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How To Pitch: New Jersey Monthly

Start with a front-of-book piece that 'exemplifies the New Jersey spirit'

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Background: Through its more than 30 years of publishing, New Jersey Monthly has continued to hone its editorial voice while following through on its mission to deliver "the lifestyle information needs" of the state's residents, says editor-in-chief Ken Schlager. This broad umbrella has come to include stories on local politics and government, dining, entertainment, sports and any other general interest topic that speaks to the local population. The pub's regional roots are strong: its current publisher, Kate Tomlinson, is heiress to a New Jersey-centric journalism legacy that goes back to 1900, when her great-grandfather Ernest Hibbs Tomlinson launched Morris County, NJ's still-extant Daily Record.

Today's New Jersey is home to a notably wide array of demographics and economic levels, and though the magazine caters to them all in some ways, it especially targets "mid- to upper-class residents throughout the state," says Schlager. Moreover, since all of the mag's competitors serve only specific towns or regions, the breadth of New Jersey Monthly's statewide focus makes it unique in its field. Freelancers don't have to live in New Jersey to write for the magazine, but their ideas should be tailored to resonate with New Jersey Monthly readers. Thanks to this broad editorial focus, hardly any topics are off-limits. "We cover all the things that affect our lives in the Garden State," says Schlager.

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