Cleveland Magazine Guidelines for Writers
Cleveland Magazine is a city/regional magazine produced by Great Lakes Publishing and
devoted to helping readers get the most out of living in Northeast Ohio. Covering arts,
entertainment, politics, sports, health, dining, travel, beauty, personalities and the home,
the magazine, founded in 1972, has a circulation of 40,000 (newsstand and mailing
combined).
We are looking for writers who can contribute to the magazine’s mission of giving
readers the inside story on what’s happening in Greater Cleveland and who’s making it
happen.
Writers should have experience writing features for larger daily or weekly newspapers or
monthly magazines.
Send story queries, resume and 5-6 writing samples to the following address. Timesensitive queries should be submitted three to six months in advance. If you submit a
query via e-mail, please include pdfs of, or links to, your writing samples:
Cleveland Magazine Story Queries
1422 Euclid Ave.
Suite 730
Cleveland, OH 44115
gleydura@clevelandmagazine.com
Or, if you’re interested in writing for a specific department, you can contact that section’s
editor directly at the above address (see below).
We run many types of stories, but here are some general guidelines.
Lake Effect: Public Square
editor: Jim Vickers, vickers@clevelandmagazine.com, (216) 377-3670
“Ideas, gripes & good news.” This section gives an insider’s view of what’s happening
in the city. With a blend of items that are edgy, engaging, smart and humorous, Public
Square shows that Cleveland Magazine has the pulse of Northeast Ohio.
Shorts: These stories run between 50 and 350 words, and are usually news or event
driven, but should be quirky, lively or entertaining. Of particular interest are items not
reported anywhere else that might be part of a gossip/society columnist’s report.
Graphically diverse, this section also includes information that can be presented in a chart
or info graphic.
Long: These stories are people-focused and range between 500 and 600 words. Engaging,
focused and stylized, this section should include newsmakers, Cleveland up-and-comers
and everyday people doing interesting things.
Lake Effect: Spaces, Sounds
editor: Kim Schneider, schneider@clevelandmagazine.com, (216) 377-3673
Love art, music, opera, dance, film, books? We’re seeking experts who can cover a
subject and provide insight to our arts & entertainment coverage. We often publish short
profiles and preview upcoming events in unique and lively ways.
Lake Effect: Shop Talk
editor: Kim Schneider, schneider@clevelandmagazine.com, (216) 377-3673
Our coverage of local fashion and style, from local boutiques to fashion-forward local
clothing and jewelry lines.
Voice
editor: Erick Trickey, trickey@clevelandmagazine.com, (216) 377-3656
Personal essays set in Northeast Ohio: quintessentially Cleveland stories, told in strong
and stylish voices, with a strong sense of place. Our greatest need is for essays set in the
present, though we’ll occasionally publish history or memoir.
(Not looking for sports-fan memoirs or love letters to the city as a whole, e.g., “I moved
to Cleveland and loved it/grew up here and love it/left and came back and love it.” Think
about a specific Cleveland experience, not the whole Cleveland experience.) (800 words)
Talking Points
editor: Erick Trickey, trickey@clevelandmagazine.com, (216) 377-3656
Challenging, surprising essay-style commentary about important civic issues in Northeast
Ohio. We need writers who notice long-term trends, question the town’s assumptions and
use vivid examples to make a clear, provocative argument. Topics can range beyond
politics and government to debates about city and suburban life, arts and culture,
architecture, development, the business climate — anything that deserves an critical eye.
(1,000 words)
The Dish
editor: Beth Stallings, stallings@glpublishing.com, (216) 377-3643
A food section aims to keep readers informed of the many changes happening constantly
in Cleveland’s restaurant industry. That means we review and profile new restaurants,
take a look at older restaurants that have made a large-scale change and occasionally
return to old favorites. Writers with a sharp palate and a zest for Cleveland’s dining scene
are encouraged to send pitches on topics of interest to the foodie community.
Features
editor: Steve Gleydura, gleydura@clevelandmagazine.com, (216) 377-3697
Cleveland Magazine was built on strong magazine writing, and more than 30 years later,
the same holds true. Our features blend strong reporting and good storytelling in an
informative and engaging way. They range from short pieces — 1,200 to 1,800 words —
about an issue, personality or trend to longer pieces of up to 4,000 words.
Personality Profile: Our personality profiles explore the lives of newsmakers,
personalities, politicians, sports heroes and others. The stories should redefine how the
city views the subject by going beyond what’s been written or understood in the past.
At Your Service: There’s more to service journalism than revealing the best places to
dine in Northeast Ohio. Whether we take on child care or downtown living, our service
journalism aims to provide the most thorough, definitive guide to our subjects.
The Untold Story: Cleveland Magazine values investigative and public service
journalism, and always seeks contributions from writers in this area.
The Final Story: Think you’ve heard the whole story? Not until Cleveland Magazine tells
it. We’re looking for deep news stories that tell the tale better than anyone else has and
fill in the gaps other reports have left.