Letters to the editor by e-mail
letters@advocate.com

Letters to the editor by regular mail
P.O. Box 4371
Los Angeles, CA 90078
Phone: (310) 943-5858
Fax: (310) 806-6350

General inquiries, news releases, and story ideas
newsroom@advocate.com

The best guide to whether your idea is right for the magazine is a good knowledge of what the magazine has published in recent issues. For example, flipping through recent issues would tell you that The Advocate does not publish fiction or poetry, has only one first-person guest columnist or essayist per issue, and runs almost exclusively reported stories that are typically 200 to 1,000 words long.

We are a monthly magazine with a focus on the news, news analysis, and developing arts & entertainment stories that involve out gay and lesbian people or are of direct interest to a national readership of out gay and lesbian readers. Because The Advocate is sold only in the United States and Canada, with some U.K. distribution, it focuses principally on news and entertainment from those countries.

Payment rates are negotiated upon assignment.

If the above summary confirms for you that your pitch is right for The Advocate, you should also know that new writers should provide samples of their relevant published work to the appropriate editor at the same time they are submitting their pitches. Published clips are best sent via snail mail, as photocopies; articles that have been posted on the Web may be submitted as e-mailed URLs. Printouts of unpublished or unedited articles or personal Web postings should not be submitted.

A detailed query letter of 500 or fewer words is always preferred to a completed article submitted on spec. Be specific, have a timely news hook, and refer to particular departments or past features of the print or online magazine in making your pitch.

Submissions of articles already printed or posted elsewhere, blog entries, "open letters" or other correspondence, and "simultaneous submissions"--queries or articles sent to more than one publication at the same time--will not be considered or answered.

Queries may be submitted by snail mail, fax, or e-mail but must in all cases include an e-mail address for response. Self-addressed, stamped envelopes are not necessary and will not be used. While clips should be sent via snail mail, sending pitches via e-mail is preferred and is the method most likely to result in a personal response. Free sample copies of the magazine are not available.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail the appropriate editor, or newsroom@advocate.com.

We are happy to consider unsolicited photography submissions for possible publication. Before making any submissions to us, please familiarize yourself with our magazine. It is available at most newsstands throughout the country. Keep in mind that The Advocate is a newsmagazine. As such, we publish photos of interest to the gay and lesbian community based on their newsworthiness and timeliness. We do not publish art photography or portfolios of individual photographers. The majority of photos appearing in The Advocate were assigned by us to our photographers in the field, or were taken by other newsgathering organizations.

We are always looking for talented news and feature photographers around the country. If you would like to submit your work for our consideration:

• Send prints or crisp photocopies, promo cards, or duplicate 35mm slides of your work. Do not send originals.
• Include your name, address, and telephone number.
• Due to the volume of material we receive, we regret we are unable to return any unsolicited submissions.
• If we are interested we will contact you.
• Send submissions to: Photo Editor, The Advocate, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1050, Los Angeles, CA 90024

If you would like us to see your book, you may drop it off at our offices. However, be prepared to leave it for up to 48 hours before picking it back up.

We are happy to consider unsolicited illustration submissions to use as a reference for making possible assignments to you in the future. Before making any submissions to us, please familiarize yourself with our magazine. It is available at most newsstands throughout the country.

Keep in mind that The Advocate is a newsmagazine. As such, we publish items of interest to the gay and lesbian community based on their newsworthiness and timeliness. We do not publish unsolicited illustrations or portfolios of individual artists. We do not publish cartoons or humorous illustrations. Any illustration appearing in The Advocate was assigned by us to an artist to illustrate a specific article.

We are always looking for talented illustrators from around the country. If you would like to submit your work for our consideration:

• Send samples of your work in the mail. Include either crisp photocopies, or duplicate 35mm slides of your work. Do not send originals. Be sure to include some material we can keep on file for future reference. If you wish to have your work returned, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with sufficient postage. We cannot be responsible for any material sent to us.
• Submissions by e-mail that include URLs to artists pages may be sent to scott.mcpherson@heremedia.com .
• Include your name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number.
• If we are interested we will contact you.

Send submissions to:
Art Director, The Advocate
10960 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1050
Los Angeles, CA 90024.

Portfolio Review: We do not accept unsolicited portfolio drop-offs at the editorial offices.

feedback@advocate.com

Call: Monday - Friday; 8:30 a.m. - 11 p.m. EST
(800) 827-0561 (USA)
419-621-4366 (Outside USA)
Visa/MC/Amex accepted

Write: Advocate Back Issues
P.O. Box 1754
Sandusky, OH 44871
$4.99 US each, plus $4.50 US postage for the first copy, $1.50 for each additional copy
*Indicate issue number or date.

The Advocate is available on microfilm from two sources:

ProQuest Information and Learning
(800) 521-0600
300 N. Zeeb Rd.
P.O. Box 1346
Ann Arbor, MI 48106-134

6ARGO/Micrographics
(213) 740-3572
Doheny Library
University of Southern California