Knock LA is currently accepting pitches! Anyone can pitch to Knock LA, regardless of their level of published writing experience. News becomes boring and myopic when it’s written by the same group of people.
We strongly encourage writers who have been historically marginalized and excluded from mainstream media, including people of color, those experiencing homelessness, and LGBTQ+ writers, to submit. Additionally, if you are a representative of an activist group, we will consider publishing any open letters or calls to action under our Activism vertical (however, we typically do not compensate writers for Activism or Opinion pieces).
We’re looking for pitches with a strong focus on LA (we will also occasionally consider articles on Southern California or the state as a whole). If you have an opinion piece about why the President’s most recent executive order is trash, we’re sure it’s great, but this isn’t the home for it. But if you want to interview local politicians and citizens and activists about HOW the President’s Bad Executive Order will impact Angelenos, that’s something we can work with.
If you’ve never pitched something before, here’s a brief outline you can use to get started:
Title(s): A quick descriptor of your article idea.
Summary: This should be as concise as you can make it, around one or two paragraphs at most. Tell us what your idea is and why it’s a story that needs to be told.
Before you hit send, please make sure your pitch answers the following questions:
- Is this is a fully fleshed out story idea, are soliciting feedback on an idea for a story, or this is something to keep on the radar for future coverage?
- If your idea is fully formed, specify:
- Who will you be talking to as part of your research ( i.e., central characters and experts)?
- Depth level and length: Is this a quick, short turnaround story, less than 500 words? Or is this a story that requires deep analysis, 800-1500 words?
- What is the timeline for this piece, and what would be your ideal publishing date?
- Are you going to write this piece, or does this still need a writer?
- Do you foresee any travel expenses?
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We pay on a sliding scale ranging from $200 to $500 per article depending on factors such as article length, research effort, and costs involved.
Please direct all pitches to email hidden; JavaScript is required. We’ll do our best to get back to you as soon as we can.