Pitches wanted (Bay Area stories, characters, history, etc.) | $250 to $400+ per article
Added 2025-10-16 21:45:39 +0000 UTCCOMPANY/PUBLICATION: SFGATE
Dan Gentile, Senior Culture Editor at SFGate, is looking for pitches:
Here's a pitch call for the freelance writers out there. I’m looking for Bay Area stories on venues, characters, trends and historical stories, TV/movies/music with SF ties. $250–$400+. Email me with an angle, not just a topic, and include a headline. Here’s examples:
One of my favorite stories this year was a historical on the 20th anniversary of the Sony Bravia bouncy ball ad that took over SF streets: https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/san-francisco-sony-bouncy-ball-ad-20204385.php
Last week I wrote about Fairyland, a touching new film set in SF: https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/new-san-francisco-movie-make-you-cry-21091271.php
One of our culture reporter’s best stories is about the history of SF's bizarre hairpin bus turn. These types of hyper-local stories are our bread and butter: https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/san-francisco-stomach-flipping-hairpin-turn-20152424.php
Last year our editor at large unpacked the legacy of Girls' frontman Christopher Owens. A generic band profile won't work for us, this is such a good story because it revisits an important era of SF music history with a new hook (and killer hed): https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/brilliant-troubled-san-francisco-star-comeback-19652111.php
This is an oldie, but writing about sex/dating is so hard, and this is a perfect example of how to do it well from freelancer Chinhua Lu: https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/trick-to-san-francisco-dating-17446896.php
And let's not forget one of my fave freelancers, who's about to release a collection of his best work — our dive bar columnist. Hit me with business profiles that have grabby angles and timely hooks: https://www.sfgate.com/sf-culture/article/san-francisco-dive-bar-docs-clock-neon-sign-20357971.php
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CONTACT INFORMATION (please do not share the email address publicly):
Questions/submissions: dan.gentile@sfgate.com
Website: https://www.sfgate.com/
TO HELP YOU CRAFT YOUR PITCH:
Learn more about the publication: SFGATE is a digital news platform covering San Francisco, the Bay Area, and broader California topics. It features news, culture, entertainment, lifestyle, and travel content tailored to regional audiences. The platform aims to inform and engage readers with timely updates and unique local perspectives. More information here.
Read through a selection of recent culture stories/articles here.
Check out our collection of pitch excerpts on this page and find more sample pitches at The Open Notebook Database and at SuccessfulPitches.com.
Do not forget to end your pitch with (1) a short introduction about yourself; (2) a paragraph highlighting your writing experience, relevant credentials and publication credits; and (3) links to your strongest work or portfolio, and online profile.
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