Original Article featured on Gorkana.us
Paul Louis Maupin, Editor-in-Chief of Ask a New Yorker, on the NYC arts scene, publishing the underpublicized, and not beating around the bush.
Can you begin by telling us about the content, mission, and style of Ask A New Yorker?
Ask A New Yorker seeks to cover the New York City found just under the surface. We want to let our readers in on a secret, publish the underpublicized. The style of the site, like that of the City, is an amalgam of many voices. Each of our writers comes at a story from their own angle through the one uniting factor of our site, namely a straightforward attitude. We don’t like to beat around the bush.
How did you join AANY? Is your background in journalism? And what do you most like to write about?
My background is in journalism. I covered boxing for a few years before meeting Kennedy Moore, Owner and CEO of AANY, and joining his team. I prefer covering events, whether its art shows, concerts or plays, because there is an entire scene to illuminate. It’s not just about the event itself, often the crowd and the venue produce a more interesting story than what brought them together.
Is AANY looking to expand its coverage of any particular topic?
We are looking to expand all of our coverage. There is so much going on in NYC that no source can ever fully cover even one topic. Specifically, I’d say business and politics are subjects that are important to many New Yorkers and aren’t covered very well by AANY.
Can you also tell me a little bit about the “New Yorker of the Moment” feature? How do you decide who to profile?
New Yorker of the Moment is one of the longest running columns on AANY. It is a profile meant to give a little background on the people we share the City with. Though some of the people we have featured were arranged, many of the New Yorkers of the Moment were just interesting looking folks we found and approached on the street.
What do your readers expect from the site?
Our readers likely expect something similar to someone looking to move to NYC: a little bit of everything, a class above the rest. Essentially, they expect both quality and unique content.
How many contributors write for AANY? And what do you look for in a contributor?
We have around 10 contributors right now, some more frequent than others. Our number one requirement for a writer is that they live and breathe NYC. Obviously there are other factors to be considered but if you’re not a New Yorker you don’t even get in the door.
Are many of your bloggers already professional writers, and are you looking for other types of contributors?
Yes, though mostly in other fields. We have a screenwriter on staff, a poet, a novelist and a professional industry blogger to list a few. We are always looking for more contributors and their background is inconsequential. I don’t even ask for a resume when vetting new writers just an original writing sample. It’s about what you can do not what you have done.
Do you receive any interesting pitches? What sort of story pitch is most likely to grab your attention?
Not as many as I’d like. People tend to notice and write about the same things. A pitch that gets my attention is one that comes from a unique perspective and brings to light some detail that is unknown to most. We want to both entertain and inform.
Would you like to get pitches that include images, since most of AANY’s posts do include at least one?
All of our posts include pictures but a pitch doesn’t need to have one to be accepted. A quality image can help an article pop but I am usually more concerned with the voice and ability of the author.
Lastly, will you share your all-time favorite post from the blog or a recent post that readers really enjoyed?
Well I don’t like to play favorites but the work of Tommy Pryor, one of our more seasoned contributors, tends to be the most enjoyable work on AANY for me. Tommy is a born and bred New Yorker who has seen this city go through many changes and photographed them along the way. He brings a humor and understanding to his work that makes it fun and easy to connect with.
Original Article featured on Gorkana.us
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