Fees
The outlet’s rates vary by article, depending on factors such as length, reporting requirements, access and experience. Editors set fees per article, not per word.
Who to pitch to
Submit science and health pitches to Sarah Laskow, slaskow@theatlantic.com, or Rachel Gutman-Wei, rachel@theatlantic.com. Both are senior editors.
Website
Owner
Parent company Emerson Collective, an organization focused on education, immigration reform and social justice, acquired majority ownership in 2017. Atlantic Media retains a minority stake.
Readership demographics
The Atlantic writes for a general-interest audience. Its readers are “smart, curious and interested in the American idea,” Gutman-Wei said.
Frequency of publication
The outlet publishes daily online, and also prints a monthly issue that’s handled by the magazine team. Pitches accepted by the science, technology and health desk will generally not appear in print.
What they look for in a pitch
“We don’t just want to know what’s happening, but also why it might be happening, and what it says about a particular moment in the U.S. or the world,” Gutman-Wei said. “Some of our favorite stories point out a trend that had been flying under the radar, reveal a new way of understanding a common phenomenon or put words to a common experience that has not yet been identified as such.”
Gutman-Wei added that editors have an eye for literary, cultural and historical connections, and that some of the best Atlantic pieces make an argument without coming across as a bland op-ed.
Pitches should also clearly back up any key factual claims. “If, for example, your pitch asserts that X is on the rise, you should include data or other evidence supporting that rise in your pitch,” Gutman-Wei said. “If ‘studies show’ something, link us to those studies. If you assert that a particular group of people believe something, give us their names or show us the surveys.”
Common pitching mistakes
Pitching a story focused on a single study, pitching a story about your own work as a researcher and pitching straightforward op-eds. It’s also a mistake to pitch something that The Atlantic or its peer publications have recently covered. “If related stories have been published in other outlets, please note this and explain how your story would be different,” Gutman-Wei said.
Gutman-Wei added that editors frequently receive pitches along the lines of “my story will explore how X has affected Y,” but fail to elaborate more fully. “In such cases, we will almost certainly ask for pre-reporting that indicates how X affects Y before assigning the story,” she said.
Another mistake is pitching a story strictly related to something abroad. “The Atlantic is the magazine of the American idea, so if your story primarily describes events in another country, please make sure your pitch includes an argument about why American readers should care,” Gutman-Wei said.
Finally, the outlet rarely accepts stories on spec, and prefers to be involved in the piece from the ideation stage. So, don’t send a full draft as your pitch.
Do they welcome pre-pitches?
The best approach is simply to send the pitch. “If we’ve never worked together before, please bake your pitches as much as possible,” Gutman-Wei said.
Best place to break into the publication
New writers can have the most luck pitching a timely (but not breaking news) story between 800 and 1,500 words. While The Atlantic loves scoops, editors are unlikely to assign investigative, legally sensitive pieces to journalists who haven’t contributed to the site before. It’s also rare for new writers to land features, or what the outlet considers to be 3,000 words or more.
“We have to say no to plenty of pitches that would make for great stories,” Gutman-Wei noted. “Please don’t take a rejection personally and don’t be afraid to try again!”