Pitch Us

WHAT DOES STAT PUBLISH?

EXAMPLES OF THINGS WE HAVE PUBLISHED

• Following illegal, pie-eating BMX riders in Wigan
• Asking a property developer why he’s so evil
• Meeting Bolton’s cryptid hunters
• Who the hell resurrected Runcorn’s graffiti cow?
• Photojournalism on the old men in North West mosques
• An interview with Macclesfield’s “frog man”
• Being mistaken for a Widnes crime boss
• Meeting up with jazz punks from Greater Manchester
• Reflections on Stockport’s wild parakeets
• Why Saltburn is an anti-scouse film
• Reviewing a weird gig in an active train station

STAT is interested in stories and writing that help to define present-day art and culture across the North West of England. Stories based solely in Manchester city centre are not welcome. If your idea is outside the North West, please do not pitch us (and waste your own time!). Unless of course, the idea is incredibly exciting, and it can somehow apply to our region.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• Spotlights on unique and unknown people from underserved places in the North West;
• First-person deep dives into fringe subcultures;
• Personal essays on life in North West towns that say something different;
• Strongly held cultural opinions with confident writing;
• Reviews on radical and alternative books, gigs, albums, exhibitions, films, etc.
• Weird/bizarre/interesting local history.

WHAT WE’RE NOT LOOKING FOR:

• Pitches with a commercial motive (we can tell);
• Stories with no connection to the North West;
• Capital P political analysis;
• Self-promotion with no pitch;
• Manchester city centre stories.

WHY CAN’T I WRITE ABOUT MANCHESTER?

STAT is dedicated to fighting the over-exposure and over-reliance of Manchester as the cultural hub of the North West. That means we don’t want stories on bee murals, trendy food stalls, or the The Haçienda. That is, unless you can tie those stories to somewhere else in the North West in a way that’s fresh and narrative-changing. In truth, we want stories on the areas that nobody talks about.

NOW, ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

1. What’s the story?
   Topics are quite boring. Stories are interesting. Stories are full of people doing things, usually to other people. Funny people. Annoying people. Bastards. Lovers. Scoundrels. Grandmas. Bus drivers. Skint people. The obscenely rich. Ask yourself: do I want to write about a topic or about people? If it’s the former, we generally don’t want it.
   
   
2. Has this been covered before?
   Please check if we have covered your story/angle before. If it’s been a while, can you bring a fresh take? If so, then it’s worth pitching. If someone already scooped your idea of 80-year-old techno-ravers from Chorley in the previous issue, it’s unlikely to get commissioned.
   
   
3. Are you familiar with what we publish?
   We are far, far, FAR, more likely to commission your idea if you can demonstrate familiarity with our writing and style. Sometimes an idea is great, but it’s not always the right fit. Read a mixture of our articles to get a proper sense of what we do.
   
   
4. Why should you cover this topic?
   What makes you the best person to write this story? Is it because you’ve got a good angle? Unique life experience? Maybe you’ve done a lot of background research? It could be anything, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes your passion is enough!
   
   
5. Is your idea weird or funny?
   If so, we’ll probably say yes.

HOW DO I PITCH?

Email us, using the subject line: “PITCH: [your idea].”

Please send a brief paragraph explaining your idea, why it’s important, why STAT is the best place for it, and how you’d plan on covering it. The more specific the better.

We are more likely to be interested if you: have a clear plan in your pitch, can provide high-quality images, and show that you’re familiar with STAT. Please don’t pitch things via social media DMs as we’re far less likely to notice (or remember) them.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

DO YOU PAY?

Yes, we work on a two tier model: £50 for pieces above 500 words and £25 for those below. We can also cover things like transport expenses and event tickets, if necessary. Our profits are funnelled into paying our future contributors, and fees are something we’re always looking to increase.

DO I NEED WRITING EXPERIENCE?

Nope! We proudly publish a mix of writers – some established, some totally new.

I WANT TO REVIEW SOMETHING.

Nice one. But please don’t send us a review out of the blue. Please send us an email explaining what you’d like to review. Check out some of our reviews for an idea on what we cover.

I PITCHED BUT HAVEN’T HEARD FROM YOU!

Unfortunately, we’re a small team and it’s not possible to reply to everything we get sent. If you haven’t heard from us in two weeks, feel free to bump us or take your idea elsewhere.

I DON’T LIVE IN THE NORTH WEST, CAN I WRITE FOR YOU?

We prefer contributors to be living locally, but if your story fits STAT, then do get in touch.

CAN I SEND YOU A FULLY WRITTEN PIECE?

Please don’t. Your idea might be great, but you may waste your own time if it’s not suitable for STAT. Please send a pitch via email.

JARGON

Scared of asking a stupid question? Here’s some terms to help you pitch STAT and most other publications.

Commission	A commission is when we formally ask you to write something for us
Pitch	Your spiel on why we should let you write for us, usually an email
Story	The crux of your piece. What makes it unique, interesting, odd, or all three!
File	When you submit your work to the editor
Invoice	When you’ve done your work, you need to invoice the editor so you get paid. Even a simple word document will do. You can find a template invoice here.