Want To Be a TTAC Contributor? Here's How

Mark Stevenson
by Mark Stevenson

Hello, 2016.

Last month/year, I promised you that I’d post details on how to submit your written work to The Truth About Cars. This is the fruit of that promise.

If you’d like to be featured at TTAC, here’s what you gotta do.

Unlike prior instances of TTAC putting out a call for new blood, this is not a contest. This is not that. Instead, in no uncertain terms, this is what and who we’re looking for at TTAC. This is how you can reach us. This is what you should say to get our attention. This is not an invitation to ask if we publish “guest posts.” This is an invitation for those of you who have something to offer to show what you can do.

Without further ado …

Car reviews/stories

Have you recently driven an interesting/not so interesting/amazingly horrible car? Do you have a story about your own vehicle that you’d like to share? Personal cars, friends’ cars, dealer cars, race cars, truck cars, movie cars — if you’ve driven it, we’d like to know about it!

First, send us me email ( mstevenson@thetruthaboutcars.com) and inquire if we’d be interested in your auto. Tell us why your story is interesting. If we agree, we’ll respond. If not, well, better luck next time.

We have a format we’ve been using recently and we’d like to stick with it. You can check out our recent reviews here. If you have a non-review-style story, we’ll chat about format before you put pixel to screen.

Photography and images are key. Bad and non-existent photography are main reasons that keep the majority of reader submissions in my inbox. The lead image is the second thing a reader sees after the headline; sometimes it’s the first. Remember that. Stock photography doesn’t cut it anymore. Take your own photos or source good ones that we have the right to publish. Proper imagery will go a long way to us accepting your submission.

News/industry analysis

Have you done time in the state penn Detroit Big Three? Do you live in Chattanooga? What about Beijing? Or Delhi? If you are exposed to the automotive industry on a daily basis and/or have information to leak pass on to us, I’d definitely like to hear from you at mstevenson@thetruthaboutcars.com.

For industry veterans, we’ll let you share your stories — within reason. Political and/or corporate soapboxing is not allowed (unless your name is Michael Horn and you want to tell us exactly how Volkswagen plans to fix all those diesels). However, if you have an anecdote to share, would like to explain a particular technological innovation or you have insight into a dark corner of the industry, we can be your forum.

For tipsters with sensitive information, we always keep our sources private and confidential. Reach out to us from a burner email account and we will instruct you on how to proceed. In the future, we’ll have a better method for securely submitting tips.

General tips

If you’ve read something interesting, and think TTAC’s Best & Brightest would enjoy it too, send an email to editors@ttac.com.

What not to send/pitch

– Fiction


– Satire

[Image credit: By Kalmar, Works Progress Administration [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons]

Mark Stevenson
Mark Stevenson

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  • White Shadow White Shadow on Jan 06, 2016

    I don't come here for the car reviews. There are already tons of other (and usually better) sources for car reviews. The primary reason I come here is for the interesting stories that are in some way related to automobiles. You guys should solicit more of that type of content.

  • Zososoto Zososoto on Jan 07, 2016

    I've been mulling over the prospect of writing about millenial car culture (or relative lack thereof) from the perspective of a millenial. I've liked cars since 2001's The Fast and The Furious. I am 27 years old, mediocre college educated, middle class, Mexican-American-but-everyone-thinks-I'm-white-anyway, and single. My qualifications are that I have driven and owned a variety of sporty-ish cars due to my impulsive nature and the fact that I have foolishly ignored concepts such as "practicality" and "budget". I've never bought anything more than 5k and my cars are typically in OK condition and mostly stock. Things I can write about: I take a gal to an unsponsored Millenial FUBU car show under a freeway over pass. Buying an rx7 for a drifter wannabe. From MyFirstOilChange to attempting an engine swap in 3 weeks. I currently own 1989 CRX Si 1988 Starion turbo 1988 Prelude Si 4ws 1982 RX7 Have owned: 1987 MR2 1986 Civic Si 1989 Acura Legend Coupe 1992 BMW 750iL During the recession (2008-2010) the church was my guiding light: 93 Buick Century 2000 Chevy Lumina Had the privilege of being caretaker for my father's collection from about 2005 to 2010: 1964 Mustang 289 (2)X 1979 Ford F150 (390 and 400M) 1975 Dodge Powerwagon 440 I have never owned a car for more than a year or two, bar the CRX, which has been with me since 2011. I have a disdain for the practice of driving sedans, automatic transmissions, and crossovers just for "reasons" and not needs. B&B, is there any interest?

  • Kwik_Shift Hyunkia'sis doing what they do best...subverting expectations of quality.
  • MaintenanceCosts People who don't use the parking brake when they walk away from the car deserve to have the car roll into a river.
  • 3-On-The-Tree I’m sure they are good vehicles but you can’t base that on who is buying them. Land Rovers, Bentley’ are bought by Robin Leaches’s “The Rich and Famous” but they have terrible reliability.
  • SCE to AUX The fix sounds like a bandaid. Kia's not going to address the defective shaft assemblies because it's hard and expensive - not cool.
  • Analoggrotto I am sick and tired of every little Hyundai Kia Genesis flaw being blown out of proportion. Why doesn't TTAC talk about the Tundra iForce Max problems, Toyota V35A engine problems or the Lexus 500H Hybrid problems? Here's why: education. Most of America is illiterate, as are the people who bash Hyundai Kia Genesis. Surveys conducted by credible sources have observed a high concentration of Hyundai Kia Genesis models at elite ivy league universities, you know those places where students earn degrees which earn more than $100K per year? Get with the program TTAC.
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