How to pitch Laptop Mag

How to pitch your ideas to Laptop Mag
(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

At Laptop Mag, we strive to provide comprehensive and impartial coverage of laptops, tablets, video games, and more to help inform our reader's buying decision. Our team is passionate about tech and knowledgeable about the ins and outs of gadgets. But we're a small crew paddling a ship full of ambition and can use your expertise to move our site forward. 

We are always looking for talented writers who are passionate about technology to join our team. Our freelancers are the backbone of our site and enjoy wide-ranging opportunities, including covering news, writing op-eds, conducting interviews with executives and attending events. Our freelancers even have the opportunity to review gadgets from the most popular brands and are critical to our coverage of the biggest moments in tech, from Apple's WWDC to CES.

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

We give our writers the flexibility to cover what interests them most and a platform where their unique voices will be heard throughout the tech community. Those who have written for us on a freelance, part-time or internship basis are paid and have the opportunity to write for other Future brands, including TechRadar, Tom's Guide and Tom's Hardware.

Laptop Mag welcomes any and all, no matter your background or education. We encourage diversity and strive to amplify the voices of minorities, those in the LGBTQIA community and people with disabilities. 

Whether you're a student, a longtime tech writer, or are just passionate about tech and think you have the necessary writing chops, reach out to us with your ideas. Before you do so, we encourage you to read the below advice about what makes a good pitch. Following these suggestions will give your writing the best chance to shine on our site.

Pitching ideas to Laptop Mag: What we look for

Is the content relevant to Laptop Mag?

Guess what? We write about laptops! But we also cover a wide range of products, from monitors to keyboards and even video games. It's always a good idea to look around our site to see what sort of topics are trending. From there, think about a new angle or a perspective that could add value to our coverage. Whether it's a hot take on a new product or an in-depth explainer on a complex feature, we want to hear it.

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

Flaunt your knowledge

We want to know how well-versed you are in the topic you're pitching. Don't be afraid to dig into the nitty-gritty -- the more detail, the better we can evaluate your understanding of a concept or product. We won't expect you to solve the biggest problems in tech, but a thorough understanding of a subject is required at Laptop Mag, where we pride ourselves on being experts in our respective beats

Consider fresh angles or insightful commentary

Along with covering the hard facts, the Laptop Mag team uses its extensive knowledge about tech to give our readers a new perspective on things. When you send us a pitch, consider tackling unique angles, or providing new information through independent reporting. 

Send us your work!

We want to read what you've written. If you have a personal website with writing clips, send us the URL! If you're already published on a tech site, or any other news site, be sure to include the link in your introductory email. Don't worry if you're not yet published, just be sure to include samples of writing you've done in the past. 

Tell us about yourself

Don't be shy. We want to know what you're about. Why are you interested in consumer tech? What are your favorite gadgets? Give us some background on your previous writing experiences. We want to know your interests and areas of expertise. 

Independent editorial

We aren't looking for communications managers or public relations pitches. Rather, our readers desire independent writers who can speak critically and objectively about topics. While anyone with a vested interest in a company or product will be turned away, this doesn't mean you can't be fans of certain gadgets.

Decide what kind of article you’d like to write

Although product reviews are our bread and butter, we cover a myriad of article types including news, face-offs, how-tos, op-eds, features, best pages and rumor hubs. Each article type has an estimated word count.

  • Reviews - 1,500 to 2,500 words 
  • News - 300 to 750 words 
  • How-tos - varies depending upon the steps involved 
  • Features - 750 to 3,000 words 
  • Face-offs - 1,000 to 2,500 words 
  • Rumor hubs - 750 to 2,000 words 
  • Hands-on - 750 to 1,500 words 
  • Best pages - 800 to 3,000 words 
  • Op-Eds - 750 to 1,500 words

The Edit Process

If your pitch is accepted, you’ll meet with the assigning editor to discuss article direction, deadline and price. Once the piece is submitted via Google Doc, it will go through our edit process which consists of two separate edits by two editors. During each round, there may be queries in addition to edits, which should be answered thoroughly and promptly to get your article published. 

Payment

Upon publishing your article on Laptop Mag and submitting an invoice for completed work, Future PLC typically pays contributors in 30 days.

(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

Where to send your pitch

Please send your pitches to: laptopmagpitches@futurenet.com where it will be read by these folks.

Sherri Smith
Editor-in-Chief

A kidult with a passion for tech, Sherri has been on staff at Laptop Mag for over 10 years, starting as a staff writer and working her way up to editor in chief. Her beats including gaming (laptops, consoles, software), audio (headphones, earbuds) and AR,VR and MR. 

Phillip Tracy
Editor

A long-time reader of the site, Phillip Tracy is now an editor at Laptop Mag. His passion for gadgets extends beyond laptops to phones, headphones and gaming.

What we’re looking for right now

Not sure what to pitch, but want to write for Laptop Mag? Here are some areas we’re looking to get into. 

Reviews
Routers
Productivity Mice
Gaming Mice
Computer speakers
Video editing software
Photo editing software
Music production software
Headphones
Cloud storage services
Games (PC or Console)
Standing desks
Antivirus software
Kid tablets
AR,VR,MR software

How-tos
Windows 10
MacOS
ChromeOS

Phillip Tracy

Phillip Tracy is the assistant managing editor at Laptop Mag where he reviews laptops, phones and other gadgets while covering the latest industry news. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Phillip became a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News covering 5G and IoT. When he's not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, traveling or watching soccer.