Want to write for RA? Here's how you can get in touch.
We are open to pitches on album reviews, single reviews and written features. It is our aim to correct the historical imbalance of the site, and the need for dance music, a Black artform, to be written about by Black writers.
How to get in touch
If it's your first time pitching to RA, send us an email introducing yourself, outlining your experience (if any), and explaining your area of expertise or interest. From an editor's perspective, we want topics written about by people who have a personal or authentic angle on them. Say what kind of things you're interested in writing about, then provide a few specific ideas. Perhaps those specific ideas won't work, but don't get discouraged if your pitches are not accepted. At any given moment, there are many factors beyond the actual quality of the topic that determine whether we'll accept your pitch or not (for RA, a big one is if we've already covered or have plans to cover the same or a similar topic. Our editors will do their best to provide you with feedback on the kinds of pieces they're looking for.
You can reach us here: [email protected].
For any general questions or feedback, it's: [email protected].
Reviews
Our reviews section aims to cover a broad range of electronic music. We're primarily looking for pitches on interesting independent music as well as new talent—especially projects that focus on Black artists—that exist beyond the normal PR cycle. We are also interested in reading your critical opinions on bigger releases that are in the spotlight. Your pitch should tell us which record/s you'd like to write about, why, and what you think about them. We would like RA's reviews section to advocate for good independent music, but we're not opposed to critiquing popular music. We will also consider reviews of books, films or podcasts about electronic music.
News
We accept private news tips. Please email [email protected] with any tips you think we should cover.
Features
When it comes to pitching features, we suggest writing an email with a subject heading like "Feature pitch: XXXX" followed by four or five sentences explaining why this artist / topic / scene is interesting and timely, as well as why it would appeal to our audience. We're interested in pitches tied to existing series (Art of DJing, Breaking Through, etc) as well as standalone opinion pieces, critical essays or ideas about a sound, scene, collective, club, party or wider trend you find interesting. It's also worth trying to include a working title for your feature in the email subject line.
Here's more information on our existing feature series:
Breaking Through: As the title suggests, this series is focused on emerging artists. Our series archive gives you an example of what we're after: a written-through article (as opposed to a Q&A) around the 1500-2000 word mark.
Art of DJing: In our Art of DJing interviews we go deep with some of the best DJs in the game. These are presented in a Q&A format, with an intro at the start that explains why this DJ is special. The idea of this series is to get deep into the craft of DJing, discussing the areas of special interest.
Art of Production: These are similar to Art of DJing, but focusing on the craft of making music rather than DJing alone.
Revellers: These are photo features of punters accompanied by captions. These typically cover a specific event, usually a major festival or a party series.
In Pictures: Like Revellers, these pieces capture the spirit of an event, but focus on the party itself rather than the attendees alone. Photo reviews are typical for one-off events or smaller festivals.
Films
In the past we have worked with freelance filmmakers, camera operators and editors. However, given the current pandemic, we are not commissioning any new films at this moment. As soon as that changes, we will update this document.
What are the rates of pay?
Review pay rates will be agreed with writers before work is commissioned. Fees are based on a number of factors, including word count and deadline. As of June 2020, the base rate for an album review is £100 / $120.
The fees for features will vary depending on a number of factors: the proposed word count, the number of interviews taking place and the complexity of the topic at hand. The fee is agreed before the writer starts on the project. Any associated travel costs or expenses are paid for by RA.
Need some advice?
We have a team of writers, editors and filmmakers who are open to answering questions about pitching, process and publishing. You can reach out to us here—we'll be happy to answer any questions you have. You can also read our editorial integrity guidelines here.