Electronic Dispatch is open to pitches from working writers, journalists, photographers, and music industry insiders with knowledge of the scenes we cover.
There is no fee for editorial pitches. This page is different from /submit/, which is for artists pitching their own work and has an application fee. If you are an artist or label promoting your own release, go there instead.
What we pay
We pay contributors. Rates depend on piece type:
- News briefs (300–600 words) — $[AMOUNT]
- Features (1500–4000 words) — $[AMOUNT]
- Reviews (600–1200 words) — $[AMOUNT]
- Photo essays — $[AMOUNT] base + $[AMOUNT] per published frame
- Mixes with editorial intro — $[AMOUNT]
Rates are negotiable for established writers and ambitious pieces. We pay on publication via [PAYMENT METHOD].
What we're looking for
Always:
- Scene reports from cities and circuits we don't have eyes on (we have West Coast coverage; we want more East Coast, Midwest, EU, LATAM, Japan)
- Profiles of underground artists who aren't yet getting their share of the press cycle
- Long-form features on labels, venues, residencies, or industry shifts
- Photo essays — phone-free room policies, warehouse circuit documentation, festival anti-coverage
- Reported pieces on the business of independent electronic music (royalty splits, distribution shifts, venue economics)
Sometimes:
- Album / EP reviews — especially of releases we're unlikely to cover ourselves (different region, different sub-genre)
- DJ mixes with strong editorial framing (not generic resident mixes)
- Q&A interviews if there's a real news hook
Almost never:
- Recycled press-release news (we cover this ourselves and it's fast)
- Trend pieces without specific reporting
- Hot-take essays on the state of dance music
How to pitch
Email pitches@electronicdispatch.com with:
- Subject line —
Pitch: [working headline] - The pitch in 2–4 paragraphs — what the story is, who you've talked to or plan to talk to, why it matters now
- Why you — credentials, links to 2–3 of your published clips
- Timeline and word count — your estimate
- Anything we should know — conflicts of interest, exclusivity agreements, embargoes
If you've never written for us before, include one previous clip. If you've never been published before, include the strongest piece of writing you have — published or not.
Response time
We try to respond to every pitch within 2 weeks. If you haven't heard back in 3 weeks, follow up — pitches occasionally fall through the cracks. We are not silently ghosting you; ping us.
We respond to about 2% of pitches with a "yes, let's do it" or a "no, but here's why." The rest get a generic decline.
Working with us
If we accept your pitch:
- You retain copyright. We get a non-exclusive license to publish on Electronic Dispatch and in our newsletter, in perpetuity.
- We edit. Edits are collaborative — you'll see the substantive changes before publication.
- We disclose your relevant conflicts in the byline if any apply.
- We pay on publication.
If we don't accept a pitch, you're free to pitch it elsewhere.
What we don't accept
- AI-generated or AI-rewritten copy. We will reject and refuse future pitches from anyone who submits AI-generated work as their own.
- Plagiarism, even paraphrased. Career-ending if discovered. (See our Editorial Policy §8.)
- Conflicts of interest we'd have to hide. If you're too close to the subject to disclose around it, pitch us a different story.
- Hatchet jobs or paid-for-by-rival pieces. We assume everyone has motives; we don't accept work where the financial motive is one we can't disclose.
Questions about pitching: pitches@electronicdispatch.com.