Submission Guidelines

Rather than breaking news, Soundings Journal we publish original poetry and fiction, tasty photography, and reports on issues and history concerning and involving the people of the People, Places, & Things of Northern California. 

Are you interested in contributing to Soundings Journal? If you would like to join our talented group of writers, photographers, and videographers in telling stories of the region we cover, please pitch us your ideas or completed stories/photography/videos. We will respond to every qualified inquiry as soon as possible. 

Writing 

We consider pitches by professional or independent writers about the people in our area of coverage and issues facing the region. Before you contact us, please look over our past issues to make sure we are a good fit for your work. 

Feature stories can run from 800 to 1,500 words – longer if justified. All content in Soundings is produced by volunteers who donate their talents in support of Soundings Journal’s mission. Pitches should include the word “pitch” in the subject line and we do not accept pitches by phone. They must be short, telling us about your story idea, why your work will benefit our readers, and why you are the best person to write it. Remember that we are not a breaking news publication; our stories have a long term of validity. We want stories that discover interesting people and explore issues that affect the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and surroundings. We want information that our readers will not find anywhere else. Send your pitches to Editor Rich Turner at rich@soundingsmag.net.

Photography

We need talented and experienced photographers in our area of coverage to illustrate our stories. We will occasionally run photo essays if they fit within our guidelines and we are open to working with new photographers depending on the quality of their portfolios. Send an email with a link or examples of your work to Editor Rich Turner at rich@soundingsmag.net.