MC-Guide
Content Writing
Website 14: Vox.com
How Can You Earn Money Writing For “Vox.com” Website
This guide shows you, step by step, how a beginner can learn to pitch and sell stories to Vox.com.
You will learn what Vox.com wants, how to test your idea, how to write a pitch, and how payment roughly works. You can use this like a small SOP.
The Ultimate Guide: How to Pitch and Write for Vox.com
You want to write for Vox. You want your name on that yellow-highlighted text. But Vox is different from other news sites. They don’t just report what happened; they explain why it matters.
This comprehensive guide breaks down the massive Vox ecosystem. Whether you are a culture critic, a policy nerd, or someone with a powerful personal story, there is a specific way to get in. This guide will teach you how to think like a Vox editor, how to find the right email, and how to structure a pitch that gets opened.
Section 1 · The Philosophy
Decoding the “Vox Voice”: Context is King
Before you even open your email client, you must understand what makes Vox unique. Vox was founded on the idea that the news is often confusing because it lacks context. Standard news tells you “The Senate passed a bill.” Vox tells you “Here is the 50-year history of filibusters that made passing this bill so difficult.”
If you pitch a generic news story, you will be rejected. You must pitch an explanation or an argument.
Your article must answer a question the reader didn’t even know they had. It should clarify complexity.
- Don’t pitch: “Streaming services are raising prices.” (This is just news).
- Do pitch: “The mathematical reason why streaming services must inevitably raise prices to survive the post-cable era.”
- Key concept: Use data, history, or psychology to explain a current trend.
Vox writers are authoritative but conversational. They don’t use academic jargon without explaining it.
- Audience: Curious generalists. They are smart, but they are not experts in your field.
- Structure: Start with a hook (the current event), move to the “nut graph” (why this matters), and then dive into the evidence (charts, studies, interviews).
Section 2 · The Verticals
Where does your story belong? (The 5 Buckets)
Vox is not one giant blog. It is a collection of specific “verticals” (sections), each with its own editors and specific interests. You must pitch the correct section, or your email will likely be ignored.
Future Perfect
Focus: “Finding the best ways to do good.” This section covers effective altruism, high-impact policy, animal welfare, AI safety, and global health.
- What they want: Stories about neglected problems (e.g., lead poisoning in developing nations) or solutions to massive crises (e.g., pandemic prevention).
- The Vibe: Optimistic but rigorous. Data-driven.
- Pitch example: “How a new type of UV light could kill airborne viruses in schools without harming humans.”
The Highlight
Focus: Vox’s home for feature stories, magazine-style deep dives, and heavy reporting.
- What they want: Long-form narrative journalism. Stories that take weeks or months to report. Character-driven stories that illustrate a larger sociological trend.
- The Vibe: Slow journalism. Beautiful photography. Human interest.
- Pitch example: “I spent three months with the truck drivers who are delivering America’s nuclear waste.”
Culture (and The Goods)
Focus: Movies, TV, internet culture, consumerism, and how we live now.
- What they want: Cultural criticism that connects a piece of media to the real world. Not just a review of a movie, but what that movie says about society.
- The Vibe: Sharp, observant, sometimes funny.
- Pitch example: “Why every modern horror movie is actually about trauma, and why we are tired of it.”
First Person
Focus: Personal essays with a point.
- What they want: A story that happened to you, but illuminates a universal experience or a systemic issue (healthcare, housing, parenting).
- The Vibe: Vulnerable, honest, unique.
- Pitch example: “I tried to navigate the foster care system as a single father, and I discovered a hidden bias in the paperwork.”
Section 3 · The Idea
Developing a “Vox-Worthy” Angle
A “topic” is not a story. “Climate Change” is a topic. “How installing heat pumps in 10% of homes could prevent blackouts” is a story. You need to sharpen your idea before you email an editor.
Editors are busy. They need to know why they should publish this this week.
- Is there a new bill being voted on?
- Is there a viral TikTok trend discussing this?
