Freelance Guidelines

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay is always seeking qualified, talented freelancers. If you're interested in freelancing for us, please follow these guidelines.

1. If you haven't already done so, familiarize yourself with Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. In features, culture, food, and music, we try not not cover the same subject or topic in a two-year period unless there is a compelling new angle. Regular columns are written by staff or dedicated freelancers. Most other formats are open to freelancers. Please note standard article lengths and take them into consideration when pitching a story.

2. Send a brief cover letter, resume, two relevant writing samples, and at least one story pitch to the appropriate editor. Email queries are encouraged. If your writing samples are archived on the web, you may include links rather than the full text. If they don't paste the content of any attachments into the body of the email. If we are interested, we will respond via email. Patience, persistence, and politeness pay off.

Email your news freelance submissions to:
Ray Roa, Editor-in-chief

3. Editors occasionally assign pieces to freelancers, but successful freelancers also generate interesting story ideas. Pitch early and often.

4. For new writers, we might assign an article on "spec," which means you turn in a completed article. If we like it, we publish it and pay you. If we don't, then the piece does not run and there is no kill fee.

5. When you begin freelancing for us, you will receive additional instructions on topics including deadlines, pay rates, pay schedules, and CL's policies, including a code of ethics.