Pitch to: For general interest features, the features editor Katie Puckett, for news, Sarah Richardson, for technical/ architectural features, Thomas Lane, and for web, Alex Smith. We don’t use loads of freelance, but we never turn anything good away, either. That might be a news tip, great photography and a review of a new building that hasn’t been seen before.
Topics? Again, there are no hard or fast rules. We’re really looking for good ideas that will appeal to our readers – senior people working in the construction industry. Hot topics for us at the moment are the Olympics, the green agenda and housing.
How to pitch: Definitely by email, with a couple of paragraphs setting out the nub of the idea
Post-pitch: Follow up with another email or a phone call a few days later.
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What will impress: Something unique that we can’t get ourselves. Could be a fantastic building project overseas or an interview with a senior business figure that we may not have access to. One of the best freelance pieces recently was from a freelance who had been out to Beijing and pitched a piece about the construction of the Olympic stadium.
What won’t impress: A freelance who doesn’t know anything about the magazine. It’s easy to check us out on the website.
Rate: We tend to pay on how much research effort we think it takes to put the piece together, rather than word length. But as a rule of thumb for a two-page feature of around 1,200 words it’s about £300 to £350
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Images: If they have them and they’re good, yes please.
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