- Is it the anniversary of a historical event?
- Did a new scientific study just drop?
Always attach your “evergreen” idea to a “news peg” (a current event).
Your story must matter to someone who isn’t you.
- Weak: “I like gardening.”
- Strong: “Gardening is becoming a survival skill for Millennials facing food inflation.”
- The Trick: Connect the micro (small detail) to the macro (big societal trend).
| Raw Idea (Too Vague) | Vox Angle (Pitch This) | The Twist |
|---|---|---|
| Remote work is popular. | The “Zoom Town” phenomenon is bankrupting rural water systems. | Economic consequence |
| Taylor Swift is famous. | How the “Eras Tour” pricing model changed the entire live music economy. | Business analysis |
| I have long COVID. | The bureaucracy of disability benefits is designed to make long COVID patients give up. | Systemic failure |
Section 4 · The Process
Step-by-Step Pitching Workflow
You have your idea. Now you need to get it into the inbox of a human being who can say “yes.” Do not use a generic “contact form” if you can avoid it.
Find the specific editor
Go to the Vox Masthead. Look for titles like “Senior Editor, Culture” or “Editor, Future Perfect.”
- Search their name on Twitter (X) or LinkedIn. They often have “Pitch me!” in their bio.
- If you can’t find an email, the standard format is usually
firstname.lastname@voxmedia.com(but verify this). - Caution: Do not pitch the Editor-in-Chief. Pitch the section editor.
Write a “Grabber” subject line
Editors get 100+ emails a day. Your subject line must look like a headline.
- Format:
PITCH: [Proposed Headline] - [Time Sensitive?] - Example:
PITCH: Why electric cars are failing in rural America (New Study) - Example:
PITCH: First Person: I was a content moderator for AI, and it broke me.
The “2-Paragraph” Rule
Keep it short.
- Para 1: The Hook. Start with the most interesting fact or scene. “Last week, the USDA approved a new pesticide…” Then state your thesis. “This isn’t just about farming; it’s about the future of allergies.”
- Para 2: The Proof. “I will interview X, Y, and Z. I have data from [Source]. This matters now because [News Peg].”
- Para 3: You. “I am a freelance journalist based in [Location]. My work has appeared in [Outlet 1] and [Outlet 2]. Link to portfolio.”
The “Polite Nudge”
If you don’t hear back in 1 week (for timely news) or 2 weeks (for features), send a reply to your own email.
- “Hi [Name], just floating this to the top of your inbox. Let me know if this is a fit for Vox, otherwise I will pitch elsewhere next week. Thanks!”
- If no reply after the nudge, assume it’s a “no” and move on.
Section 5 · The Entry Point
Writing “First Person” Essays
If you don’t have a background in hard journalism, the First Person section is often the best gateway for new writers. However, it is highly competitive.
A diary entry says “I am sad.” A Vox First Person essay says “I am sad, and my sadness reveals how the American healthcare system fails widows.”
You must have a “Turn”—a moment in the essay where you look outward and connect your experience to data, history, or politics.
- Too niche: Your story is so specific nobody else can relate.
- Too ranty: You are just angry, but you don’t have an argument.
- Already covered: Vox has published 10 articles on “Pandemic burnout.” Do you have a truly new perspective?
Section 6 · The Business
Rates, Rights, and Money
Vox Media is a unionized workplace (Vox Media Union, part of WGA East). This generally means they have fair standards for freelancers, though rates vary by section.
| Article Type | Estimated Length | Estimated Pay Range |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Essay | 800–1,200 words | $350 – $600 (Flat fee) |
| Reported Feature | 1,500–2,500 words | $0.50 – $1.00 per word |
| The Highlight (Deep Dive) | 3,000+ words | $2,000+ (Highly variable) |
| Culture Review | 800 words | $300 – $500 |
Section 7 · Final Polish
Pitch Anatomy Checklist
Before you hit “Send,” run your pitch through this gauntlet.