The National Trust for Historic Preservation is currently closed to pitches.

Thank you for your interest in contributing to SavingPlaces.org, the website of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Please read these guidelines before sharing your story pitch with us.

Submitting a Pitch:

1. Keep your pitch to 300 words or less.
2. Address the overall subject of your post with a brief framework/outline of the story.
3. Submit your pitch to webwork@savingplaces.org with the subject line “Story Pitch.” Indicate within your email which site (SavingPlaces.org or Preservation Leadership Forum) you are pitching for.

One of our staff will acknowledge receipt of your pitch within 1-2 weeks and include any follow-up questions and next steps.

Outlet Options

We recommend reading through both sites to get a sense of our voice and style.

SavingPlaces.org

Audience: the preservation movement—people who care about saving historic places

Style: Readable by a wide audience (interesting, informative, not technical) with a conversational and friendly tone and compelling and succinct storytelling.

Potential Frames:

• Preservation success (or loss) story
• Profiles/background of places where noteworthy people made an impact
• “Hidden histories”—stories that illuminate the lesser-told or underrepresented history at a particular place

Preservation Leadership Forum

Audience: the preservation field—people who are working in some professional capacity to save historic places

Style: Forum pieces tend to be more technical and are intended for a highly informed audience. introspective. The strongest pieces have a clear thesis and purpose, and are written clearly and concisely.

Potential Frames:

• Lessons learned from a particular preservation project
• Profiles of innovative tools that preserve places and promote equity/inclusion
• Discussions on the future of the preservation field

Format Guidelines

Text:

• Word count will vary depending on the story topic. The writer and the Associate Director of Content will determine an appropriate length during the initial pitch conversation.
• Keep paragraphs to five sentences or fewer.
• Break up text with subheadings where appropriate.
• Include links in parentheses next to the text you would like to hyperlink (or in a comment field).
• Include title at the beginning and a one- or two-sentence bio at the end of your post.
• Send text and photos as separate attachments and image files in one email.
• Please adhere to agreed-upon deadlines and communicate if a change needs to be made.

Photos & Videos:

• Photos must be the highest resolution possible—ideally at least 1600 pixels wide.
• Acceptable formats: JPG and TIFF
• Horizontal photos are preferred.
• Photos and videos taken by a skilled photographer are preferred.
• All photos and videos must be properly credited and pre-approved for use by the photographer.
• Please include credit information and caption information in either your email or text document.