are we looking for in a pitch?

We love hearing from both new and established writers. Your pitch doesn’t need to be perfect but including a few details helps. What is your story about? Why do you think Atlanta magazine is a good place for it? Who are your sources? If you haven’t worked with us before, do you have any published writing samples you can share?

Please be patient. Our editors receive dozens of pitches every day and can’t always respond individually. Sometimes we file ideas by subject and revisit them later. Feel free to send a reminder after a few weeks.

Which editor should you contact?

  • For pitches for the print magazine, contact editor-in-chief Scott Freeman or deputy editor Rachel Garbus
  • For pitches for the website (particularly timely stories), contact editorial digital director Myrydd Wells
  • For illustrator and photography pitches, contact visuals director Martha Williams (Please don’t submit large images via email. Use a service such as WeTransfer.)