The Cultural Current welcomes story ideas, event announcements, and community submissions from RVA and surrounding communities, as well as culturally significant stories with broader relevance. We focus on arts, culture, Black American communities, other underrepresented voices, entrepreneurship, education, and community life.
What to Submit
- Original story tips and reporting leads
- Arts, music, literature, performance and exhibition announcements
- Community initiatives, achievements and cultural history
- Independent authors, artists and creative projects
- First-person essays and thoughtful cultural commentary
Story Pitches and Press Releases
Tell us what happened or is planned, why it matters to our readers, and who can verify the information. Include relevant dates, locations, sources, links, available images and a contact person. Sending a press release or requesting an interview does not guarantee coverage. Our editors select independent reporting assignments based on editorial merit and available resources.
First-Person Guest Essays
We may invite an author, artist, musician, entrepreneur or community member to write a first-person account when their experience is more suitable for a contributed essay than a staff-written profile. We generally suggest 600–800 words for an initial submission, although length may vary by subject. Tell a substantive story: what you learned, how your experiences shaped your work, and why the subject matters beyond promoting a product. A guest essay is not a book advertisement, sales pitch or guaranteed placement.
Submit original work with a short biography, relevant supporting links, and a disclosure of any financial or personal interests related to the subject. Identify material from other sources, including quotations and photographs, and confirm you have permission to provide it. Please do not send an unpublished manuscript in full unless requested.
Guest submissions may be edited for clarity, length, accuracy and house style. Publication is subject to editorial review and approval. We will discuss substantial revisions with contributors when appropriate. An invitation to submit is not a promise to publish. Compensation, if any, must be agreed upon in advance; unsolicited submissions should not be assumed to be paid assignments.
How to Submit
Send story ideas and guest submissions to editor@theculturalcurrent.com. Include a descriptive subject line and your contact information. To submit a community calendar event, use our event submission form.
Editorial Independence
We do not charge for consideration of independent editorial submissions, and advertising purchases do not influence coverage decisions. Promotional advertising inquiries are handled separately from editorial pitches. We do not currently sell staff-written editorial interviews or profiles.
Review and Follow-Up
We review submissions for accuracy, relevance, timeliness, cultural significance and available resources. We may not be able to respond to every pitch. We reserve the right to decline, request changes or verify information before publication. Read our Editorial Standards & Ethics for more information.