Freelance Writer
Are you a freelance writer with a passion for the Charlottesville community? Send our editor your pitch.
We aim to provide engaging feature stories that showcase the best of what Charlottesville has to offer families, with topics covering parenting, education, dining, art, health, recreation, and connecting readers with local resources. Our goal is magazine writing—we like a lively, anecdotal approach that’s fun to read and easy to understand. If the subject has been covered by other media, we’re looking for a fresh angle. Our three main criteria are that articles:
Contain useful information
Are entertaining
Have local relevance
Pay rates:
- $75-$250 for articles we commission dependent on length/difficulty,
- $50–$75 for reprints
We often plan up to a year in advance and typically need to receive articles at least two months in advance of the publication month. Please email us a resume, cover letter and work samples.
CharlottesvilleFamily Writing Guidelines
Our Mission
To provide parents with editorial content that is intelligent, timely, positive and filled with useful resources to make “Parenting Easier & Growing Up Fun!”
Style
Our goal is magazine writing: – we like a lively, anecdotal approach that’s fun to read. If the subject has been covered by other media, we’re looking for a fresh angle. A first-person account is acceptable if it’s the best way to tell the story.
Our three main criteria for articles are that they contain useful information for parents, are entertaining, and have local relevance. For reprints, we will want to edit in some local references where appropriate. Our publications serve a sophisticated audience of parents and childcare professionals who already have read a great deal about childrearing; we want to help these readers raise children in Central Virginia by letting them know what services and resources are available in their communities.
Writing for Web
SEO and the digital landscape are continually evolving. As our primary way to share stories is via the website this has become a critical element of storytelling. Almost all of our stories will be shared online and need to be crafted for that platform. We start with keywords and an outline that should be reviewed before writing begins.
Writer Submission Guidelines & Frequently Asked Questions
How should I submit my article?
Please send via email. We like to have the text pasted into the body of the email and also attached as a Word document. As we work we will transition to a google document for sharing edits.
Every article should carry the writer’s name, address, phone and e-mail at the top of the first page.
With your story, be sure to include a creative title and subtitle, a headshot and an author’s bio of one or two sentences letting our readers know a little more about you. If you’re a parent, this is nice to mention, as is your general location in the area, and your interests relating to the topic of the piece. (Example: Connie loves to pick berries with her own young children and her childhood sweetheart, now her husband, on their farm in Free Union.)
What is the preferred length for articles?
Feature articles should be from 1,200-1,500 words.
Columns should be 500 words +/- depending on which.
What are your content, style & formatting guidelines?
Please review our articles on the website before submitting to get a sense of our style and the topics we cover. We use the AP Style Manual and have house guidelines on particular elements. ie Day trip is one word.
Some of our very favorite pieces have been “Balancing Act,” “Mommy & Me Classes,” and “40 Years of North Branch School.”
We prefer quotes from parents or experts from the greater Charlottesville-Albemarle area, and not other geographic locations. A UVA connection fits this criteria as well.
The topic of a story should be covered thoroughly. We can add a sidebar of local resources and national ones if helpful (writers should try to get these). Mentions of products (book/toy) are also welcome. If there is a resource available that pertains to your topic, please feel free to include this information in a note at the end of your article. A first-person account is acceptable, if it’s the best way to tell the story.
Writing should be submitted as a straight text document with single-spaced lines. Only one space is needed before a new sentence; please avoid double-spacing after periods. If you have ideas about layout, indicate with a note – do not try to format. We will only have to remove the formatting.
Abbreviations: Write out numbers one through nine; use numerals for 10 and greater.
Titles: Omit Mr./Mrs./Ms., but use Dr. when referring to a medical doctor.
Attribution: When identifying someone you have interviewed, please include full name. A regional area or employment identification (Crozet, UVa’s Dept of Child Psychiatry, etc.) is requested. For children under 18, only first name is necessary and age (or grade in school). Generally we do not allow anonymous sources but if you do change a name, please add a note to the end of the piece so we may add a disclaimer.
Quotes: Please do not change quotes. If it is in quotation marks, we understand that to mean that those exact words were spoken (or typed) by the subject. If need be, use quotes creatively with subtext (for example, to overcome a grammatical error), paraphrase, or request a new quote or clarification from the subject.
Sources: We use the Associated Press Stylebook and Webster’s New World Dictionary.
Editing: We may edit your piece for grammar, style, clarity and length before publication.
What rights do you prefer?
We ask that writers sell their articles to CharlottesvilleFamily exclusively for two years, in the Central Virginia market. You are welcome to reprint outside of the area or in a national publication. We are purchasing rights to print in any and all Zinnia Communications LLC publications, including but not limited to our print magazines, newsletters, annual directory and websites.
Are local writers preferred over out-of-the-area writers?
A well-done local piece is preferred. Local writers can talk to local parents, and they know the great “kid-friendly” shops, great places to have a party, etc. However, any well-written article focused on the Charlottesville area will be considered, no matter where the writer lives.
What is your contact information?
Mail: 4301 Ivy Road #48, Charlottesville, VA 22945
Phone: 434-984-4713
Editorial Calendar
Please ask for current article submission deadlines and specific topics. We work several months to a year in advance, creating each issue. Generally, three months prior to publication is the latest to submit. Our current monthly columns include: Snapshot, Our Schools, Bravo!, Day trip Fun!, Cool Stuff, Dear Bob, Healthy Family, Tips & Trends, Home & Garden.
Illustrations & Photography
We need images for all local stories we run; if you can take photographs yourself, wonderful! If not, please ask your contacts for the article to supply images. Providing the editor with the name and number of your sources who may be able to supply us with images is also helpful.
We also publish local photography and may be interested in other illustrations, as well.To submit artwork for consideration, please e-mail. We would love to see your work.
Invoicing Guidelines
Once your submission has been accepted for publication, you may submit your invoice at the time you submit your article. Please ask for a copy of our form. Invoices should include your full name and mailing address, your email address, the article title, date of submission and the amount of payment.