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Guidelines for freelance writers and those seeking to submit beer for review

FREELANCE WRITER GUIDELINES

Thank you for your interest in working with DRAFT Magazine and its editorial team. DRAFT prides itself on providing its audience with current, accurate and creative coverage of beer and other areas of life enjoyed by our readers, and we’re delighted you’re interested in contributing. Please follow our guidelines below when submitting editorial queries.

  1. DRAFT does not accept pre-written stories of any kind. Writers interested in contributing to DRAFT must submit a formal pitch/query, and all freelance work must be pitched to, accepted and assigned by a DRAFT editor.
  2. Formal pitches should be no more than a page, and should include your story idea, a basic outline of what you’d cover, sources you plan to include, and any additional pertinent information you think we may want to know when considering your pitch for an assignment.
  3. All queries should be accompanied by a link to or PDFs of two published writing samples. Unpublished samples will not be considered.
  4. DRAFT does not consider previously published works of any kind.
  5. Like most magazines, DRAFT’s editors work at least four months in advance. Please keep this in mind when pitching so that the story will be timely.
  6. DRAFT does not require writers to be BJCP certified.
  7. Direct pitches to: Jessica Daynor, Managing Editor, jessica.daynor@draftmag.com. Due to the heavy number of queries we receive, DRAFT regrets that its editors cannot respond to most pitches right away; if after submitting a pitch, you haven’t heard a response in three weeks, feel free to follow up.
WHAT TO PITCH

Though many pitches have merit, DRAFT can only assign and publish the most tightly focused, error-free queries that meet our needs and guidelines. Pitches need not be beer-centric (DRAFT is about the lifestyle of beer), but those that are should focus on beer/brewery news, trends and ideas, rather than the technical aspects of brewing. Aside from beer, we happily accept pitches on topics ranging from sports (both professional and leisure), travel, food—really, any subject our readers may have an interest in. Whatever the topic, it must appeal to DRAFT’s audience, and should cover a new idea or story, or provide a unique angle on a topic that’s already received media attention. The scope of your query should be national—even if you’re pitching a “Brewery Spotlight,” the subject should appeal to readers across the country, rather than existing patrons or local readers. Any story assigned must be researched and reported by you (as in, quotes should be taken from interviews you conduct yourself), so be sure to give us examples of the sources you’ll consult in your pitch.

WHAT NOT TO PITCH

DRAFT does not consider pitches on beer reviews; reviews are conducted by DRAFT’s expert tasting panels. Pitches on event coverage will also not be considered. With the exception of the “Beer Me” department, DRAFT almost never accepts first-person tales for publication.

PHOTOGRAPHY SUBMISSIONS

All photography in DRAFT is commissioned, with the exception of photos included in the “Backwash” department. To submit a photo of you or your friends enjoying a beer or a beer-related event for Backwash, please email a hi-resolution image to backwash@draftmag.com. All subjects depicted in a photo must be 21 years or older. Backwash images do not receive compensation.

BEER SUBMISSIONS AND REVIEWS

DRAFT publishes reviews of 36 beers in each issue. Reviews are conducted blindly by an panel of three experts, led by DRAFT’s beer director, Rick Sellers, and according to BJCP guidelines. DRAFT is not currently accepting applications for the review panel.

To submit beer for review, please email rick@draftmag.com for the review mailing address, or send beer directly to our offices at 4350 East Camelback Road, Suite A125, Phoenix, AZ 85018. To be considered for a review, DRAFT requires five bottles per brew. At this time, DRAFT cannot accept beer in growlers or on tap for review.

Due to space constraints and the volume of beer received, DRAFT regretfully cannot review each beer submitted.

THE REVIEW PROCESS

Each beer is sampled blindly by DRAFT’s beer director, Rick Sellers, and three qualified beer experts. (What’s “qualified”? Official beer judges, professional brewers and homebrewers, and beer journalists, all with years of experience nailing down the subtle attributes that comprise a complete beer experience.) Judges follow BJCP guidelines, and individually evaluate and score each brew. After each tasting, notes are distilled and scores averaged. Every sample is evaluated and scored based on the following criteria:

Aroma: The most important component in a beer’s overall flavor starts at the nose. (Compared to our nose, the tongue is fairly limited in its ability to distinguish a beers overall character.)
Appearance: Is the beer cloudy? What color is it? Does it have floaters? How big is the head and how quickly does it disappear? These all tell of a beer's overall quality and care in craftsmanship.
Taste: While the tongue is limited compared to the nose, we all know that things can smell great and taste like... well, you know. Taste is key in almost any beer experience and isn't be overlooked in DRAFT’s scores.
Mouthfeel: A lot more than the body of a beer, mouthfeel also incorporates a beer’s carbonation levels and alcohol warmth.
Intangibles: There seems to always be “something else,” doesn't there?

Using the guidelines set forth by the BJCP, the panel also considers each beer’s style, and scores the beer based on its representation of its style. Each sample is scored on a 100-point scale, which represent the following recommendations:

100: A truly historic beer that goes beyond taste, style, and expectations. A score of 100 must be voted on by an additional panel of experts.
95-99: Considered a DRAFT classic, these beers represent the top echelon of our tastings.
90-94: Exceptional recommendation.
85-89: High recommendation.
80-84: Good recommendation.
75-79: Moderate recommendation.
0-74: No recommendation.

Regarding DRAFT's scoring, beer director offers some words of wisdom: "Trust our scores? Absolutely, but always trust your palate first and foremost. That said, it is always good to recheck your assumptions. For years I didn't like—no, I couldn't stomach—sour beers, but today they're an absolute wonder to me, and something I seek out as often as I can. You don't like 'hoppy' beers today? That's fine, but try them again tomorrow, or maybe with a meal that will accentuate the spicy hop characters. We'll give you the best information we can, each issue, and we look forward to hearing back from you as you let us know how your tastes match (or don't match) our own."