The Dallas Observer Music Section Is Looking for Writers

Perhaps you're a vet of the Dallas music scene and you're looking to show us a thing or two. Or perhaps you saw Almost Famous in high school, and ever since you've been waiting to get a break like William Miller, who manages to embed with a rock band and learns to write, drink and love in the process. Either way, the Dallas Observer is interested in speaking with you about opportunities to write for our music section. The drinks and love interests ... well, all that's up to you.

We're looking to work with people who:

-Have a reporter's mindset. Successful candidates will be willing to incorporate research and reporting into every piece. If it's a profile, they'll talk to other artists about the importance of the subject. If it's a concert review, they'll approach people at the show and get their take, always on the lookout for meaningful context. We're not looking for critics, we're looking for reporters who can cover music as a news beat.

-Can pitch stories on a weekly basis, and have a sense of what makes a story good. If it's a profile of a band, do they have an unusual back story; do they share their music in an unconventional way; or do they have a big following in Slovakia? We want stories that are readily distinguished from just another band profile or concert review.

-Will examine the music scene in its totality — the bouncers, sound techs, producers, promoters and audience are all part of it, too — and pitch stories about emerging trends they've identified.

-Can cover all genres including rock, hip-hop, metal, folk, country, pop, punk, electronic and dance music.  Writers who would prefer to specialize in an area of their expertise are welcome, as are generalists who are comfortable taking on wildly different stories each week. The only quality necessary to write a good story is the willingness to talk to people and ask follow-up questions. Journalism experience is preferred but not required.

-Can operate on a deadline. Some stories will require a tight turn-around. This is particularly true of concert reviews, which must be published the following morning. If a story is discussed far in advance of the deadline, writers should be able to keep track of accepted pitches and deliver the stories when discussed.

If this sounds like a job you were made for, please send a cover letter, resume and writing samples to [email protected].