Writers! We need YOU
The Mill is scouting for new writing
Everyone’s got a new year’s resolution: hit the gym enough times a month for membership not to be an act of charity. Return to the dreaded Duolingo and submit yourself to the iron will of the owl. Finally deploy that pasta maker somebody bought you as a “present”.
But how about — and hear me out here — you consider a resolution that would be (a) fun and (b) profitable: like pitching us at The Mill? I’m Sophie, a senior editor here. Historically, we’ve been reliant on our staff writers to cover most of the articles we need. But my resolution for 2023 (along with wrapping my brain around the subjunctive in Spanish) is to ensure we have a lot more freelance writers contributing pieces for us, because I think a truly great publication should have a huge range of voices and styles and interests — something that our tiny core team can’t really provide.
This isn’t our first rodeo! Some of the greatest pieces we published last year were authored by freelance writers — Jack Chadwick wrote an incredible essay about a modernist, working-class writer that had been lost to the mists of time, Frank Owen wrote about Hulme’s punk past, historian Thomas McGrath described the scourge of Victorian Manchester’s landlords, while Harry documented the “monstering” of refugee hotels by far-right vloggers. Yes, these were all male freelancers — another big thing we’d like to change this year: we’d love to feature significantly more female and non-binary voices.
What are we looking for?
Lively, interesting ideas for articles about Greater Manchester that haven’t been covered before, whether by us or another publication.
News investigations, spicy FOI reveals, pieces which hold powerful individuals or institutions to account, as well as fun voicey reads, opinionated cultural longreads and reviews, proposals for interviews or op-eds.
We’re looking for people with a passion for beautifully-crafted writing, investigative reporting and hard-hitting news who want to bring about a renaissance in journalism in Manchester. If you’re incredibly witty, read the Mill regularly and have a strong authorial voice, that’s great too. You might be a professional who has worked in journalism for 30 years, a freelance cultural critic or someone who is just starting out. Either way, if you have some experience and think you can offer something fresh, we’d love to hear from you.
Want more info or a steer on how to pitch us? Check out our pitching guide here.
Please send your pitches and any previous clips to sophie@manchestermill.co.uk.