Pitch Guidelines
Thank you for your interest in Theatre Bay Area magazine, founded in 1976 and published monthly except July.Theatre Bay Area is the source for what’s new and exciting in the third-largest theatre center in the country. You’ll find a bit of everything from features on the hottest world premieres and other shows to new talent to keep an eye on, from interviews with local stars to a behind-the-scenes look at special effects, plus other news for and about our 360-plus theatre company and 3,000-plus individual members. Theatre Bay Area is a must-read for theatre professionals, hobbyists and aficionados alike.
Our Editorial Calendar:
August 2009: Biennial Guide to Theatre Training.
September 2009: Various features.
October 2009: Season Preview. Free season listings for Theatre Bay Area company members. Listings due August 10.
November 2009: Various features.
December 2009: Academic Training.
January 2010: Various features.
February 2010: Spring Theatre Preview.
March 2010: Various features.
April 2010: Youth Issue. Listings of youth classes and summer camps.
May 2010: Various features.
June/July 2010: Double issue, publication of Glickman Award-winning play. Shakespeare and other summer festivals guide (listings due mid-April).
August 2010: Various features.
September 2010: Fall Theatre Preview.
If you are interested in submitting listings for shows, auditions and so on, click here .
The magazine contains the following departments:
Letterbox
Theatre Bay Area welcomes comments from readers and is happy to publish them. Letters may be edited for clarity and space. Email tba@theatrebayarea.org.
Deadline: The first business day of the month prior to publication.
Community News ("Up Front" as of October 2009)
Written by the magazine staff, Up Front is short news items about local companies and artists. Almost any news is Up Front, as long as it’s topical and timely. We always welcome photos.
Deadline: Six weeks before publication.
Email items and press releases to: tba@theatrebayarea.org.
Editors’ Picks
Each month we select up to 6 shows opening that month for Editors’ Picks, which are 200-word (roughly) previews that run with our production listings. Editors’ Picks must include a photo. We welcome all pitches, but almost all Editors’ Picks are written by magazine staff.
Deadline for pitches: Six weeks before publication.
Deadline for photos: Four weeks before publication.
Email pitches to: tba@theatrebayarea.org.
Encore
Published each month on the last page of the magazine, Encore is a 800-word interview with any professional theatre worker who’s connected with a show closing that month or with a special issue’s topic. Encore features well-known individuals. We welcome Encore suggestions, but the interviews are almost always conducted by magazine staff.
Deadline: Two months before publication.
Email suggestions to: tba@theatrebayarea.org.
What Kind of Features Do We Publish?
Each issue contains about three to five features that either have a strong local theatre angle or contain pertinent information for our field. A look at our archives (not complete) reveals everything from audition tips to interviews with locals to previews on new shows and articles on legislation and other government issues that affect theatre and the arts. We cover companies large and small, from community theatre to small experimental theatre. We cover new and veteran artists, from actors to directors and playwrights to technicians and designers to arts administrators. We are looking for the latest, hottest trends, insightful reporting and new angles on “old” stories.
Features run 800 to 1,200 words with a pay rate of $200-250.
Features are assigned at least two months prior to publication.
Who Should Pitch a Feature and How?
We welcome feature pitches from publicists, artists and companies—just about anyone in the field. Any pitches we accept from the field will be assigned to a freelance writer or to the magazine staff. We do not pay for those ideas.
We also welcome pitches from qualified freelance writers with published clips and who are well-versed in Bay Area theatre. We especially welcome writers with a strong knowledge of technical theatre and design.
Successful pitches are compelling, focused and timely, and are developed especially for Theatre Bay Area magazine. Please do not send pitches that are unfocused and general (“How about a piece on box offices?” “How about a story on our company’s 14th anniversary?”) or are a laundry list of topics. Please do not send completed features for publication consideration. We highly suggest reading our magazine to be sure you aren’t pitching something we’ve already covered. In fact, your pitch should reflect that you are extremely familiar with the magazine.
Send pitches to editor-in-chief Karen McKevitt. Email: karen@theatrebayarea.org.
