Home 5 CALL FOR PITCHES

CALL FOR PITCHES

Hello writers of Northwest Montana! Go Local is a place where stories about our region’s entrepreneurs live alongside pieces about our growing arts and culture scene, as well as adventure in the rugged Crown of the Continent ecosystem.

That’s where you come in, writers. We are now accepting pitches for the Spring issue.

The theme of the issue is ‘Technology’: 

Tick tock on Tech!
 
We’re adding some time to the story pitch clock- you now have until MONDAY to send your fabulous ideas to editor@golocalflathead.com. We specifically still need pitches for our Crux and Spark sections, so if you know anyone creatively incorporating tech into their artistic or athletic pursuits, let us know! Also looking for tech-related Field Notes (short entertaining stories for the back of the mag). We take “you should write about” ideas as well as “I’d like to write about” pitches, so send us what ya got!

    Pitch deadline: March 13, 2023. Email your ideas to editor@golocalflathead.com


    Send us your pitches! We’re looking for essays, shorter articles, feature stories, and athlete/artist profiles. We’re also interested in photo essays, and illustration work.
    Story pitches do NOT have to focus on this theme (all good stories need readers!). If you have a great story to share, send your pitch ideas to editor@golocalflathead.com. We’re excited to hear from you!  

    Your pitch can be as simple as a single paragraph description of your idea.  If you haven’t written for Go Local in the past, please also include a writing sample, either a published piece or something you’ve written for yourself to give us an idea of your style.

    Compensation (per word) is based on experience.
    Pitches that are self-promotional in nature may not qualify for compensation.
    Businesses chosen to be highlighted are often pulled from our list of advertisers (hint hint). 

    Contact us with questions and pitches here:

    email: editor@golocalflathead.com | call: 406.838.6498

    We’re looking for story ideas in the following categories:

    FEATURES

    1,000 to 2,500 words

    We’re looking for creative long-form reportage that goes beyond the basic facts with captivating storytelling, strong characters, and immersive scenes. So pitch a story idea, not just a topic. We like trend stories–what’s changing or evolving here in the Flathead Valley? We also love intimate dives into niche sub-cultures. All features for this issue fit into one (at least) of these three themes:

    1. Entrepreneurial spirit and economy
    2. Adventure – of all shapes and sizes – and the outdoors.
    3. Arts, culture, creativity, and innovation

    SPARK

    50-word intro, 400 words of pull quotes

    An interview with a distinctive and relevant local artist in the Flathead Valley about their creative inspiration, process, and worldview. Let’s pass them the mic, and share their unfiltered take with our audience.

    CRUX

    50-word intro, 400 words of pull quotes

    Typically this section is an interview with a swashbuckling athlete about their grit, lessons learned, and memorable moments. More hardcore doesn’t necessarily mean more authoritative, in our minds—we want to hear from people who can tell a story about how the natural landscape of Northwest Montana shapes our culture. 

    HEADWATERS

    200 to 800 words

    This is the meaty front-of-the-book section where reported stories about Flathead County live. They can be character-driven or issue-based. Be curious, be clever, be creative. Get weird. Creative non-fiction ideas are welcome. We’re also interested in highly visual, design-based ideas. Must be seasonally appropriate and shelf-stable, ideally with a topical hook.

    SATIRE

    500 to 700 words

    Pokes fun at trends, traditions, politics, and culture. Tone-wise, think cheeky, goofy, and smart. Remember: Punch up. Highbrow-style writing about lowbrow topics is the holy grail.

    TRAIL NOTES

    50 to 500 words

    This is where straight-up first-person adventure stories and trip reports live. We want submissions from everyone and anyone. We want to hear about backcountry accomplishments, near misses, total disasters, and camaraderie. We like poetic, but not ornate, language that helps us see what you saw. We love high-resolution photos submitted with descriptive captions—think of this as an opportunity to elevate your Instagram-style soliloquies. Accepted on spec. Original content only, please. And do not actually send us your Insta post.

    Accepted on spec, on a continuous rolling basis.

    We’re so excited to hear what story ideas you have, friends. Thank you for helping us make this local magazine become a rich reflection of the goodness, creativity, and wonder of the Flathead Valley.