Help Out The Appalachian Voice!

From freelance writers to interns to volunteer distributors, The Appalachian Voice is the result of a massive group effort. Below are some ways you can get involved with the publication!

Contribute to The Appalachian Voice 

Who are we and what do we want?

The Appalachian Voice has covered environmental, outdoor and cultural news in Central and Southern Appalachia since 1996. We welcome your ideas and submissions. Please send pitches to [email protected]. We publish on a range of issues in our focus areas, including stories for three recurring columns: Hiking the Highlands, This Green House and Naturalist’s Notebook. Here are some examples of the types of stories we publish:

• The Feral Ponies of Grayson Highlands
• Coalition Stopped Mining on the Edge of the Mon National Forest — for Now
• On the Front Lines of Appalachia’s Surge in Black Lung Disease
• Clogging Extraordinaire: Arthur Grimes Keeps on Dancing
• River Cleanup of Helene Debris Continues
• Feeling Powerless on Their Own Property 
• Citizen Air Monitoring Network Grows Stronger in West Virginia’s ‘Chemical Valley’
• Rural Virginia Community Defeats Massive Gas Plant and Data Center Proposal 
• Grazing In The Sun: Enterprising Farmers Pair Agriculture With Solar Power

What don’t we want? 

• AI-generated content (please ask us if you have questions about AI transcription or other tools)
• Poorly sourced or inaccurate information; falsified or plagiarized work
• Previously published work (without republishing permission) 
• Stories or topics we have recently covered (take a look at our archives)
• Stories or topics that don’t center or discuss people, organizations and issues in Central and Southern Appalachia and the Southeast  
• Poetry or works of fiction 
• Technical or academic papers
• Opinion pieces; let your sources speak for themselves

What about our style and process? 

• Overall: We write and cite sources in a journalistic fashion and expect our writers to provide sources for all information. Most stories are written in third person, though first person is welcome when your personal experience is relevant to the story.
• Reading level: We aim for an 8th-grade reading level, avoiding unnecessary jargon and explaining technical or scientific topics clearly. Our readers include community members, environmental advocates, experts and policymakers with a range of backgrounds, so we work hard to make complex topics accessible to everyone.
• Style guide: We follow AP Style, but we don’t expect all writers to be familiar with it, so we can make style edits as we go.
• Word count: Our stories typically range from 800 to 1,800 words, though this can vary depending on the topic and situation.
• Payment: We offer a flat payment based on an agreed-upon word count. This will vary based on the story’s scope and the writer’s background. 
• Editing process: We work collaboratively with writers in Google Docs and typically conduct at least three rounds of edits and revisions, often more. Editing is a normal and valuable part of our process. It’s not a reflection of your skill — it’s how we produce our best work together.
• Publishing frequency: We publish stories online year-round and in one yearly print edition, typically released in spring. Due to capacity constraints, we may not be able to respond to every inquiry, and we tend to schedule story topics well in advance of publishing deadlines. 

How to pitch The Appalachian Voice:

Send your story ideas to [email protected]! Please don’t send finished drafts unless requested. We prefer concise pitches that outline the idea, potential sources, why it matters now and why you might be the right person to tell it. Keep these tips in mind:

• Send samples of your work: If you’re a new contributor, please include links or PDFs to a few examples of published work or relevant writing samples.
• Explain why the story matters now: Is there a recent development, new research, growing community movement or policy decision that makes this story particularly timely, relevant or interesting for our readers?
• Keep it simple: Send us a couple of paragraphs or bullet points describing your topic, potential sources and how you might approach the story. We will likely ask follow-up questions, but that’s enough to get us started!
• Don’t be discouraged if we pass: We receive more pitches than we can publish. Editorial priorities, timing and capacity often influence our decisions. Feel free to send over story ideas anyways!

Republication Guidelines

We want the stories published by The Appalachian Voice to reach as many readers as possible. If you’d like to republish our articles, please contact us at [email protected] before doing so. If we approve your request, we ask that you:

• Preserve the original meaning and integrity of the story. Minor edits for style, formatting or length should be discussed with our team in advance.
• Include the writer’s byline and credit The Appalachian Voice as the original publisher.
• Link to the original story when republishing online, or include a reference to The Appalachian Voice in print publications.
• Retain all photo captions and credit information exactly as provided.
• Obtain permission before reproducing any photographs, illustrations or other visual assets, as rights may vary depending on the creator and licensing agreements.

Please note that republication approval is granted on a case-by-case basis, and not all content may be eligible for reuse.

Intern with us

Interested in using your writing, graphics or advertising skills to support environmental awareness in Appalachia? Each semester, we accept several student interns to help us put together the publication. Gain firsthand experience in journalistic writing and in nonprofit communications through an internship. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Visit our organization’s internship page to learn more!

Get Involved with Appalachian Voices

Appalachian Voices, the organization that publishes The Appalachian Voice, has many ways for interested individuals to help in our work to protect our land, air and water. Check out our various ways to get involved, from interning with our program teams to volunteering to becoming a member.