Join BirdNote tomorrow, November 30th!
Illustrator David Sibley and actor H. Jon Benjamin will face off in the bird illustration battle of the century during BirdNote's Year-end Celebration and Auction!
Do you have a story you want to tell for BirdNote Daily? This guide is for you! We’re looking for science writers and radio producers to bring new stories to our show. People of color, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to pitch, as are others who bring diverse backgrounds and experiences to their work.
We are not currently accepting new pitches.
Rates
BirdNote Daily runs 1:45 (one minute forty-five seconds) exactly. We’ve found that to be about 200 words on average, depending on music, interview clips, and bird sounds. Our rates vary with the complexity of the final story, depending on the work required from you.
- Script that we produce and have our narrators read: $175-200
- Script narrated and recorded by you*: $300-350
- Script narrated by you, featuring interview tape or field tape, all recorded by you*: $400-500
*Only for experienced audio producers with their own recording equipment
Keep in mind that the majority of our shows are scripts read by our narrators, and we have the most open spots on our schedule for this type of show. We have fewer open spots for shows featuring interviews or field tape. We recognize that not every pitch will fall neatly into one of these buckets. A script that you write and we produce may still involve extensive research and interviews to get the story right. If your pitch is accepted, we will consider all production elements when determining the rate.
We can support payments to contractors in 137 countries, through Bill.com. Please check the list to see if your country is listed, and if it's not, contact us to discuss alternative arrangements.
What We’re Looking For
We love stories that:
- Are evergreen
- Feature kids
- Show an unexpected side of a bird people think they know
- Highlight new and unexpected voices in and around the world of birds
- Are irreverent and wacky
- Convey scientific research in a fun, easy-to-understand way
- Spotlight conservation efforts that are working — even better if listeners can get involved
A few things to keep in mind:
BirdNote Daily has been on the air for 20 years and has more than 2,400 episodes. Before submitting a pitch, double-check that we haven’t already done a story on it by searching our archive, or that your pitch has a substantial new angle.
We do not review or accept pitches that were generated in whole or in part by artificial intelligence. While AI tools can certainly be used in the idea generation stage, please only submit pitches that you write in their entirety. If your pitch is accepted, the final script must also be free from language generated by artificial intelligence.
The show is produced well in advance of when it airs. If your story is highly time-sensitive, it probably isn’t a good fit for BirdNote. If it’s tied to a holiday or specific time of year (e.g., fall migration), that’s fine! Just keep in mind that stories need to be in process two months before their air date.
Personal narratives without a strong connection to broader conservation themes are not likely to be accepted. We do not commission works of poetry or fiction.
If you have a story that relies on a specific bird sound, make sure there’s a high-quality recording of it. Is it available in the Macaulay Library or on Xeno-Canto, or do you have a recording you’ve made of it that we can use?
Process
Submit your pitch through the form below. Please include at least two work samples that demonstrate your experience. You are welcome to submit more than one pitch for a scripted show per month, but only one pitch for a show featuring an interview or field tape. We’ll get back to you within four weeks.
If we green light your story, we’ll establish a production timeline and include it in your contract.