Contribution Guidelines

How to prepare and send story pitches and photos to Highland Outdoors.

"Big Splat" photographed by Amy Bush at Lower Big Sandy Creek, West Virginia

Highland Outdoors accepts pitches from experienced adventure and environmental writers. Our stories cover adventure sports, environmental issues, mountain culture, and profiles of members of the adventure community.

Our distribution area covers West Virginia, southwestern Pennsylvania, and Western Maryland, so story ideas should be based in these areas of Appalachia as well.

We want:

  • Freelance contributions for reported features of up to 1500 words as well as shorter pieces on outdoor advocacy, Appalachian community and culture, and profiles.
  • Stories that have a positive spin. While we are the first to acknowledge the environmental challenges of today, we want our readers to finish a story with hope rather than despair.
  • Unique angles. What makes your pitch stand out? Why would a reader want to keep reading? What’s special about this story?

We don’t want:

  •  A narrative of your adventure or experience….unless there’s a unique angle. Were you bitten by a snake while rock climbing? Were you the first woman to paddle a remote section of whitewater? Did you discover buried treasure in the deepest cave in Pocahontas County, West Virginia? If the answer is no, we’re probably going to take a pass. We’re glad you went there and that it was awesome, but save that for your travel journal.
  • Book reviews, poetry, listicles, and any topic that we’ve already covered in the last decade. Go to highland-outdoors.com and check, please. Don’t waste time we could all spend hiking.

All pitches should include:

  • A synopsis of the story you’d like to write. Please include planned sources, word count, and any other relevant information.
  • A brief explanation of why you are the best person to write this story.
  • A writing sample or link to a previous publication.
    Your contact information.

Photo Submissions

We also welcome strong standalone photo submissions that capture adventure, environment, and culture across Appalachia. You can submit photos here.

We cannot reply to all inquiries directly, but we thank you for reaching out to Highland Outdoors magazine.