Beer West Pitch Guidelines for Writers

Want to write for Beer West? First, peruse our site (beerwestmag.com) or pick up a magazine and read a few articles, and then review our story pitch guidelines below.

We are consistently seeking feature and department articles for the print magazine, and prefer that you email concise pitches rather than finished articles.

Pitches should be two-to-three paragraphs, written in the style in which you plan to write the article. They should state for which department or feature you’re pitching and should include the theme of your proposed article, as well as the references you plan to contact for interviews. We appreciate pitches that come with ideas for sidebars, too.

Our content includes first- and third-person narrative, interviews, profiles, and stories about trends that relate not only to beer, but also to travel, lifestyle, and food. We rarely write about just one brewery, brewer, beer, or event. Instead, the articles focus on cities/destinations, and larger movements and ideas that cultivate and shape the craft beer scene in Oregon, Washington, and California (and occasionally Rocky Mountain states, and Alaska, and Hawaii). We expect articles to include relative facts and quotes from reputable sources. And finally, but not least important, it’s imperative that the writer have a distinct tone—be it edgy, humorous, cynical, inquisitive, etc.

Beer West content is forward-thinking and focused—if we cover events, we rarely, if ever, cover events that have happened in the past and instead report on events happening in the following season.

Department articles are 1300 words plus relevant sidebars. The following departments regularly appear in Beer West’s quarterly issues:

Adventure – travel stories, outdoor activities, craft beer-themed excursions

101 – how to’s, expelling myths, informational articles, breaking down beer styles

Chef – profiles of chefs or food movements on the West Coast with featured recipes

Flavor – explorations of particular styles of beer and other beverages, and their ingredients

Neighborhoods – profiles West Coast cities and towns with noteworthy beer scenes, especially up and coming beer towns/cities

Detour – profiles of regions of non-West Coast cities and towns with noteworthy beer scenes, can be national or international

Pairings – pieces about the lifestyle of beverages and what it goes well with; This section is very much a grab bag- we’ve done beer + food, saké + food pairings, beer + running, beer + board sports, and beer + music, among others.

Features are generally 3,000 words including sidebars. They should be about larger trends and movements within the West Coast beer communities.

Beer West editorial calendar and pitch schedule:

Spring Issue (Travel)

-On newsstands: March – May

-Article deadline: approx. Dec

-Best pitch dates: Oct-Nov

Summer Issue (Green)

-On newsstands: June – August

-Article deadline: approx. March

-Best pitch dates: Jan-Feb

Fall Issue (Food)

-On newsstands: September – November

-Article deadline: approx. June

-Best pitch dates: April-May

Winter Issue (Best Of West Coast, Gift Guide)

-On newsstands: December – February

-Article deadline: approx. September

-Best pitch dates: July-Aug

To pitch: please send two writing samples with your pitch in the body of the email to megan@beerwestmag.com. Please allow at least two weeks for a response.