Submission Guidelines

You don’t need to be a sports fan to pitch to Only A Game, but you should be an experienced narrative-style radio reporter with excellent writing and technical skills and a conversational delivery style.

We use sports as a lens to tell stories about the world we all live in. Our features are plot-driven and explore an idea or insight that resonates beyond the world of sports. We are not looking for game reports or team profiles. We're looking for the unexpected.

Some examples of stories that work for us…

Plot-based personal essays set in sports. Have you searched for a sports bar where you can watch the WNBA? Had an unexpected encounter at the gym? Or maybe you played baseball with a future president? Tell us about it!
"Real people" stories. Has a friend told you about her sports-related dilemma? Has your 92-year-old neighbor mentioned the mistakes he made with his basebally-playing son? Does your hometown team have an impressively dedicated super-fan?
Stories that make you say, 'WTF?' Did you hear about that guy who finished a marathon after getting shot in the head? How about the hiker who survived five nights in the wilderness? Or the record-breaking marathon swimmer who started in her sport at age 46?

Only A Game stories should feature complex characters, surprises, challenges, a turning point (or points) and some sort of resolution.

How to Pitch:

All pitches should be sent via email to oag@wbur.org. Please title your email “Story Submission” to keep it from being lost in the sea of spam. All pitches should be accompanied by a two to three links to your recent radio stories. This is not optional.

When to Pitch:

We book freelance stories at least a month in advance ... often much more.

Payment:

Rates can be discussed with OAG’s senior producer after your pitch is accepted.

Payment will be made through Boston University. You will receive instructions on how to submit a W-9 and an invoice. You should expect to receive your check within four to six weeks of submitting your paperwork.

Expenses:

We pay reasonable travel expenses. "Reasonable" includes staying reasonably close to home. Please don't ask us to send you to California if you live in Florida! Expenses must be pre-approved.