New Scientist is looking for science writers

Hello US freelancers! Tiffany O’Callaghan and I are building a New Scientist New York bureau and are ready to start taking freelance pitches. Here’s a list of what we’re after and the thing you want to know before pitching.

We’re looking for science and technology news stories that will intrigue, entertain and inform our readers. For print and online.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. Its website, app and print editions cover international news from a scientific standpoint, and ask the biggest-picture questions about life, the universe and what it means to be human.

The best way to get a feel for the sorts of stories we publish is to have a read of our website. Lots of our news is not paywalled so do have a read here.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We want to attract a very broad audience, so your story must be interesting and accessible to a non-specialist. Here is a nice line on the sorts of things we cover: Fascinating bits of pure science with no possible application as well as high-impact stories such as weapons technology and the psychology of terrorism. Besides reporting the latest research, we also try to find interesting scientific or technological angles on major news events.

New Scientist already has a large (and growing) team of brilliant science and tech journalists. This means that it is very likely that we have already seen that paper published and press released from a major journal.

So please try to find stories that we’re unlikely to have spotted and that haven’t already been covered by the mainstream media. We basically never cover something late unless we have a unique angle.

We like pitches where we can imagine what the final story will be like. So write your pitch like a very short version of the news story:

• Include a great topline at the top
• Tell us what the new thing is
• Include a few sentences on why its important/interesting

Also please let us know if there are some amazing images/video that could go with the story. Or if there’s something unique you could bring (e.g. on the ground reporting).

If you’ve not written for us before (or we’ve not spoken before), please include a few lines about yourself with your pitch. Who have you written for, what’s your background/beat/expertise.

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN SUBMISSION

• Write a short introduction about yourself
• Include a paragraph highlighting your writing experience, relevant credentials and publication credits
• Attach links to your strongest work or portfolio, and online profile.

COMPENSATION

• $1+ per word- 300-500 words

CONTACT

For more information, visit their website.

Before applying, review submission guidelines. Email all questions and submissions to Timothy Revell, Deputy US Editor of New Scientist, at: timothy.revell@newscientist.com