Freelance Opportunities for Environmental Writers in the West
We just post 'em, people. It's up to you to check them out. But if you know anything about any potential jobs we may post, please let us know!
High Country News, a nonprofit, every-other-week news magazine that focuses on environmental, cultural, and social issues in the Western United States, is looking for new voices for our pages and Web site (hcn.org).
HCN will consider well-researched stories on any natural resource or environmental topic, as long as it concerns the West. We define “resources” to include people, politics, culture and aesthetic values -- not just coal, oil and timber. Keep in mind that we have an 11-state region to cover in a small news space; we want local stories that have significance across the entire region and that can be told in ways that go beyond what the daily newspapers report.
We welcome queries from writers familiar with HCN. Our ideal articles include strong storytelling, compelling characters, a clear, jargon-free style, and a dedication to intellectual honesty. We want writers who can view topics with a critical eye and dig deeply into issues. We also would like our writers to be as diverse as the region they cover, and encourage Native American, Hispanic, and other minority journalists to send us queries.
We divide submissions into several general categories: “Book Reviews,” at about 350 words; “Roundups,” topical stories of about 800 words; features, generally up to 4,000 words, of which we print one per issue; and essays, of no standard length but generally under 1,000 words. E-mail queries are preferred; send to editor@hcn.org and include “Story Query” in the subject line.
Freelance rates for shorter pieces begin at 25 cents a word, but are adjusted depending on the quality of work, the editing required and the writer's working relationship with the paper. The standard rate for full-length features is 50 cents a word. Regular contributors usually receive higher rates than occasional writers. Payment is made upon publication.