How to Pitch
Thrillist is a digital media publication at the intersection of travel, experience, and local culture. We are always looking for pitches from writers, photographers, videographers, and contributors of all backgrounds, and especially those whose voices have historically been under-represented in travel journalism. We publish travel guides, maps, and itineraries for destinations near and far as well as reports and features on people, places, and phenomena that allow us to explore and better understand the world around us.
Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist
What We’re Looking For
Story pitches should include a short summary of the piece, including a strong angle and brief reporting plan. Please also include newsworthy hooks, specific sources, or unique access you have. Whether it be a feature story, profile, Q&A, as-told-to, first-person reported essay, oral history or any other story type, we always want to know what the central tension of the piece is, and why it’s timely right now. We highly recommend looking through previous Thrillist stories to see if a certain topic or story angle has already been published on our site before submitting your pitch.
We favor viewpoints and narratives from locals and those deeply entwined in the destination and culture they are covering, and generally eschew parachute journalism and casual vacation reporting. For more information on Thrillist’s editorial coverage, visit our About Us page.
Please note that feedback on individual submissions cannot be provided due to the high volume of pitches. However, each submission will be reviewed carefully, and promising ideas that we would like to explore further will receive a response. All accepted stories go through a collaborative editorial process, and all are paid at competitive rates.
If you are pitching for any of the following cities (Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC) or a destination within five hours of one of those cities, send a detailed pitch to [email protected].
If you are pitching a travel feature or destination guide, send a detailed pitch to [email protected]. If you are pitching a story that falls under one of our ongoing travel columns (see below), please note that in the subject line of your email.
Destination Guides
For all destination or city guides, maps, or itineraries, we’re looking for off-the-beaten path experiences, unique hidden gems, and vibrant local haunts that make a place worth visiting. We assume our readers already know where to find the main attractions, so we’re interested in the under-rated, off-the-radar spots and activities that help travelers experience the spirit of the locale.
Reports
We love story pitches on zeitgeisty trends or under-covered happenings in the travel space that crystalize a hypothesis relevant to the tourism or hospitality industry, as well as those that provide a lens through which to examine larger social or endemic issues. We also publish first-person essays, roundtables, as-told-to’s, and oral histories to highlight places and adventures through a diversity of perspectives. We value narratives borne from lived experiences and aim to amplify the voices that are too often under-valued or under-represented in travel journalism.
Existing Columns and Series Open for Pitches:
Vacation Funds is a travel budget series that highlights the real financial cost of travel. In each installment, a writer breaks down all their purchases on a recent two- to seven-day tip. The tone here should be a solid mix of funny, irreverent, and personable, like a diary-style report that not only provides readers with an actionable itinerary, but also explores personal ways to approach travel while feeding our natural curiosities about how others spend their money. Have a weekend getaway coming up? Or perhaps you just got back from one and money’s on your mind? Let us know. Pitch to [email protected].
Note: These trips should be personally funded (no press junkets) and you should be prepared to document any spending relevant to the trip (before and during). Anonymity is possible.
All _ Everything
Each story in this identity-focused travel guide franchise provides a personally crafted guide to a city or neighborhood through the eyes of a specific community. Written in a serviceable yet personal tone by a local or frequent visitor who identifies as a member of said community, these guides highlight businesses, historic sites, restaurants and bars, and other things to do in the area that speaks to the area’s status as a cultural hub. (Think a first-person rundown of Chicago’s top Black-owned businesses plus can’t-miss Black history and cultural sites, or an inside look at Manchester, UK’s buzzy queer scene, broken down by places to go, see, eat, and drink plus a touch of LGBTQ+ history.) Pitch to [email protected].
Location Scout investigates the intersection of entertainment and travel, diving behind the scenes of your favorite movies and TV shows around the world to see how they inspire our offscreen adventures. These feature stories vary in terms of subject matter, but all have strong, cohesive, and original points of view—think cultural essays, trend pieces, or experiential narratives. (This franchise does not cover straightforward lists of shooting locations.) Pitch to [email protected].
With this hotel profile-based travel franchise, we explore the most memorable stays the world has to offer one truly standout accommodation at a time. From castles in Ireland, to tree houses in Hawaii, to entire private islands off the coast of Venice, you can plan for an extremely late checkout with these exceptional stays from all across the globe. Pitch to [email protected].
Note: In order to successfully pitch a Late Checkout, you must have recently experienced the featured property in-person. All forms and classes of rented accommodations are acceptable, as long as they elicit a strong, special, and particular story.
Reasons to Drive highlight the niche local events happening within five hours of one of our main cities and are worth jumping in the car and hitting the road for. We’re looking for small festivals and events (think: alternative cherry blossom destinations or the largest Dia de Los Muertos party in the US) that offer a one-of-a-kind experience for those who are willing to make the drive to experience it for themselves. Pitch to [email protected].
Two Days Away are weekend-long itineraries for small towns and cities within a five-hour drive of one of our main markets. Each pitch should have a unique and enticing reason to visit that place right now: the one thing you have to do there, if you do nothing else. Pitch to [email protected].
Video
Thrillist is now accepting pitches for video content from freelance filmmakers and video producers with experience in travel-related storytelling. Ideal pitches contain strong storylines, unique travel experiences, and an authoritative voice. We are looking for activities or adventures, travel profiles, or human-interest stories. All pitches should include visual reference points and should work across multiple video and social platforms. To submit: Please send your video pitch along with links to previous work to [email protected].
Photography
Thrillist is also accepting pitches for original photo essays from freelance photographers passionate about capturing unique experiences and travel narratives. These highly visual stories will spotlight photos that showcase a distinctive point of view and give readers a strong sense of place through the photographer's eyes. When pitching, please include a brief paragraph about the location, experience, activity, hidden gem, or identity-driven feature, along with a sampling of five images. To submit: Please send your original photo pitch along with links to previous work to [email protected].