Fees: Freelance rates at this product review and buying advice website owned by The New York Times depend on the work required. Articles range in length from 500 to 5,000 words. The rate is $500 for an article that requires the lightest amount of work and goes up from there. For example, a new product review would pay between $1,500 to $2,000.
Submit to: Tracy Vence, a supervising editor, at tracy.vence@wirecutter.com. Vence is in charge of health, fitness, personal care and sexual health coverage.
Website: nytimes.com/wirecutter
Owner: The New York Times Company
Readership demographics: A general audience of U.S. consumers and shoppers looking for a particular item.
Frequency of publication: The Wirecutter webpage is updated daily.
What Vence looks for in a pitch: Wirecutter reviews products and sometimes services, such as online therapy. Product reviews focus on everything from “shopping for a thing, to maintaining it, to tips and tricks for living with stuff,” said Vence. “We have a really specific focus on service journalism and practical advice.”
Vence is particularly interested in pitches for covering new-to-Wirecutter product categories and “any kind of health and fitness story ideas that have a particular emphasis on accessibility,” she said. By accessibility, she means adaptive fitness equipment and adaptive everyday health care equipment. “We want to make sure that when we’re naming the best blood pressure monitor that we’re naming a product that’s going to work for a wide variety of people with different physical abilities,” said Vence.
The pitch should also explain why the writer is the right person to tell the story, either, for example, because the product is something they themselves use or they are a caregiver for someone who uses it. If they don’t have personal experience with the product, they should indicate how they will involve communities of people who do.
The New York Times is a great place for freelancers, “because you’re backed by a team of fact checkers, multiple layers of editing and professional photographers who are also journalists,“ said Vence. “Your piece will be handled with care, but it is a big commitment, time-wise.”
Does she accept pre-pitches?: Yes, but make sure Wirecutter or Well, the health and wellness section of the Times, has not already covered the story.
Common mistakes Vence sees in pitches: Common mistakes are pitching something Wirecutter or Well has covered and pitching a product where the writer has a conflict of interest, such as a brand partnership.
Lead time for pitches: Vence responds to all pitches. Once assigned, a short-form article, for instance about a product recall, may take a week to turn around. A product review can take one to three months before it is published.
Best way to start writing for Wirecutter: The onboarding process at the Times is lengthy, so don’t pitch a newsy short article if you have never written for the publication. Start with a product review.