Pitching Guidelines
CORRESPONDENCE is open to pitches on a rolling basis, as part of our regular series of film writing. Writers should expect to workshop their pieces with the editors over 6–8 weeks, with up to three rounds of revisions.
Here are the formats we currently accept:
1. Responses
Responses can range in style from reviews to close readings, reflections or personal essays, as long as they are focused on a recently released, restored or rediscovered film, as well as ongoing or upcoming retrospectives, programmes or moving image exhibitions.
Word Count: 800–1000 (individual film)
Word Count: 1000–1200 words (programme, retrospective, or exhibition)
2. Interviews & Profiles
Both interviews and profiles are structured as a clear narrative, focused on an individual artist, filmmaker, or worker in the film industry. In the initial pitch, you should demonstrate that you have access to the source or subject. If the subject of your piece has been interviewed or profiled before, please tell us how you will approach their craft and work from a different angle.
Writers are welcome to interview or profile production staff and crew besides directors, cinematographers, or editors. We’re especially interested in artists who have not been previously interviewed, and in spotlighting labour that remains underappreciated, including but not limited to: costume designers, art directors, sound mixers, lighting crew, distributors, film projectionists and theatre managers,.
Interviews can be conducted in person or remotely (over email or video conference), and edited for flow, coherence, and readability. In the first draft, writers are required to submit their full list of interview questions. Further rounds of revisions will commence after the interview is conducted.
Profiles are portraits of a given subject, focused on their body of work, their background, and the guiding philosophy behind their work. Writers are expected to offer a distinct interpretation of the subject’s work and point-of-view, supported by interview quotations, observation, and research.
Word Count: 1500–1800 words. (Interviews should feature a short 200–300 word introduction, included in the overall word count).
3. Essays
Given the length and scope of this format, essays should be grounded in either lived experience or close analysis, drawing on statistical, historical, literary, or theoretical frameworks. The most effective essays evidence some kind of research or documentation — this can take the form of your own lived experience, following an artist’s journey, tracing the historical trajectory of a film aesthetic or a cultural phenomenon, unpacking the data that supports your observation of an industry trend, or explaining the implications around a recent development. Please credit all sources and references.
We are open to different styles of essays, such as: commentaries; festival reports; deep dives into an artist’s filmography; thematic articles comparing and contextualising films. All essays should be framed around a clear line of argument.
Word Count: 2000–2500 words.
We welcome pitches by young writers or those who have not previously been published. Please note that we can only review one pitch from a writer at a time. We do not accept completed drafts, or proposals based on creative formats (e.g. flash fiction, poetry, photo essays, vignettes).
CORRESPONDENCE will prioritise pitches about artists, films, moving image works, or festivals that have a clear connection to Singapore and Southeast Asia.
Submit Your Pitch
In no more than 150 words, please outline your idea for the piece and clearly state if you are pitching a Response, Interview, Profile, or Essay.
We encourage you to consider and answer the following questions: Why write about this now? Why are you uniquely positioned to write about this subject?
At present, we are able to offer the following rates to our contributors:
Responses: $100
Interviews & Profiles: $125
Critical Essays: $150
Please submit your pitch to correspondencepostcentral@gmail.com.
As pitches are reviewed on a rolling basis, we might need some time to respond to you. Kindly send us an update if your pitch has been accepted by another publication in the meantime.