Want to write for Alphr? Here are a few guidelines

We’re always on the lookout for freelance writers, particularly people with an interesting and unique take on technology, science and culture.

Before you fire off a pitch, it would probably help if you knew something about Alphr, the kind of articles we publish and the kind of voices we champion. The best way to do this is to read the site, but we’ve covered a few important points below.

Who are we looking for?

We’re looking for three kinds of writers: experienced journalists with bylines under their belt; newer writers with less experience but great ideas; and people who might not be journalists but bring a deep level of specific expertise – that could be in anything from security to quantum physics to game design.

When it comes to feature-length articles, we want writers who know how to research a subject, convincingly structure an argument, source original commentary and tie it together in style. Ideally a feature should have two or three alternative voices. We also commission opinion pieces, but they need a strong angle and a definite justification for being based solely on your own thoughts. In general, we expect your writing to be structured around quotations.

What topics does Alphr cover?

We cover a bunch of different subjects, so there’s a lot of scope to write about. In general, we want pieces that have a connection to technology, but this could cover politics, games, science, cars, art, robotics, architecture, virtual reality, sex, sport, etc. One important consideration would be: why should this feature be written now? How does it hook onto something currently in the news, or elsewhere in the public consciousness?

Whether you’re writing about drone deliveries, bioelectronic medicine or avant-garde art, there should be a strong human angle to the story. Technology is all well and good, but we want to know what it means for us. If you’re able to at some point anchor a piece to a particular person’s experience, even better.  

The best way to get a feel for our area is to read some of our past features:

• How a former Soviet state became one of the world’s most advanced digital nations
• Are algorithms making us W.E.I.R.D.?
• The inventor of the Facebook Like: “There’s always going to be unintended consequences”
• Virtual reality will change the way you think about violence
• Could apps and implants replace pills and prescriptions?
• The challenges facing drone delivery
• How one European smart city is giving power back to its citizens
• Will humans work in 2050?
• How games turn us into armchair philosophers
• Will wearable tech create a two-tier healthcare system?
• Does a VR Auschwitz simulation cross an ethical line?
• Technology: The cause of and solution to democracy’s problems
• Meet the writers pushing literature into the smartphone age
• The Teletext Salvagers: How VHS is bringing teletext back from the dead
• Immersive journalism: The future of reporting or an ethical minefield?
• The 7,000-tonne titan that’s hunting for dark matter

Business ideas are also welcome, particularly ones covering new and innovative startups and ideas. If there’s a UK angle, even better.

How do I pitch?

If reviewing is your thing, drop Jonathan Bray a line, but you need to be seriously experienced for this. If you don’t have a track record of reviews, please don’t email. For more general editorial enquiries, contact Alphr’s editorial director, Victoria Woollaston.