We are always looking for fresh perspectives from freelance contributors, especially those who come from historically marginalized communities.
Get to know Hyperallergic: The single best way to get a sense of what we’re interested in is to read the site regularly. This will give you an idea of the types of stories we cover and the different approaches we take.
You’ll notice that certain topics come up again and again: how art can be a tool for social justice, where art intersects with science, the politics of the art world, internet culture. We’re always interested in these subjects, but we’re not limited to them. Our guiding principle is a curiosity about how art and visual culture relate to and reflect the wider world, and the most important thing we look for, regardless of form, is critical thinking.
Understand our audience: You should note that while we’re technically an art publication, we’re not interested in speaking only to an art crowd. Make sure your pitch gives us a sense of why this story has a wider appeal. (“Why should we care?” is a question that comes up a lot in editorial meetings.) Usually there’s something in a Hyperallergic piece that would make even a self-proclaimed “non-art person” want to read it. If your pitch contains artspeak, it will most likely not work for us.
Tell stories from around the world: We also welcome stories from around the globe — Hyperallergic is based in NYC, but we have contributors and readers all over the world. Just keep in mind that a local story will need a farther-reaching angle or takeaway to work for us.
Be sure it hasn’t already been done: Check to be sure we haven’t already published a similar article, or that other outlets haven’t covered it the way you are proposing either.
Keep it short: Lead with a headline and limit your pitch to two paragraphs. Let us know what’s interesting, why we should care, and use this opportunity to give us a sense of your voice and writing style. Also let us know why you think Hyperallergic is a good fit for your story.
Include relevant details: If it’s a show or film screening, be sure to include the relevant dates and include a link to a page with more info. Links are welcome but don’t rely on them to tell us your story in a clear manner.
Introduce yourself: After you’ve pitched your story, introduce yourself (in a few sentences). Give us an idea of who you are, your past experience, and why you are the right person to write this story. If you’ve never written for us before, include links to a few examples of similar articles you’ve published or attach writing samples.
Let us know about any possible conflicts of interest, which includes financial interests, work or personal relationships, and other connections, and if it’s about an exhibition or performance, whether you saw it in person.
The best pitches should be hard to imagine being published by anyone else.
What Not to Pitch
Reviews, Interviews, or Profiles: We are not currently accepting pitches for reviews, interviews, or profiles. We rely on Hyperallergic staff and regular freelance contributors for these. If you haven’t written for us before, it’s best to pitch something else first.
Pre-written articles: Except in rare cases, if it wasn’t written with us in mind, it’s probably not going to work.
Articles pitched elsewhere: We will not accept pitches that have also been submitted elsewhere.
Anything with a conflict of interest: Tell us if you’re working with a PR company, a tourism board, governmental organization, private gallery, or a private foundation, or if anyone is flying you somewhere or paying for your expenses. Tell us if you’re pitching a review of your friend’s work. If you don’t tell us, we’ll find out anyway, and then we’ll be annoyed and kill your piece.
Pitches we are looking for
Reported Stories: These are usually tied to the news. They vary in length — shorter pieces tend to be reports from events like protests; longer ones will dig into the story behind a news item with a lot more reporting and research. We do also publish articles about exhibitions and event recaps, if there’s an interesting backstory or you have a specific take. Timeliness is important — we want to publish while the exhibition is up or soon after the event happens.
Photo Essays: We have a big, beautiful photo essay format we’re always itching to use. We like pieces that give us a first look at new art spaces, take us to places we can’t easily visit on our own, or give us access to one-off events and shows. Expect to give us around 20 images and a short introductory text.
Opinions: You’ve probably noticed that Hyperallergic is opinionated! (Everyone knows objectivity is a myth, right?) We love when our writers are too. But it’s important to make sure those opinions are well-researched and -argued. Don’t pitch us a silly #hottake. Convince us that your thoughts on this issue matter. And don’t feel wedded to the classic op-ed format (we have a thing for open letters).
Remembrances & Obituaries: We’re committed to honoring our community and want to share news and stories about those who are no longer with us. When pitching, know that name recognition and deep pockets aren’t as important to us as the impact a person has made on the art world, in ways both large and small.
Personal Essays: On occasion, we have been known to publish personal essays.
Humor: We always love a good humor piece, even when it’s not April Fool’s.
Comics: We work regularly with comics artists, and we’re on the lookout for more.
If you just want to send us a tip about an interesting story, email us at tips@hyperallergic.com.
Our standard base rates are as follows:
$250 for short reviews, essays, articles (~400-600 words)
$500 for longer reviews, features, essays, reported stories (~800+ words)
All submissions are reviewed carefully by our editorial team, but unfortunately we aren’t able to respond to them all. If the editors are interested, you will hear from us.
