Writing for the Agenda

Guidelines and Submission Instructions

Thank you for your interest in writing for the Agenda, an online travel magazine from Tablet Hotels.

Tablet has a full-time writing staff but we do occasionally work with independent writers on a per-story basis. We don’t typically assign topics to freelancers; instead, we accept story pitches and decide to move forward based on the strength of the submitted idea and the experience of the writer. Our publishing schedule is intentionally infrequent, with an average of one new story per week, so our requirements are based on quality over quantity.

Here’s how it works:

1. Write to editors(at)tablethotels(dot)com and include your story pitches in the form of a title, subtitle, and a paragraph or two summarizing each of your ideas. These pitches should be considered final drafts and should reflect your abilities as a writer. Please also include samples of your previously published work.

2. If we like one of your story ideas, we’ll work with you to set a deadline for your first draft. Though there’s no required story length, the expectation is approximately 1000 words.

3. Upon receiving your first draft, we’ll either: (a.) agree to move forward and pay for the story, (b.) decline to proceed, or (c.) request additional drafts or revisions before making a final decision.

If we agree to proceed with publishing and payment, our standard compensation ranges from $400-$500 USD per story. You’ll be asked to invoice us for the final amount. We don’t cover expenses or provide hotel accommodations. If we decline to move forward, you’ll retain full rights to all that you’ve written.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

While the Agenda is predominantly focused on travel, we don’t believe that travel writing is a genre or style of its own, or that it’s limited to any specific type of subject matter. Travel is the movement of people from one place to another. Within that definition, nearly anything can be about travel. Our priority is to find skilled writers with non-traditional voices who can bring a fresh perspective to whatever they’re writing about — whether it’s extraordinary hotels and travel experiences, or politics, social issues, and current events.

A few things we’re mostly not interested in are city guides, trip diaries, or recommendations for dining and excursions within a specific destination. Your story should be exciting and relevant to a wide range of readers who may have no immediate plans for travel. If you would like to write about hotels in the Tablet selection, your story and POV should be singular and beyond our normal abilities.

Thank you for reading. If you have an exciting idea and would like to write for us, please let us know.