Have you published something with them before? If you have they might cut you a lot more slack than if you are a first time writer. I've noticed magazines/papers like that tend to look not too happily at deviants from the normal. But, send the letter and see what the person says.
Edit: Attach some stuff you've written or that has been published. That way when the guy reads it he can look at your old work and get an idea of where you are coming from.