The Sentinel seeks freelance writers and contributors

This year, the Sentinel wants to expand our coverage to civic issues, local government, education, economic development, and culture. We are creating a space to recognize emerging artists and performers, the small productions, and small venues that help make our community vibrant. We also want to make a stronger effort into introducing neighbors to each other and connect those in need with people who can help.

The Sentinel is seeking freelance writers and regular contributors to report on local government, business news, entertainment and art, and important stories in the community. We are looking for someone who understands the unique, diverse culture in our area of coverage and can dissect problems that detract from our quality of life as well as celebrate those things that make it better. Our writers understand their communities and provide our readers with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about important issues.

While we have a list of topics ready to go for contributors, we are also accepting pitches for articles on various topics. We welcome how-to articles on subjects like how to be a sports parent, how to find a home improvement contractor, or tips for do-it-yourself repairs around the home. East Central Illinois has a strong running community. We would love to publish articles about shoes to buy, the best trails to run, and training tips to improve race times. If you have an idea, let's talk.

The Sentinel is not flush with funds, so the starting compensation isn't great. OurSentinel.com is a mom-and-pop operation minus the mom, and thanks to the pandemic, pops is kind of struggling at the moment. Our standard compensation is $15-$35/story on publication via PayPal.

We want stories that people in our community really care about. Email us a cover letter and three samples (or links) of published or unpublished work to editor@oursentinel.com. We are ready to see if we can make something awesome happen.