Join the Nippertown Team

Why just read Nippertown when you can join the team?

We are looking for contributors – writers, photographers, columnists, social media assistants; you name it. Nippertown is made up of people who love our local arts scene and want to help promote and grow it. If that sounds like you, we want to hear from you.

Nippertown has won the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Award for “Best Arts Publication” from 2019 – 2023. Our website is visited by over 100,000 distinct users a month. In addition, we have over 17,500 followers on Facebook, 4,500 on Instagram, and 4,500 on Twitter. We are dedicated to music, arts, and culture of all kinds within an approximately one-hour radius of Nipper the Dog in downtown Albany and have been doing so since 2009.

To do that requires:

Writers: Do you like to review concerts/shows/theater/dance/exhibitions? Have some part of the music/arts scene you want to draw more attention to? Is there an artist/business/event that should be getting more attention but isn’t? We are interested in all of that and more.

Columnists: Want to “own” and shape a particular topic? If you want to write regularly on a given topic and can commit to a regular schedule, we can give you a regular slot and byline. We would welcome columnists on comedy, dance, visual arts, the jam music scene, metal, punk, country, poetry, food/drink… you name it. 

Photographers: Like to see concerts from the pit? Do you wish there was more visual coverage of something around Nippertown? Not just concerts – sculpture, community events, visual arts, etc. If so, we want to hear from you.

Social Media/Street Team: Are you a TikTok guru? Do you have a car and want to drop band flyers off at college campuses or coffee shops? We are building a Street Team that can get the word out for local shows and events, and you can make a little cash while growing our scene.

Volunteers: That’s right, even if you aren’t a great writer or photographer, or even a master at SnapChat, we need volunteers for summer events like Nipperfest, but also to help man the booth at Alive at 5, Music Haven or Rockin’ on the River. We can use volunteers to help keep Jim organized (it’s a full-time job, ask Laura). Volunteers can help with mailing merch, passing out merch, or just about anything that helps the creative community.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much experience do I need to have?: We value enthusiasm and knowledge of some facets of our local scene over experience. For all types of our contributors, we have everything from award-winning professionals with decades of experience to people who first picked up a pen or camera for Nippertown. 

Do I get to see free shows?: Yes. Generally speaking, we are graciously granted media access to almost any show in the area. If reviewing shows or galleries are what you are interested in, we generally have many more shows than we have people to cover them.

What do I need to do?: Reviewers – turn in a meaningful review of the show within a day or two of the show. Photographers – turn in your best shots (12-15 for headliners, 6-8 for openers) within a day or two of the show. Columnists – write and turn in your column regularly each week.

Non-event writers/photographers – write or shoot something and turn it in! 

What does it pay?: Little to nothing! Everyone at Nippertown, from the top down, is doing what they do because they want to give back to the local arts community. The majority of the contributors (and even the owners) are uncompensated. Occasionally, we can pay a nominal amount, but none of us will get rich. We try to pay for local content since that is our core value, and we believe in growing the local scene.

Then why would I do this?: See above – it’s all about our arts community. But also

• Free shows!
• Learn/improve/perfect your skills
• Establish professional credentials and portfolio (there’s no better place to get a start as a professional writer or photographer)
• Influence and shape an area of your choice. Our readership is extensive, and our contributors significantly influence the scene.
• A great, artistic family
• Nipperfest!
• Fun. Lots and lots of fun.

Do I get “assigned” a topic, or can I pick my own?: Pick your own! We want you to showcase what interests you because if it interests you, it most likely will interest our readers.

Nippertown is 100% about giving back to our local arts community. Its owners take no monetary compensation in any form. Whatever revenue we generate, we put back into broadening and deepening our area coverage. Becoming part of the team is supporting your own community.