Fees: The Post’s rates vary based on factors including subject matter, length, number of sources and how long the writer has worked with the publication.
Submit to: Wellness editor Carly Stern at cstern@nypost.com.
Website: nypost.com
Owner: News Corp.
Readership demographics: Stern says the publication’s “core” readership is Gen X, but a significant portion of millennials and boomers read it regularly, too. The Post’s health content appeals equally to men and women who “skew more conservative and tend to approach new health and wellness ideas with interest, but also a bit of skepticism,” Stern says.
Frequency of publication: The wellness section publishes multiple articles online daily, with the newsier and service-driven pieces typically produced by staffers. Stern turns to freelancers more often for features, which tend to run a few times a week. Sometimes — and based on decisions largely out of Stern’s hands — some of those end up in print the following day.
What they look for in a pitch: “The New York Post is fun, irreverent and definitely a bit snarky, so I always hope that’s going to be evident in the subject matter being pitched to me and the tone with which the writer approaches it,” Stern says. Since the publication has a reputation for getting people talking, Stern adds, “stories that welcome a lot of discourse are high on my priority list.”
When it comes to health pitches in particular, it’s important to give readers a grasp of the science behind something without taking all topics so seriously. Many of the section’s stories cover “a buzzy, out-there trend” by talking to the people who are doing it and then adding a little context from experts or research, Stern says.
The outlet publishes both stories that are New York-centric and those without a tie to the city but with national appeal. Pretty much all stories need a visual element, though. “If you’re interviewing case studies, I’m always going to ask if we can get photos of them, and may even want to send a photographer to shoot them,” Stern says. “If you know imagery won’t be available, it probably won’t work for us.”
How do they feel about pre-pitches? Stern isn’t a fan of receiving pitches that aren’t fully formed; it just gives her more work. “What I am OK with is getting pitched two possible angles on a story — maybe they have the topic and there are a couple interesting ways in, but they’re not sure which is better,” she says. “I’m happy to see which, if either, I gravitate towards.”
Most common pitching mistakes: Not understanding the Post’s audience, not checking if the publication has already covered the idea and following up on the same email three or more times. “Often, if it’s not something that feels urgent to me, it gets put on the back burner and I might respond weeks later,” Stern says.
Lead time: Turnaround time ranges from about a week for super timely stories with a news hook (which are more often assigned to staffers than freelancers) to about a month or longer for features with subjects who might be hard to pin down.
Best place to break in: Writers new to the Post can have good luck pitching features on a wellness trend. “I love getting pitches for new and interesting trends in the health and wellness space where the writer can do a deep dive,” Stern says. Some recent examples include stories on an all-fours fitness trend,longevity biohackers trying to cleanse their blood and the dangers of the supplement kratom.
The Post also thrives on stories about people doing fun and unusual things, like running a Taco Bell ultramarathon, participating in an 60-and-older dance troupe and learning street fighting in a fitness class.