rabble.ca news features coverage from freelance writers and regular rabble contributors.
This document outlines what we would like in a story proposal for the news section. Most news stories we'll assign will be between 600 and 1,000 words long.
Please send queries as plain text in the body of an e-mail to editor [at]rabble[dot]ca. Do not send attachments. At the bottom of your proposal, include your name, contact information, a brief bio and a sample of your online writing, if desired. We will contact you if we are interested in your idea; follow-up calls from writers are respectfully discouraged.
Assigned pieces will need to be sent within the body of an e-mail, to avoid corruption, viruses and the possibility your file is incompatible with our software.
Your query will be used to get a sense of your writing style, your familiarity with rabble and its audience, and your knowledge of the subject you propose to write about. What will be the tone of the piece? Who will you interview? What are your sources? Is this topic being covered extensively in other media already? If so, what is different about this proposal? Is the story going to interest readers? How many words does the author feel it will take for the story to be told? ... These are the kinds of questions rabble editors will be asking themselves. Please don't tell us the answers: show us through the structure and substance of the proposal itself.
A sample of other writing can be added at the end of your query. Try to make it no longer than 400 words. Do not send it as an attachment, unless an editor has specifically asked you to do so. If you have no such sample, don't worry: we still want to hear from you.
Bios
As part of your query, please send a brief note about yourself. Let us know if you have a photo that we can use if the piece is assigned. We will want photos as jpeg attachments.