Dear San Francisco,
Times are tough. We’re combating idiocy in the Oval Office. The world frequently feels apocalyptic. The Lexington closed its doors. San Francisco temperatures soared into the 100s (please, Karl, never leave us again). But there’s still one thing we can do: write and tell stories. San Francisco is changing, and we want to hear your point of view.
What are we looking for?
How Life in San Francisco Is Changing
We live in a region that is rapidly evolving and gentrifying, and when we speak to that, people listen. Politics, social justice and climate change are all topics that interest us. These stories can be told in many ways. For example, a well-researched and reported article about the way climate change will reshape San Francisco, an op-ed about tourists ruining the Golden Gate Bridge or a long-form essay about gentrification and DNA Lounge.
Personal Essays
We’re deeply interested in the people who keep our city going. These essays span from frivolous to intensely serious, and from anecdotal to abstract. Do you work in the gig economy? Maybe you’ve dabbled in polyamory or you’ve ghost-written someone’s OkCupid profile? Are you exhausted by stereotypes and microaggressions? Contributors have even shared their experiences with mental illness and their stories about working in hospice. One man opened up about the day he accidentally killed someone. Send us personal essays that make us weep, cry, laugh or want to eat a burrito.
As-Told-To’s
How are taxi drivers holding up? How does San Francisco look through the eyes of the homeless? We are always interested in compelling personal stories. If you know someone who has had an interesting life experience but doesn’t want to write it on their own, pitch us their stories as as-told-to’s.
Reported Pieces and Exposés
San Francisco is a hub for emerging trends. We’re interested in what life is like within the subcultures that make SF an eclectic city and how these trends affect the rest of the country. For example, an exposé on the underground cannabis-trimming world or an anonymous essay about working in collections are fascinating to us.
Humor
Did you take a weed-cation? A sex-cation? A BDSM-cation? We’ve published a piece about the best museums to visit stoned and a review of a female-urination device. Our reviews and travel guides often exemplify this type of unexpected “twist,” for example, napping in the Bay Area and having sex in weird places. We also publish bingo cards for annual Bay Area events.
Profiles and Interviews
The Bay Area is full of fascinating characters; help us bring them to life. Some of them are employees or founders of our favorite eateries, like Tartine and the Boba Guys. We’ve also profiled the world-record-breaking youngest children to open-water-swim to Alcatraz and interviewed the Bay Area’s only full-time mohel.
Photo Essays
We capture portraits of locals, glimpses of local events, celebrations of national holidays and historic protests and rallies. We love dogs and beautiful shots of San Francisco. You must have your own camera and be able to edit your photos.
How can you pitch us?
Send your pitches to info@thebolditalic.com: Subject line — “Pitch: [Name], [Article Title].” Please explain your pitch in two to three paragraphs, describing your story. Use this part to air your writing style. Link to relevant clips if you have them. If you’re a new writer, include a short bio before the pitch (one to three sentences). Include your Twitter and Medium handles. If you’re pitching a reported piece, link to any reporting you’ve conducted to date.
Pay
We typically pay $50/article. We realize this isn’t much, but we are a small publication, and it’s all we can guarantee at this time. However, if you’re working on a more complex piece, we are open to paying more. Let’s discuss.
Not a writer? Share this with a writer friend.
Cheers,
The Bold Italic Team
