Want to contribute to Solving Sacramento? Here are our submission guidelines
Our mission at Solving Sacramento is to cover solutions to pressing issues in our community. In other words, we’re not all about bad news. We aim to help our readers and listeners see our community from multiple perspectives and understand how decisions made by others affect their lives. We place readers and listeners at the center of our coverage.
Are you interested in contributing stories, photos or illustrations to Solving Sacramento and our media partners? We’re interested in working with professional freelance journalists, independent writers, photographers and illustrators, as well as students who aspire to work in the media industry. All freelancers are expected to follow journalistic standards and code of ethics. If you’re not a professional journalist but have a story you’d like to share, we’d like to hear from you.
Our rates: We pay writers between $225 and $1,500 for story assignments, which range from 300 words to 1,500-plus words. We pay photographers and illustrators between $300 and $800, depending on the scope of the assignment. We pay students between $100 and $250 for shorter story assignments and up to $450 for in-depth features, and a flat rate of $100 for photo assignments. The editor will make your rate clear at the onset of the assignment.
Writers: Because we are a solutions journalism collaborative supported in large part by the Solutions Journalism Network, writers who freelance for Solving Sacramento must take SJN’s virtual, one-hour Solutions Journalism 101 training before submitting their first assignment. Each writer will receive a $50 stipend for completing the training.
Deadlines: We want to give freelancers ample time to complete an assignment. The editor will work with you to determine a reasonable deadline.
Story assignments: We’re looking for web-only stories on the topics of affordable housing, homelessness, economic equity, arts and the environment. Your finished story and/or photos may run in any, all or some of our partner media outlets.
Photography and illustrations: We’re looking for great photographers and illustrators. If you’re interested, email info@solvingsacramento.org and include a link to your portfolio or examples of your work.
Pitching: Email your pitch to info@solvingsacramento.org and include “pitch” in the subject line. We only accept pitches via email. In a few paragraphs tell us your story idea, why our media partners’ readers will care, a few sources you plan to interview and why you are the one to write the story. We’d also like to see some links to your published work. We try very hard to respond to all inquiries. But if you haven’t heard back from us within two weeks, you should consider pitching elsewhere.
Our coverage area: We’re primarily focused on stories of interest to our readers and listeners in the Sacramento metropolitan area. But we’re always open to consider ideas from other nearby areas as they pertain to our understanding of Northern California.
We look forward to the possibility of working with you!