How to pitch NewMusicBox

Guidelines for how to pitch to NewMusicBox.

Written By

NewMusicBox Staff

If you haven’t worked with us before, here are a few pointers on how to craft a pitch and capture our attention. NewMusicBox is currently seeking smart, original, short essays (< 1500 words) from members of the music community.

NewMusicBox is deeply committed to highlighting new music communities across the United States and encourages contributors to write about the vibrancy of their local scene.

Thoughtful critiques, solid analyses, with emphasis on real actions/ideas/tips with takeaway value catch our attention more than promotional material or opinion pieces. And we’re particularly interested in writers whose experiences and opinions are underrepresented in the media.

Note: NewMusicBox does not do album or concert reviews.

Writers will be paid for their work. To pitch your essay or idea, please email us.

General Submission Guidelines

Submissions to NewMusicBox should be topical and relevant to our publication and follow accepted standards of digital communication. Essays should be written in a clear, informal style free of jargon and accessible to nonspecialists. All submissions are subject to a moderation process that verifies material is appropriate and topical. The Editorial Team screens all incoming submissions and may reject manuscripts without further review, or review and reject manuscripts at any time in the editing/reviewing process.

Please email us to pitch an article, or to send an unpublished piece for consideration. Authors are expected to self-submit.

Articles that appear in other locations online – personal website, Medium, Facebook, etc. – will not be considered.

A good pitch to NewMusicBox contains a compelling story and a clear outline. Pitches should clearly and concisely convey the idea you plan to write about and why it matters. The best pitches display that you have deep knowledge of the topic, that you have an unmistakable sense of the angle or insight you plan to pursue, and that you can demonstrate all of that in only a couple of paragraphs. Pitches should also be written in the style you expect to write the story. Help us get excited about your topic!

If sending an unpublished piece for consideration, please include:

  • Your written article in MS Word or Google Doc format with edit access enabled.
  • Any audio/video embed links to be included with the article.
  • A link (Dropbox, WeTransfer, or Google Drive preferred) to any high-resolution photos in landscape format to be included with the article. (Must have photo credit or be royalty-free/Creative Commons CC BY license)
  • A high-resolution photo that is relevant to article topic, which can serve as a featured photo. (Must include photo credit and be royalty-free/Creative Commons CC BY license)
  • An author headshot in landscape or square format.
  • A very short author bio. (100 words max)
  • Author social media links.

You will be contacted by an editor if your article or pitch is accepted. Thank you!