We accept unsolicited pitches from confirmed journalists, i.e. writers with a journalism education and/or published material in professional print or online publications. Aspiring or inexperienced journalists may apply for a two- to three-month internship as a gateway to a regular freelance collaboration.
What to pitch
We’re looking for Berlin-related stories with unique, strong angles and on-the-ground reporting. We’ve been around for 16 years, so please do some online recon to find out if we’ve already published a similar story before contacting us. The print issue tends to be organised around one main topic, which we usually discuss with staff and freelancers during a monthly editorial meeting, held at our office (Max-Beer-Str. 48). Don’t hesitate to enquire about upcoming themes and editorial meetings’ dates
Always welcome: meticulously researched investigative pieces on hot-button or ongoing topics; profiles or interviews featuring interesting, colourful protagonists; deep-dives into underlooked Berlin subcultures or cultural phenomena.
Only occasionally: first-person experiential pieces or essays.
For the love of god, no: “I just moved to Berlin and have some witty observations about public nudity and traffic lights!”
Target audience
Our readers are Berlin residents (1/4 of whom are Germans), not tourists. You should assume they’re better informed about the city/Germany than your average NYT/Guardian reader.
How to pitch
Send a concise paragraph to [email protected] outlining the basics of your story (including a proper angle) and identifying potential sources. If you haven’t worked with us before, please include links to or samples of your previous work.
Remuneration
Once your pitch is accepted, you will be contacted with a fee and a word count. Invoices will be paid out by the end of the month of the issue in which your piece features.
Filing in
You’ll be expected to file a first draft by the agreed deadline. Extensions are possible as long as agreed on with the relevant editor. Stories might be shortened or altered in order to suit Exberliner’s formats and standards. A second or third draft might be required. Exberliner retains the right to terminate the aforementioned contractual agreement (‘kill’ a story) in the following cases:
the deadline is not met
the story doesn’t fulfil the pre-agreed assignment, and the writer fails to redraft or rework to meet standards.
Invoicing
Address your invoice to Iomauna Media GmbH, Max-Beer-Str. 48 10119 Berlin, with your full address, an invoice date, a Steuernummer, an invoice number and your IBAN. A template is available on demand.
Photos/illustrations
Once given the go-ahead, writers are expected to facilitate potential photo shoots (by providing contact information for photo subject(s), for example) or suggest relevant visual material as pre-agreed with relevant editor.
Re-publication
Exberliner will retain the rights to your story once published. After publication, you may link to or republish the article on your personal website or blog as long as Exberliner is correctly attributed.
