Writers, we need you!

Dear Patchers,

It’s now been six months since The Dispatch launched. And what a six months! There are now almost 600 of you paying for our journalism, plus more than 10,000 on our free list.

And it’s more than a numbers game. In that time we’ve broken some big stories. Our widely-shared investigation looking into the rise and fall of hotshot property agent Gurpaal Judge, a behind the scenes look at troubles at the Custard Factory, the revelations about the less-than-honest developers hoping to reshape Station Street, and many more.

Another huge part of our early success has been thanks to our freelancers. I’m thinking of Ed King’s deep dive into the Oracle debacle. I’m thinking of Kirsty Bosely’s wonderful reflections on the life and death of a community newspaper. And how about i paper columnist Ian Burell’s excellent look at the lost world of West Midlands media. With such a small team of full time staff, quality freelancers are absolutely essential to what we want to do.

So, some exciting news. We’re now looking to expand that team of writers. The Dispatch will stand or fall on the quality of its writing. It’s what (we hope) sets us apart. So much of local journalism in the UK is written in a tired, formulaic way (the most important stuff at the top and maybe a pre-written statement by a “council spokesperson” or a “police spokesperson” or “whatever else spokesperson” at the end). No shade to all the wonderful spokespeople out there, you’re doing a fine job, but we believe this is a blunt, mechanical way to present local news. 

Because it’s not how you’d tell a story at the pub, or to a friend. You’d tell it as a story, with characters and twists and subplots and passion. So that’s what we want: stories. We’re looking for people with a passion for beautifully-crafted writing, sentences that sing, characters that feel like real people. Why shouldn’t Birmingham have well-crafted stories written about its successes and scandals, its butchers and beekeepers.

More specfically though, these are the types of story we’re most keen to commission:

• Beautifully written features: These are the backbone of The Dispatch. Great writing is what we’re all about. It could be an interview, an op-ed, it could be a story about the surprisingly high-octane battle between fried chicken shops to develop the perfect sauce (see below!) We want to see strong narratives, lively characters and stories that speak to the bigger themes that define Brum’s development. Mostly, we want to give you space to really write. Some examples of brilliant features from across our parent company: Kirsty Bosely on the life and death of the Express and Star newspaper; Manchester’s chicken shop wars; A night at the hotel from hell in Liverpool.
• Scoops and investigations: Investigative deep-dives have been some of our most popular pieces so far, and we’d love to commission more. If you’ve got the inside story of what’s really going on at one of Brum’s big institutions, or a spicy FOI reveal, we’re the place to come. Examples of superb investigations: The rise and fall of a Birmingham propety hotshot; How a utopian north Liverpool housing association was sold from under residents’ noses; The Michelin star chef who might be Manchester’s worst boss.
• Cultural essays: we’d love to cover the arts in Birmingham with the same passion and flair that we apply to news. Since we’re all about stylish longform, we’d prefer to steer clear of Q&As — we’ll leave that to more time-pressed outlets. We’d love to hear your argument about where Birmingham’s visual arts scene needs to excel compared to London; we’d be delighted to read a deep-dive into an old film set in Birmingham from the 40s; we want your voicy book reviews of novels by Brummies and those hailing from the surrounding area. Equally, if you’re a news writer who’s eager to cover foul play, newsworthy developments or controversies happening at arts institutions, we’d also be excited to read this. Examples of cultural essays we loved: Sophie Atkinson on Manchester’s Aviva Studios ; Rachel Pronger on a forgotten Sheffield documentary; a deep dive into Wirral author Tabitha Lasley; Phil Griffin on a night at The Electric Circus.

And finally, the brass tacks. We’ll pay between £150 and £500 for a piece. That’s quite a broad range — naturally the higher fees will be for stories that take a large amount of research and digging. Experience is a factor too. But if you’ve got a great story for us, you deserve to be properly paid for it.

If you think you’re a good fit, please email: editor@birminghamdispatch.co.uk. We are looking to commission some stories over the next few weeks — whether that’s culture writing, essays, reviews, a news feature or an investigation. We want three links to stories you’ve written — these can be links to blogs or posts — so we can see your writing. If you’re unsure what we’re after, please read a wide variety of stories on The Dispatch before pitching — that’s the best way to understand the kind of journalism we want. We can’t wait to hear from you.