Empire
Film reviews, news and interviews.
www.empireonline.com
Frequency: Monthly
Pitch to: The correct section editor If you read the magazine, you’ll know who!
Type of article: Typically, it will be a fresh, interesting movie-related idea, something that will engage our readership. It could be related to an upcoming release, or just be a fun, ideally leftfield, concept that works well in our features mix.
How to pitch: Email. Concise, clear and, crucially, addressed to me. I instantly ignore anything that starts ‘Dear Editor’, or ‘Dear Sir/ Madam’. If a writer can’t even be bothered to research who they should be pitching to properly, then why on earth would I want to use them? It also helps to see samples of a writer’s previous work along with the pitch.
Post-pitch: My advice would depend on the pitch. How to impress: Anything smart, creative and straightforwardly pitched. What won’t impress: Gimmick pitches (e.g. starting off with some random joke); ideas obviously recycled from elsewhere; lists of film-makers the writer says they want to interview; aggressive pestering; people who obviously haven’t read the magazine or understand the market.
Rate: Not specified Images: Sometimes; often not.
Dan Jolin, features editor
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
