We accept freelance pitches for buying guides, maintenance/DIY, EV and green-tech, and finance/insurance explainers from writers with relevant subject knowledge. Send a two- or three-line pitch plus one relevant clip to our editorial contributor address — no full drafts on spec, and no unpaid contributions.
What we're looking for
We publish practical, plain-English automotive content aimed at someone about to make a decision — buy, finance, maintain, or upgrade a vehicle. The strongest pitches come from writers who know a specific area well: EV ownership, dealership finance, DIY maintenance, insurance, or a specific regional market (US, UK, or India).
How to pitch
- Read a few recent articles in the section you're pitching to get a feel for depth and tone
- Send a short pitch (2-3 lines is enough) stating the angle, why it's timely or useful, and your relevant expertise
- Include one relevant clip or writing sample — doesn't need to be automotive if the expertise transfers (e.g. a personal-finance writer pitching a car-loan explainer)
- Wait for a reply before drafting — we don't pay for unsolicited full drafts
What we pay and own
| Item | Standard terms |
|---|---|
| Payment | Flat per-article rate, agreed before you start writing, paid on publication |
| Rights | First publication rights plus a standard licence to edit and update the piece |
| Byline | Named byline with a short bio and, where relevant, disclosed expertise or affiliations |
| Kill fee | Partial fee if a commissioned piece is killed for reasons unrelated to quality |
Editorial standards you'll be held to
Every accepted piece goes through the same process as staff-written content: sourced claims, a second-editor fact-check, and disclosure of any conflict of interest (for example, a financial relationship with a brand you're writing about). See our Author Guidelines and Fact-Checking Policy for the specifics.
Pitches that are thinly disguised brand promotion, that duplicate a topic we've recently covered without a new angle, or that can't back specific claims with a source, typically don't move forward.
Topics we're not commissioning right now
We periodically pause commissioning in sections that are fully staffed or recently refreshed. If a topic area isn't accepting pitches, we'll say so in our reply rather than leaving you waiting.