Cancer Today Freelance Market Guide

Fees: The Philadelphia-based publication’s fees are $1 per word for the print edition and less for website stories. The amount paid for the web depends on the piece’s complexity. News stories and short features can run 300–400 words, with longer features running up to 2,000 words. All articles eventually end up on the website.

Submit to: Marci Landsmann, managing editor, marci.landsmann@aacr.org, for the print edition; and Eric Fitzsimmons, senior editor, eric.fitzsimmons@aacr.org, for the website. Pitch first rather than send an article.

Website: https://www.cancertodaymag.org

Owner: The American Association for Cancer Research, a 501c3 nonprofit and the world’s first and largest professional association related to cancer research.

Readership demographics: Cancer patients, survivors, and their family members and friends. “In every issue, Cancer Today offers information and inspiration as you face the challenges of diagnosis, treatment, survivorship or caregiving,” its website says.

Frequency of publication: The magazine is published quarterly. The website is updated with fresh content at least twice a week. “The print edition only comes out four times a year, so space and assignments are at a premium,” according to Executive Editor Kevin McLaughlin. “There is more opportunity on our website for writers who are new to us.”

What they look for in a pitch: Stories that Cancer Today’s readership would be interested in. “This can include science and research, but also family and financial matters, lifestyle choices for diet and exercise, and quality of life as a cancer patient undergoing treatment or a long-term cancer survivor. Pure science with no immediate application to patients or survivors is usually not accepted,” McLaughlin says.

Do editors accept pre-pitches? Yes.

Most common mistakes editors see with pitches: They expect writers to be familiar with the topic they’re pitching and demonstrate knowledge of science and medicine, particularly as it relates to cancer. “This is a journalistic enterprise, so we expect solid research and reporting and an engaging writing style,” McLaughlin says. “Lack of any of these characteristics is usually apparent.”

Lead time for pitching:  For the quarterly magazine, articles can appear months after they’re pitched (making evergreen pitches a good idea), McLaughlin says. The website is timelier, so a few weeks ahead of time works.

Best place for a freelancer to break into Cancer Today: “Getting on the website is a good first step. In the print edition, we usually assign new writers to diet and exercise stories,” McLaughlin says.