DEADLINE DAY
H
e frustrating thing about writing for magazines is
that everything happens at the last minute. This month
I got an email from an editor asking if I could do a short-
notice piece on a touring show. A PR had persuaded
him to run an interview that had to go in the next issue, ahead
of the tour, which gave me a deadline 10 days hence. Why a
more organised PR couldn’t have made his pitch a month or two
earlier is anyone’s guess, but it wouldn’t have been a problem if
he’d been able to set up the interview straight away.
Instead, Mr Faff about PR and I exchanged 36 emails in nine
days while he struggled to make the arrangements. In that time,
he also changed his mind three times about which member
of the production team I’d be interviewing. The day before
my deadline, he fi nally gave me a number to call ‘tomorrow
morning’, which was the day I had to fi le my copy. Well, it was
tight, but having squeezed an extra day’s wriggle room out of
my editor, it was doable.
At the same time, though, I was also trying to set up an
interview with a rock singer for another mag. By coincidence,
the deadline was the same day, and I was having just as little
luck. Rather than arrange a time for me, a promoter had given
me the singer’s email address and mobile number and asked me
to contact him directly.
After sending two emails, leaving two voice messages and
trying to contact him via Facebook, I called the promoter again
and asked if he could give Mr Rock Star a nudge.
‘He never answers my calls either,’ Mr Promoter chirped,
cheerily. ‘But I‘ll leave him a message to call you.’
With no call forthcoming, I decided to give the singer a last-
ditch call the evening before my deadline.
‘Heeeey, man!’ he answered, fi rst ring, with the enthusiasm
of a long-lost buddy. ‘I was just about to call you.’
The next day I was just deciding which equally urgent article
to write fi rst when I got an email from Mrs Broadsheet. ‘I know
you pitched this idea last January,’ she began, ‘but I’m desperate
to fi ll a slot in the supplement. Do you think you can still get the
interview? I need copy by Friday.’
So, having sat on my idea for more than a year, she suddenly
wanted me to set up, research and conduct an interview and
write it up within two days – starting on a day when I was
already racing against the clock to write two other pieces. Next
month, I‘ll tell you how I pulled it off.THIS WRITING LIFE
Pitch: Care Issue in the subject
line. And keep checking back to
their website for future themes.
Music pitches
Music writers from around
the world are being sought by
EUPHORIA magazine, a new
destination to learn about
up-and-coming artists as well
as established ones. They
recently featured interviews
with Blossoms, who topped
the album charts earlier in the
year, and London rap group The
Manor, who have yet to score a
fi rst hit.
Reviews editor Aimee Phillips
told Writers’ Forum: ‘This is a
freelance editorial position for
writers around the world, who
are interested in any genre but
particularly pop, rock, indie,
R&B, hip-hop and electronic.
We’re looking for writers to
write reviews of songs, gigs,
interview artists and such.’
Don’t think that you have
to be too on-trend as there is
even album review space for the
likes of former One Direction
singer, Louis Tomlinson. The best
thing is to focus on your love of
music and fi nd a new artist you
are passionate about who may
welcome an approach for an
interview, or a shout about their
latest EP.
You can get in touch with
Aimee via email: aimee@
euphoriazine.com and it is worth
checking out the rest of the
site too. Aimee adds: ‘We also
have entertainment, fashion and
beauty sections, so we’re open to
writers in these areas.’
Literary reviews
Split Lip Magazine is a literary
journal with added pop culture
and ‘the kind of honesty that gets
you right in the kidneys’. The
team recently tweeted for people
to contribute author interviews
and book reviews and here are
some further tips...■There’s virtually no limit on
the books and authors you can
cover – but don’t submit an idea
if the person is someone you
know personally. Interviews with
industry insiders are welcome.
■Try and seek out lesser known
books. Interviews and reviews
editor Clancy McGilligan says:
‘We’re especially interested in
giving attention to books from
independent presses and authors
from historically marginalised
groups.’
■It’s not all about books and
authors. There is an engaging
section called Memoir with a
series of personal essays told
more as a story than an opinion
or ‘this happened to me’ piece.
Recent examples include ‘Notes
on an attempted beard’ and ‘Men
teach me how to play Dungeons
and Dragons.’
■Check out the options for
fi ction writing and poetry and
be bold. The guidelines say that
the staff ‘love bringing [readers]
the most compelling voices we
can fi nd. Split Lip Magazine exists
because of our all-consuming,
kind-of-embarrassing love for
storytelling (in all its forms).’
■Submissions are welcome in
January, March, May, September
and November (there’s a small
fee outside of these windows).
Send in completed reviews or
interviews, together with a short
bio and one or two examples
of your work. Email Clancy
directly: slreviewseditor@gmail.
com or submit a pitch via their
Submittable account. Fiction, fl ash
fi ction and poetry should only be
submitted via Submittable.Fees: minimal at around $25-$50
per piece, but this is impressive
given that the staff are all
volunteersVisit: http://www.splitlipthemag.com