How to pitch Xtra

Xtra is a digital magazine that is all about queer and trans culture, primarily in Canada and the US, but also internationally with a focus on the U.K. Our primary audience is LGBTQ2S+ people who are 18 to 35 years old with an interest in political activism, identity, history, health and entertainment (with a focus on TV, film and music).  

We are looking for stories that can live well beyond a day and still be relevant. We still want stories to have a hook – in other words, why should our audience be hearing about this particular story now.

Pitches we accept provide a unique point-of-view, context, originality or newfound depth. A straightforward film or music review of what works and what doesn’t, will not meet our needs for the publication. You must connect the review to an insight on something happening outside of the film, or album, either a trend, current event, or something personal and relevant to the audience described above. 

We don’t want same-day news coverage or stories that simply tell us something has happened. We want stories that provide analysis and explain why key events matter to LGBTQ2S+ people. 

Submission guidelines

KC Hoard, Associate Editor, Culture, accepts pitches on books, music, film, television, gaming, pop culture and internet culture. We are not looking for pitches on live or in-person events or exhibitions. We are not looking for traditional reviews.

kc.hoard@xtramagazine.com 

Tara-Michelle Ziniuk, Managing Editor, Xtra, accepts pitches on politics, activism, identity (including personal essays) and history. We are not looking for stories on health at this time.

tara-michelle.ziniuk@xtramagazine.com

Mel Woods, Senior Editor, Audience Engagement, accepts pitches of content to be distributed on video or multimedia and/or social media. We only assign these to freelancers on occasion.

mel.woods@xtramagazine.com

Your pitch must clearly outline your proposed headline, angle, potential sources, why you believe the story is relevant to our audience and why you are the best person to write it. Please include a short bio and links to previous work, ideally in the same format as what you are pitching. Pitches that do not include this information will not be considered.

We value a variety of editorial formats and may give extra consideration to pitches that embrace digital publishing, i.e. tell the story with more than words. If your pitch involves multimedia elements such as images, video, or infographics, please include relevant details.

We prioritize original content that hasn’t been published elsewhere, solutions-based stories and stories that we believe will have an impact. If your pitch is based on previous work (of your own, in Xtra, or from another writer and/or outlet), please provide details on how your proposed article will offer a fresh perspective.

We’re not interested in:

  • AI generated pitches or submissions
  • Material that has been published elsewhere, including campus papers, newsletters and personal blogs
  • Topics we’ve already covered with the same treatment; topics other outlets have already covered with the same treatment
  • Academic writing
  • Already written submissions; we want pitches only and to work with writers on an angle for anything we assign
  • Coming out stories such as: “X made me gay;” “X is surprisingly queer;” “X is queer and that’s good;” “X is queer and that’s bad”

Formats

Longform, enterprise features: Xtra thrives on thoughtful features that span all of our audience interests. These stories are heavily reported and researched. They unpack big issues, ideas and themes, and they include elements of narrative storytelling—compelling characters, colourful scenes, conflict (and sometimes, resolution) and masterful narration.

Short reported features: These pieces are similar to longform features, but often are used to tackle more timely issues. They are anchored in thoughtful reporting and research that does more than repeat what has already been published elsewhere.

Analysis: Like features, these pieces include strong points of view and thoughtful reporting and research. Analysis pieces emphasize the perspective of the writer, who is able to contextualize and explain complex issues through research, lived experience or a combination of the two. These pieces often hinge upon a thesis statement or take that provides a throughline for the reader. 

Essays: These are first-person pieces that use a personal experience to consider, or reconsider, an issue or topic.They are meant to share a perspective that may serve as a discussion point for others with similar experience or, alternatively, provide an entry point for those without the lived experience.

Explainers: These pieces break down a complex topic or current event and help make sense of it for readers.They tell readers what they need to know about a given topic and may debunk common misinformation or myths. Our explainers are meant for people who already have a 101 understanding of a topic and are looking for more in-depth information. Explainers rely on expert voices and research.

I submitted a pitch, now what?

It’s not uncommon for the evaluation process to take a couple of weeks. We evaluate pitches based on a variety of factors including relevance, timeliness, originality, potential impact and how it fits with our overall editorial calendar.

If you pitch us and don’t hear back within a couple of weeks, please assume we’re declining.