Publication research for second pitch

Photo by Holly Webb

My idea for my photojournalism project is something I am passionate about and excited to pursue, however if I don’t pull it off then I need a second plan just in case. This post is therefore going to be some research into a particular publication that I could pitch my second idea to. To read my first pitch, click here.

Before writing my second pitch, researching a publication to pitch to will make the pitch both easier to write, and targeted for a particular publication. This means it will be relevant and the editor will be more likely to want to take on my idea if it looks like I know what I’m talking about and I’ve done my research.

My second idea is about indoor climbing and the benefits of it. In recent years, indoor climbing has grown massively in popularity. For example, next week the largest indoor climbing centre in the UK will be opening its doors in Sheffield – a city that already has three major indoor climbing gyms. In addition to this, climbing is going to debut as a sport in the 2020 Olympics. I want to explore why more people are starting climb and the benefits it has.

Because the story is about climbing, such a feature would be relevant and of interest in either a sporting or outdoors magazine. Although there are plenty of these, my feature will also most likely be based on Sheffield and the Peak District climbing in particular, which means the feature could also be of interest to local publications and/or tourism-based publications.

I thought about a lot of the magazines in the area that are centred around climbing or similar sports, and although they are about a similar topic, I wanted the feature to appeal to people who didn’t know much about climbing or who were learning about it’s impact – therefore I didn’t think a climbing magazine would be the best fit as a lot of the readers would already know a lot about climbing, and the subject wouldn’t be niche enough for the article to feature in a publication like that. That’s why I instead started to look at lifestyle magazines or magazines about the local area or lifestyle and tourism.

I have looked at a few different possible publications, and this is my research on one in particular:

Hope Valley Journal

Website: www.hopevalleyjournal.co.uk

Instagram: @hopevalleyjournal

Hope Valley Journal is a brand new magazine that has just achieved its kickstarter goal to launch its first two issues. It’s a quarterly magazine about all things to do with the Hope Valley in the Peak District, whether this be the landscape, the plants or the people.

It’s target audience is mainly the people who live in the Hope Valley area and the outskirts of Sheffield. It is a high-quality and aesthetically pleasing guide that combines poems, photographs and artwork inspired by the Peak District. It isn’t your average ad-filled local mag however, the publication similar to a coffee-table book, with over 100 pages of words, illustration and photography from talented contributors.

Although it is very artistic and has an expensive and classy design, it looks into real-life issues too, as well as covering stories of interest in the local area and about the local people.

The first issue of the Journal will be the Spring 2019 edition, with an April publication date. The magazine will then be published quarterly, tying in with the seasons.

I have read through many of their sample articles online, and the voice of the mag seems to be relatively neutral, appealing to people of all ages. One thing I do notice however is the artistic design of the publication, featuring lots of high-quality images with lots of double-page spreads and following a common theme of a moody, independent-looking theme as you can see below.