L.A. Affairs submission guidelines

L.A. Affairs is a first-person column in the L.A. Times chronicling romance and relationships.

• We are looking for previously unpublished work.


• We prefer stories that are rooted in the present, not the distant past.


• Each story needs to have an arc. Mere musings on the state of affairs won’t do.


• We like stories to have a strong sense of place and to feel rooted in Southern California.


• Send a 700- to 900-word submission in the body of an email (and not as an attachment).


• Stories must be true. Everything in each piece must be factually correct. No exaggeration, no fictional or composite characters, no hyperbole for the sake of dramatic effect.

We understand that these stories are personal, and we will edit them with the greatest sensitivity we can muster. But we will edit — for content, for length and for tone. We see writing and editing as a collaborative venture, but ultimately the editor’s decisions will stand.

Multiple editors are involved in the selection and editing process, so please email submissions or questions to: [email protected].


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