How Richmondside works with freelancers

In addition to our small newsroom staff, we rely on local independent reporters, photographers, researchers and other community members to tell Richmond’s stories, serve local information needs, and amplify important perspectives from across our city.

If you’re interested in freelancing or pitching us an idea, first check out the information and guidelines below. Then when you’re ready, just send us an email and an editor will get back to you as soon as they can.

Stories and formats we’re interested in

We want to hear from community members about important issues happening in Richmond communities and neighborhoods that might not be on everyone else’s radars. We’re especially interested in stories that help Richmonders learn about resources that would benefit them and their communities, or that teach people how to navigate complicated systems. Stories don’t have to be traditional news reports: We love to receive pitches for quirky, funny, inspiring or revealing features; FAQs; “how-to” guides; personal essays and more. We’re open to visual ideas as well, such as short video stories, photo essays, and infographics.

How to check whether your idea is a fit

Read what we publish to get an overall sense of how we are serving our community. You can sign up for our newsletter to get recently published stories in your inbox. 

We only publish stories that are closely tied to people and issues in Richmond. We don’t publish stories on regional, state, or national issues that aren’t rooted in our city or that don’t directly impact residents in their daily lives. If you want to write about such an issue, and have a compelling way to relate it to people, places, or happenings in Richmond, we’d love to hear about it.

If your pitch resonates with our editorial mission; doesn’t overlap with a story we already have in progress; and we’re able to devote editing and funding resources, here are some next steps for what to expect:

• Compensation: We pay $150 for short reports or “briefs” that take less than half a day of reporting and writing. We pay $250 for arts stories or for articles covering a single meeting or event, and for stories that take about a day or so of reporting and writing. We pay at least $350 for more complex features that involve difficult sourcing, document analysis or significant reporter initiative, and for stories taking about two to three days of reporting and writing. We pay $500 or more for in-depth enterprise and investigative reports that take longer to complete.
  
  We pay $300 for one-off photo assignments requiring less than half a day in the field. We pay $350 and up for photo essays requiring more time. (Writers are expected to solicit photos from sources and to take their own photos, when feasible in the course of their reporting, for no additional fee.)
  
  All fees include the cost of travel to assignments. Reporting expenses, such as the cost of obtaining court documents, will be reimbursed with advanced permission. We’ll work with you to figure out how long your story is likely to take and offer you a clear rate ahead of time.

• Story planning: If you’re new to working with us, a Richmondside editor will talk to you about your reporting process before you get started, and you’ll work together to plan a roadmap.

• Editing: We’re proud to offer hands-on editing for every story we publish. We strive for clear communication, timely responses and a supportive working experience.

Tips for writing your pitch

Then send us an email at hello@Richmondside.org with “story pitch” in the subject line. We’re committed to reading every story idea we receive, and will do our best to respond in a timely manner. Happy pitching!