How to Pitch Five Magazines Looking For Celebrity Interviews (Edition IV)
Welcome to the Friday Freebie Five, a new weekly feature on Dream of Travel Writing’s Six-Figure Travel Writer blog.
Each week, we comb our Travel Magazine Database to bring you five magazine sections open to freelancers around a theme–front-of-book trend pieces, long-form first-person features, short narrative postcards–to inspire your pitches.
Condé Nast Traveler
“The Globetrotter” is a celebrity profile written in a Q&A style. The piece runs from 750 to 1,000 words and focuses on the celebrity’s travels. There are about 15 questions which change with each issue but some are frequently seen including: “where you have just come back from?” “where in the world have you felt happiest?” and “name a place that lived up to the hype.” Actresses Chloë Sevigny and Rosamund Pike were recently profiled for this section.
Hemispheres
“Influences” profiles a celebrity by rounding up what their influences are. There’s a 100-word third-person introduction followed by a round up of six items which are described with quotes from the celebrity. This runs to about 200 to 300 words in total. Examples include Boy George who states a book, a destination, and a musician, and Martha Stewart, who includes chefs, architects, and a destination in her list of inspirations.
Endless Vacation
“Interview” is a 300-to-700-word interview of someone interesting relating to travel. The piece is written as a Q&A focusing on the person’s career and travels. Their favorite places, memories, and future plans are often covered. Recent interviewees include chef and presenter Rick Bayless, travel writer Patricia Schultz, and chef Giada de Laurentis.
High Life
“My London” takes the form of a celebrity profile written in a first-person as-told-to style. The piece is about 400 words long and covers the celebrity’s experiences, memories, and favorite places in London. People recently covered in this section include singer-songwriter Róisín Murphy, actor Jeremy Irvine, and cricket player David Lloyd
WIZZ
“The Interview” takes the form of a celebrity profile. In about 600 words, the piece is written in third person, with quotes from the celebrity throughout, and covers who they are and what they do. There is also a sidebar which rounds up three tips for the city the celebrity lives in. This often includes places to visit, restaurants to try, or day trips. Recent interviewees include musician George Ezra, actress Alexandra Borbély, and goalkeeper Vladimir Gablov.
You can find complete how-to pitching information for each magazine listed, including email addresses for all editors, in our Travel Magazine Database by clicking on the magazine’s name and logging in with your account.
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