Pitching Guidelines
Pitching Guidelines For Low Season Traveller
The full pitching guidelines for Low Season Traveller, including issue themes, submission rules, and what we are looking for in a strong freelance idea.
Overview
Hello! Thanks for thinking of contributing to Low Season Traveller. At LST, we publish four issues a year: January, April, July, and October, each built around a central theme which changes each issue. We commission four to five freelance features for each issue and offer fees ranging from £150 to £230, depending on the scope of the piece and your previous contributions to the publication. We typically commission articles of 900-1,200 words. All pieces should be written in British English, in the first person and present tense.
When to pitch
Issue
January
Pitch deadline
Mid-October
Theme
Behind the (high season) closed doors
Details
- What opens up when the crowds disappear and the people usually too busy to talk finally have time to rest?
- For example: How do restaurateurs and other seasonal workers experience a destination when the crowds are gone? What are their secret places which become inviting during the low season?
- (People-led)
Issue
April
Pitch deadline
Mid-December
Theme
Main destinations, hidden spots
Details
- Lesser-known spots within main destinations.
- For example: Spain is great, and Madrid is easy to reach... but what about the equally compelling places just beyond the capital that most visitors overlook?
- (Season-led)
Issue
July
Pitch deadline
End of March
Theme
An experience, not a bucket list
Details
- What can nature and wildlife offer the traveller in the low season that most visitors do not get to experience?
- For example: Looking for the Big Five is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and so are Japan's cherry blossoms. But what can travellers experience outside those peak-season moments?
- (Place-led and nature/wildlife-led)
Issue
October
Pitch deadline
End of June
Theme
Not just passing through
Details
- Staying long enough for a place to start feeling different.
- For example: What does it mean for a traveller to perceive the shift during the time between seasons?
- (Time-led)
How to pitch
Keep your pitch to 200 words maximum. Please ensure that you pitch a story, not an experience. Lead with the idea, not the itinerary.
Example pitch
Wine tourism in Jordan? Surprisingly, yes. Despite its dry, dusty landscape and large Muslim population, Jordan has a rich history of winemaking, with some believing the wine at the Last Supper came from northern Jordan. The modern wine industry, however, is relatively young and, with only two wineries in the country, clearly not mainstream (yet). In 1953, Muthieb Haddad founded Jordan River Wines, the first ever Jordanian winery, in the Mafraq Plateau in northern Jordan, also known as the "basalt desert" for its volcanic soil. The Haddad family now grows vines across 120 hectares at 840 meters altitude, battling droughts and other climate-related challenges. With wine tourism booming globally Jordan listed as a must-see destination for 2025 in multiple lists, and the recent addition of Umm Al Jimal as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2024 , now is the time to learn the art of Jordanian winemaking and how to preserve it. I plan to visit the Haddad vineyard to talk with sommelier Mo and the team about the future of winemaking in a region battling extreme drought and a steady decline in tourism.
Press trips
We are happy to receive pitches based around a past or future press trip. However, please ensure that if you're pitching a story based on this trip elsewhere, the story you pitch to us should be distinct in both angle and content from anything you are pitching elsewhere. Press trips are welcome, just be upfront about it.
What every pitch should answer
1
Why does this story need to exist?
We're not interested in "the best time to visit" repackaged for the 100th time. What's the angle that genuinely hasn't been done, or hasn't been done honestly? Low season travel means resisting the obvious in timing and in angle and, of course, in destination. Your pitch should do the same.
2
Why now?
Not "it's always relevant" or "it's evergreen". Is there something shifting in this place, this culture, overall conversation? Does it land within our publishing window and issue theme? We commission around three months out, so plan accordingly.
3
Why you?
Have you been there during the low season specifically? Do you have access, relationships, or knowledge that a journalist parachuting in wouldn't? Are you an expert in this destination or topic? Ideally, we're looking for writers who understand a place, even if you have only been to the area a few times. Press trips are welcome, just be upfront about it.
One more thing
Take a look at what we publish before you pitch. We're not the right home for cruises, resort round-ups, or anywhere that sells itself on peak-season crowds.
Submitting your pitch
Drop us a quick line introducing yourself and include a link to your portfolio, alongside your proposed headline and standfirst, pitch (max 200 words), any relevant additional details, and whether the story stems from a PR trip to chiara.mapelli@lowseasontraveller.com.
Photos
Writers are not expected to provide photographs. If you do wish to include them, please provide the relevant credits and note that we do not pay for images submitted alongside articles.
What we value
We value distinctive voices, original reporting and genuine expertise. Pitches that feel generic, formulaic or overly reliant on AI-generated language, rather than rooted in personal experience and research, are unlikely to be commissioned.
Follow up
As much as we'd like to respond to every pitch, we're a very small team and this isn't always possible. If you strongly feel your story aligns with our themes, you're welcome to follow up once.
Questions
If you have questions about this page or how Low Season Traveller handles your data or site use, contact us at info@lowseasontraveller.com.