Although Prospect works mainly with our pool of regular contributors, we also accept unsolicited pitches in some cases. If you’d like to write for us, please see below for our pitching guidelines.
What sort of thing are you looking for?
Smart, ideas-led writing on politics, culture, economics and anything else that might reasonably come under the broad rubric of “current affairs.” Think the kind of conversations you might have in a pub: what are the quirks and trends in culture and politics that haven’t been properly discussed yet?
We are also interested in hearing about potential longer pieces of investigative journalism. In this case, we are looking for relatively fully-formed ideas, preferably with some initial research behind them and a plan on how you can deliver.
What sort of thing aren’t you looking for?
We are interested in writing that brings a new slant to topics—if it could easily be done in-house, or is a broad take on the day’s news, chances are, we can cover it ourselves. We are generally over-saturated with straight reporting; please only get in touch if you have something specific (and new!) to say.
On that note: please do check we have not already run something very similar to your pitch before you send it. Please, also, do not send unsolicited finished pieces.
How do I pitch?
Send a short, concise pitch to webdesk@prospect-magazine.co.uk along with a few words about yourself and a link to one or two of your previous pieces of work.
I sent you a pitch and you haven’t got back to me!
We aim to reply to pitches we want to commission within 24 hours, but sometimes the demands of running a website take priority. Feel free to send one follow up e-mail if we haven’t got back to you within a few days. Unfortunately, we don’t have the capacity to reply to everything or offer individual feedback.
Do you pay?
Yes. We accept a minority of unsolicited pitches, but those we accept, we pay for. Please make sure to negotiate your fee before the piece is accepted. Writing from think-tanks, politicians, academics and charities we generally do not pay for; if you are writing in one of those capacities, please disclose this in your pitch.
Can I pitch you and somewhere else simultaneously?
Please don’t. If you need a reply by a certain time, let us know in your e-mail. If we’ve not replied by then, you are at liberty to take your pitch elsewhere with no hard feelings!
