How to Write a Black Archive
Not long ago, I got an email from a fellow writer asking about the best way to pitch a Black Archive. I'm currently one of the editors for the line, and I've written one myself (with a second currently in edits). With the series getting more popular and people actively wanting to take part, it's a great question. I'm not the one and only authority on it—there are four of us—but I had a crack at explaining what makes for a good Archive from my point of view.
At the time of writing (May 2025), the Black Archive is accepting pitches for stories ranging from Day of the Daleks (1972) to Shada (1980). Further windows in different time blocks will be open throughout the year, leading all the way up to contemporary episodes by September. Check out this Facebook post for the full schedule. In other words, you'll have plenty of chances this year to put this advice into practice, and the advice will stay fresh beyond 2025!
So, for the curious, here is (more or less) the outline I gave of How To Pitch An Archive.
Care About the Story You're Covering
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it really helps if what you're covering is something you actively want to talk about. In terms of the Black Archive, I had a lot of thoughts about Heaven Sent when it first aired, and a surprising (to me) number of thoughts about the 20th century serial I'm covering for my next one when I rewatched it. I'm already planning a third because I was so affected by it that my first thought upon finishing the episode was, "I need to talk about this."
That desire to cover something doesn't have to be earth-shattering, but it has to be at least there-ish. Maybe an episode touches on a period of history or an aspect of fiction in which you take a special interest. Maybe it's an episode you love and you want an excuse to dig deeper. Whatever the reason, the desire to cover it should be significantly above "I suppose I could do that."
Have Something Unique to Say
A big reason we might reject an Archive pitch is because there's nothing in it that we can't find on blogs, entertainment websites, or as part of social media discussions. And there's nothing wrong with those points—it's just not the purview of the Archive. The point of these books is to dig deeper in some way; and what that way is depends on the writer.
For instance, I'm really into literary analysis, the psychology of the characters within the series, and how we as viewers interact with Doctor Who. My Heaven Sent book had a chapter on the psychology of the person who takes on the title of "Doctor," and how this episode opens up that interpretation. I also covered what the Confession Dial is, both through Jungian analysis and from the point of view of video game programming.
That doesn't mean yours has to follow those same rules. We've had some Archives that are very dense and historical, others that are more personal. Some focus on the words of the writers, while others lean on mythology and other television shows of the time. What flavor the approach is doesn't matter, as long as there's some meat on it.
Fully Explain Your Trajectory
Another thing that might get an Archive pitch rejected, or at least sent back for a second go, is a lack of idea as to where your book will be going. It wouldn't be enough to write, say, "I will look at Heaven Sent through a Jungian lens." It would be enough to say, "Utilizing Jung's 'dream house,' I will analyze the castle inside the Confession Dial room by room, both demonstrating how Heaven Sent uses this approach for storytelling purposes and examining how this lays bare the Doctor's grief and hidden emotional side." A write-up like this gives us an idea of what we have in hand, and also reassures us that you have a clear thesis in mind.
Of course, I know as well as anyone that things change as you do research. The things I discovered while reading through Tolkien's letters and perusing the history of PTSD diagnosis for my latest Black Archive changed a lot of assumptions I had when I put my pitch together. That's fine. We just want to see where you're leading us.
Read Some Archives
Ideally, read more than one! Find some about your favorite episodes or eras and dig in. Reading more than one will also give you a broader view of what these books entail, whereas reading just one might lead you to think that there's only one way to write an Archive. And, as mentioned above, there's not.
The Archives do have several things in common, but those are all to do with the caliber of research and writing. You don't have to reference weighty academic textbooks or write in dense language. One question I was asked was how academic your sources have to be. In response I pointed out that my bibliography for my next book references a few academic papers and books, but also several interviews, blog posts, the DSM-5, an opera, and a manga. To name a few. It doesn't matter if the sources are "highbrow" or intellectual. It matters that they're good, reliable, and relevant.
As mentioned, there are rolling submission windows between now and September 2025 for pitches from specific eras. I look forward to reading your pitches!
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