Writers

The majority of the news section of New Scientist magazine is written by staffers but we are always on the lookout for exciting freelance pieces. On the other hand, features are mostly written by freelancers. This document is intended to outline what the editors are looking for, how to go about pitching and writing stories and what our conditions are. Most of it should be obvious to experienced journalists, but these guidelines should help ensure that pitches or articles provided by you, a freelancer, meet our editorial standards. Before sending in your idea, make sure it is the kind of story we are after. In general, we are looking for science and technology stories from around the world that will intrigue, entertain and inform the widest possible audience, be they physicists, biologists or people with no science background at all. 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. For more information, visit their website. Before applying, review submission guidelines. Please email all questions and submissions to Catherine de Lange, Head of Features at New Scientist at: catherine.delange@newscientist.com.