If you would like to pitch a story idea, please send us a short (~100 word) summary (specifics below). A CIM Magazine editor may follow up for more specific details. Once the topic and angle are agreed upon, a deadline will be set.
All of our articles are written by staff and independent freelance writers, with the exception of our columns section, which is written by industry experts.
After the first draft is submitted by the writer, the article will go through the CIM Magazine editorial process, which includes, but is not limited to, editors reviewing the article for logic, flow, grammar and style. The editors may ask writers to clarify points, provide more detail, or define certain terms as they deem necessary.
While we can cover very technical topics, we try to approach and communicate them in everyday language. Our goal is to provide content that anyone with a general background in mining can understand.
You can submit story proposals to editor@cim.org. If we do decide to run a piece you proposed, a section editor will contact you. The freelance rate will be negotiated once a pitch has been accepted. Please have a look at the section descriptions and examples for a better idea of what we might look for in a pitch.
Developments
This section offers comprehensive coverage of the latest mining news, including developments in law and regulation, commodities and the markets, finance, exploration, projects and operations. Our stories range from 400-word news briefs to 1,000-word news analysis pieces. For this section, we’re most likely to accept stories that use a new development to talk about a larger trend.
Examples:
Prospects good for long term copper price, despite current volatility
Gold sector ripe for more major M&As, industry watchers say
Industry limited in drug testing options as pot becomes legal
Columns
Professionals from the mining industry submit columns for our magazine on their area of expertise. They are generally “argumentative” in nature (in the sense that they have a general thesis that is defended in the article) and written in a conversational tone for the layman. These articles are about 750 words long and include a headshot of the author.
Examples:
There is more to profitability than simply more tonnes and higher metal recovery
The costs and risks of poorly managed change
How Indigenous communities can make the most of the lull in the minerals market
If you would like to pitch a story idea, please send us a short (~100 word) summary of your article that includes the central thesis statement you’ll be defending and the main points. The CIM Magazine editors may follow up for more specific details.
Once the topic and angle are agreed upon, a deadline will be set.
After the first draft is submitted by the columnist, the article will go through the CIM Magazine editorial process, which includes, but is not limited to, editors reviewing the article for logic, flow, grammar and style. The magazine editors may ask columnists to clarify points, provide more detail, or define certain terms, as they see necessary. Once the article has been through the editorial process, the article will be provided to the columnist for final approval before it is published.
Note that we try to avoid endorsing a specific product or company in the column, though we can put in the author note a link to a company.
Also note that we do not pay contributors to this section.
Upfront
The best way to think about the stories in this section is like a case study in a magazine format; they cover the solution to a particular problem. We require at least two interviews for these articles, preferably one from the mining company and one from a service provider (if applicable). We also tend to publish at least one Q&A with a subject-matter expert on a novel idea or process. These can include conversations with experts in academia, government, or industry. We try to give reporters three weeks to submit the articles in this section. The stories are about 1,200 words.
Examples:
Goldcorp trials new mining method at Musselwhite enabled by Orica’s WebGen wireless blasting system
The government uses BGC Engineering’s augmented reality software for community consultation for the Giant Mine Remediation Project
UBC professor Greg Dipple aims to prove that tailings could be a mine’s secret weapon for reducing its carbon footprint (Q&A)
Feature
The longest stories in the magazine, our features cover trends on large hot-button topics. They also usually provide material for the cover of the magazine. These stories are 2,000-3,000 words. It takes a special type of reporter with a sense of narrative and the work ethic to pursue these kinds of long-form stories, and we try to give three weeks or more to make sure the stories hold together when we receive them. There is usually a good amount of coaching and editor involvement in developing the characters and helping a reporter grasp the angle we’d like to take.
Examples:
Is Canada losing the exploration game?
How do we fill the skills gap?
Monitor, share, innovate, reduce and repeat. This is the new water cycle for mines.
Project Profile
For the hundreds of mineral deposits that are inevitably described as “world class,” only a handful of them are actually developed into operating mines. The time between discovery and mine commissioning is usually measured in decades, so when new mines are being built or about to start producing we want to share that with our readership. Mines are idiosyncratic, and we want to detail the engineering accomplishments and innovations that are built in to each project.
Examples:
Nouveau Monde Graphit’s Matawinie project
North American Palladium’s Lac des Iles mine
Technology Focus
In this section we look at a specific operational component (pumps, ventilation, emissions control, conveying, etc.) at a mine and focus on new technology, equipment and innovations that have been made in this area. Generally, advances will have been made to combat or mitigate specific problems and that’s usually a helpful way to introduce the subject. The Technology Focus articles run about 1,400 words in length and features interviews with multiple sources from different companies to see what they are doing in their specific areas. Photos are also important for this section, so if you are writing a Tech Focus feature, please try to get good, hi-res shots from your sources. Sidebars, graphics, et cetera can also be helpful to illustrate some of the complex processes that might be involved in the piece.
Examples:
Safety gear gets smarter
A combination of hands-on expertise and high-tech tools offer big wins to operators working to keep on top of downtime
Mining Lore
The mining industry has a storied history, and in this section we cover some of the major names and formative events that have shaped the sector. These stories are 750- to 800-word vignettes that don’t require interviews but do involve research. Some examples:
Examples:
Canadian hard rock miners carried out critical tunneling work at Gibraltar during the Second World War
Shaaw Tláa, part of the prospecting group that kicked off the Yukon gold rush, is finally recognized for her essential role in Canada’s mining history
We're excited to hear from you!
