How to Pitch: Southern Living Edition
Welcome back to our next edition of How to Pitch! We’ve gotten all your requests and are working on Elle Decor, Frederic, Vogue, and House Beautiful, to name a few, so stay tuned for more. : )
Today we are diving into the ins and outs of pitching one of your top requested publications, Southern Living, a regional publication with national appeal. It is always such a pleasure to work with the Southern Living team. Last year, Southern Living’s Senior Home and Features Writer, Betsy Cribb Watson was kind enough to drop in as a special guest in one of our live member workshops where she shared invaluable insights and tips for working with Southern Living.
For all you designers, foodies, restaurants, store owners, stylists, artists, local experts and business owners located in the South, this one is for you!
Regardless where you are based, we hope this deep dive on how to pitch an iconic southern publication can teach you about approaching regional publications, and how to leverage the unique aspects of your location for your business and brand.
About Southern Living
Southern Living is a beloved lifestyle publication based in Birmingham, Alabama, that celebrates the essence of Southern culture, from home decor and gardening to food and travel and shopping. It ranks in the top 10 of consumer magazines of all time. The print magazine reaches more than 12.8 million people, the digital version reaches 15.4 million people, and their social media reach is 8.78 million people monthly.
Since its inception in 1966, Southern Living has been a go-to source for readers interested in Southern traditions, recipes, home design, and travel destinations. It celebrates Southern hospitality and charm, as well as the food, homes, and places that define the South. Southern Living is known for helping readers to make their homes as beautiful and welcoming as possible, as a guide to embracing the seasons, a resource and a helping hand during the holidays, and a champion of Southern creativity and tastemakers.
What Southern Living Covers
In the words of the Southern Living Team:
“Every day, we cover the region with a dynamic mix of content that includes daily news, service, inspiration, real-people profiles, and trusted advice. We're telling soulful stories that readers can't find anywhere else—stories of small towns, lost recipes, and unique traditions. We're engaging with our audience all the time, whether we're swapping recipes in our "What's Cooking with Southern Living" Facebook group or helping readers identify paint colors on Instagram. We also believe in great storytelling, especially when it highlights meaningful aspects of Southern culture and those who are making the South a better place.
Today, we haven't strayed far from the vision laid out by our founders in 1966. We embrace that very same idea by celebrating a more progressive South, one that's constantly evolving. We're committed to celebrating the region in all of its complexity, and we're dedicated to sharing and amplifying diverse voices and multicultural stories in every corner of the South.”
The Voice of the Modern South
Southern Living’s mission is to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to readers by celebrating the best of Southern lifestyle. “We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are relentless champions of our region, we celebrate a diverse and welcoming South, and we set the standard for excellence in Southern content regardless of platform or medium.”
Southern Living's content spans various lifestyle topics, including:
Food & Recipes: Traditional Southern recipes, cooking techniques, and seasonal dishes
Home: Features on Southern-style interiors, tips on decor and decorating
Garden: Gardening tips, and DIY projects
Travel: Guides to Southern destinations, weekend getaways, and hidden gems
Holidays & Celebrations: From 4th of July, to Birthdays, Father’s Day, Holiday Gift Guides, Kentucky Derby and more
Culture: Stories highlighting Southern traditions
Style: Beauty, hair, skincare, nails, fashion
News: Festivals and notable personalities
Shopping: Southern Living’s curated lifestyle offerings
Southern Living can be found across various multimedia channels and platforms including:
The monthly print publication
Podcasts: Ask Grumpy and Biscuits & Jam
Newsletters: “What's Cooking,” “Best of the South,” “Let’s Shop,” “Welcome Home,” “Holidays & Celebrations”
Social Platforms: Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Facebook, Youtube
Southern Living has a wealth of information in their media kit here, including their 2025 editorial calendar:
Let’s dive into specific pitching tips and a list of Southern Living series we love…
10 Tips on How to Pitch Southern Living
Think traditional yet modern. Southern Living has a loyal and dedicated following and the editorial team is always thinking about how to prioritize stories that are in service of their readers and how to tell those stories in the most interesting, exciting and/or helpful way. SL’s readers span generations - grandmothers will give the magazine to daughters, who will pass it on to their daughters, and so on. Many of their readers have been reading since the first issue over 60 years ago and with this comes a delicate balance of honoring their original readers while also showing a modern version of Southern lifestyle. With this in mind, think about story ideas that both nod to tradition and also speak to a younger reader.
Key takeaway: When pitching Southern Living (or any publication for that matter)familiarize yourself with their audience. Make sure whatever you are pitching is relevant, inspiring, helpful, or interesting to their readers.
Diversity is a priority. This is top of mind for Southern Living and they are thinking of diversity comprehensively, not only racial diversity, sexual orientation, age, and different lifestyles, but also geographical diversity and making sure they are touching and representing all corners of the South. If you can bring a diverse perspective, lifestyle or experience of the modern south, they are actively looking for new people, homes, ideas, and locations to cover.
Highlight Regional Relevance: Be sure to emphasize any connections to Southern culture or location when pitching Southern Living. Editors are often searching for a designer or an expert, or a restaurant in a specific location, so make it easy to see where you’re based. Put your city or location in your Instagram bio/description and on your About page. While what is considered “The South” can be up for debate, Southern Living tends to cover the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Caroline, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.