As SFU’s independent student newspaper, The Peak is open to contributions from current SFU students. We have 10 editors and additional staff members helping us put the pages together, but we couldn’t make a weekly paper without our writing, illustration, photography, and comic (in the humour section) contributors. Contributors work on a freelance basis, picking up assignments from editors and getting paid for them.
No experience is necessary. As long as you have a good attitude, our editors are here to guide you through the process.
Whatever your forte, contributing to The Peak is a great way to get your work out there and an entry to pursuing a staff position at The Peak.
Please note we only accept contributions from current SFU students and we do not accept pre-written articles. Pitches must be confirmed by editors before writing, and articles must be written and submitted in a Google Document.
Due to a high volume of emails, only pitches that are considered for publication will receive a response. We may also provide some guidance or ask additional questions to get a sense of which direction you’re planning to take the piece in.
Getting started — pitch meetings and emails
The best way to get involved is to come to our pitch meetings, which currently happen Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. online. At pitch meetings, editors read out their pitches for the week and writers and contributors can get first grabs on stories that go out to their mailing lists later on.
Pitch meetings are for writing pitches only, but whether you’re an illustrator, photographer, or not not sure how you want to get involved, coming to a pitch meeting is a good way to meet our team, introduce yourself, and find out more about what we do here.
All our editors also send out weekly pitch emails for their sections, including illustration and photography, where you can respond and claim pitches. The pitch email newsletters will also have more specific section guidelines. You can sign up to join the mailing list and pitch meetings here, or email promotions@the-peak.ca.
Getting paid
Contributors get paid depending on the type of article. Cartoons, illustrations, and photos also have their own individual pay scales. Prices are posted by the editors next to the pitches.
All staff positions are paid a weekly stipend, and open positions will be posted on our Jobs page.
Still have questions? Reach out to one of our lovely editorial staff (contact info here) or promotions@the-peak.ca.
For more information, check out our Contributor and Illustration Guidelines below!
