How To Pitch: The Sun

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Background: When you flip through an issue of The Sun, you won't find a step-by-step guide for finding the perfect lipstick shade or the top 10 reasons to watch Dancing with the Stars. What you will find are authentic stories that explore the realities of the human condition. "Some people would say, 'Wow, The Sun's content is pretty heavy,'" says managing editor Tim McKee. "I'm not sure I would call it heavy, but if life is heavy, then The Sun's content is heavy." Current editor and publisher Sy Safransky launched The Sun in 1974 out of frustrations with his job at a daily newspaper and the shallow treatment that he was forced to apply to most of the stories he covered. "He broke out of that and started this magazine believing that people would be interested in hearing stories about both the glory and heartache of life," McKee explains.

Over the last 36 years, the biggest change for the now 100 percent reader-supported publication has been the elimination of advertising in the mid-'80s. The decision was less about revolting against greedy corporate America's not-so-subtle attempts to sell another $5 tube of toothpaste and more about enhancing the reader experience. For McKee, it's all about minimizing distractions so that readers can intimately connect with the stories. "There's nothing against advertising, but it can create some distance between the piece of the writing and the reader," says McKee.

Today, The Sun continues its editorial mission of using language to communicate complex truths and build relationships, appealing largely to readers that personify the magazine's tagline: "Personal. Political. Provocative."

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