Right, so you want to write for us. Brilliant. We need people who can actually write, and there aren’t as many of those around as you’d think. Let’s go over all the essential contributor guidelines.
Here’s how this works.
What We Want
Stories that don’t put people to sleep. That’s basically it. If your nan would find it interesting, you’re probably onto something. If only you and three other people in your field care about it, maybe not.
We’re not fussy about topics. Business, sports, tech, celebrities, travel, London stuff and whatever. But it needs to be something people actually want to read. Not something they feel like they should read. Big difference.
Write like a human being. Seriously. If you’re writing sentences you’d never say out loud, stop it. Nobody talks like a press release. Don’t write like one either.
The AI Thing
Let’s sort this out now. Don’t use ChatGPT. Don’t use any of those writing tools. Don’t get a computer to write your article and then change a few words. We’ll know. It’s obvious. The rhythm’s wrong, the word choices are weird, and it all sounds like it came from the same place.
We want your writing. Your ideas. Your way of putting sentences together. If you can’t do that without a computer’s help, this isn’t going to work out.
This isn’t us being difficult. We’re called The London Wire because we want real journalism from real people. Not algorithm soup.
Basic Stuff You Need to Know
How long? Usually 600 to 1200 words. It could be shorter if the story’s tight. It could be longer if it really needs it. But if you’re pushing past 1500 words, it better be worth it.
What kind of English? British. Always. We spell colour with a ‘u’. We go to the cinema, not the movies. We take the Tube. You know how this works.
What’s the style? Talk to people like they’re people. Don’t be patronising. Don’t be boring. Don’t use five words when two will do.
Pitching to Us
Don’t just write something and send it over. Pitch first. Makes life easier for everyone.
Tell us:
- What the story is. Two or three sentences. If you need more than that, you haven’t figured it out properly yet.
- Why should anyone care? What’s new about it? What’s the angle? Why today and not next month?
- Why you the one to write it? Do you know stuff other people don’t? Have you got access to someone or somewhere? What’s your edge?
- How you’d tackle it. Quick outline. Nothing fancy.
Send that to the email on our contact page. We’ll read it within a week and tell you yes or no. If it’s a no, we’ll tell you why. If it’s a yes, we’ll sort out the details.
Actually Writing the Thing
Be specific about everything. “Many people” isn’t specific. “Three restaurant owners in Shoreditch” is specific. See the difference? Always go for the second one.
Details matter. What did the place look like? What did people say, exactly? What was the atmosphere like? Don’t just tell us something was good or bad. Show us why.
Talk to real people and quote them properly. Not PR people reading off a script. Actual humans with actual opinions. And when you quote them, quote what they actually said. Don’t tidy it up to sound professional. Real speech doesn’t sound professional.
Check everything twice. Names, dates, figures, facts. All of it. We’ll check too, but that’s backup, not an excuse for you to be sloppy.
Headlines. We’ll probably rewrite yours anyway, but don’t give us something stupid. No “You Won’t Believe” rubbish. No “This One Trick” nonsense. Just tell us what the story’s about.
What Happens After You Send It
We edit. Sometimes a lot, sometimes a bit. We’re not trying to rewrite everything in our voice. We’re trying to make it better. Tighter. Clearer. More readable.
If you think we’ve messed something up or missed your point, tell us. We can talk about it. But “I just liked it better my way” isn’t really an argument.
Money and Rights
We pay. How much depends on the piece, what work it needs, and what you’ve written before. We’ll agree on the rate before you start.
When we publish it, we get first rights for three months. After that, you can do what you want with it. But we need those three months where it’s only on our site.
How to Get Started
Got a story idea? Send it over. Include a couple of things you’ve written before so we can see if you’re any good.
We’re trying to build something different here. Something that doesn’t feel like every other news site. If that sounds like something you want to be part of, get in touch.
But seriously, no AI writing. We’re not joking about that.