These are calls for non-fiction pitches or submissions. Some of the themes are: play; music/culture; race, ethnicity; AI; environments of film and television; weave; global health; attachment styles; immigration; Silicon Valley’s impact outside the West; queer travel stories; boundaries; and fresh starts & fresh endings. – S. Kalekar
MIT Technology Review: Play
MIT Technology Review is looking for pitches on the Play theme for its July/August print issue. “As always, the theme is a loose prompt. We’re looking for pitches for longer pieces: narrative features, investigations, essential profiles, and super-sharp essays. This call for pitches is mostly aimed at journalists, but if you’re an expert with a strong idea, please don’t hesitate to reach out.” Their general pitch guide also says, “Rates range from $1 to $2 per word, depending on the experience level of the writer, the story, and the publication route. Deeply reported features pay more than shorter news pieces.” The pitch deadline for the Play theme is 15 January 2024. See the editor’s call here and here, and their general pitch guide, which also includes themes for future issues, is here.
SPIN: Music/Culture stories
SPIN is “a magazine of music and culture that surrounds it”, see their website here. Their editor has issued a call for pitches: “Seeking pitches for music/culture stories… Bring your fun/weird/silly/thought-provoking ideas. No “album coming out” profiles. No reviews. Pretty anything else is cool.” And, “Evergreen is great; otherwise, think March and beyond. Pay varies, depending on story.” See the post here.
In These Times: Race, ethnicity, and more
In These Times is “A publication committed to informing and advancing movements for social, economic, racial and environmental justice.” You can read about them here. “We are looking for #Culture pitches and draft submissions that explore race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexuality, class, disabilities, capitalism and/or climate, etc. and its impact on our lives. … We consider #Essays #PersonalEssays #ShortStories #PhotoEssays #Poetry #GraphicLiterature #Comics and Q&As. … We consider submissions from writers of all backgrounds, and are particularly excited to uplift #Palestinian #Congolese #Sudanese #Immigrant #BIPOC and #Trans voices at this time. Pay rate: $375 for short dispatches and op-eds. $0.50-$1 per word for other articles, depending on format. Poetry, Comics, and Photo Essay rates depend on length and format, ranging between $100-900 per assignment. We also pay for accompanying photos/art where appropriate.” See the thread here.
Scientific American: AI, robots, and more
Scientific American publishes news, features, opinion and analysis articles on recent scientific discoveries, social and policy issues, technical innovations and overviews of impactful research. Their associate tech editor is looking for pitches; “I’ll be editing stories on AI, robots, misinfo, etc — if you have ideas & pitches, please get in touch!” See the pitch call here. See their general pitch guide here.
Orion Magazine: Environments of film and television
Orion is a magazine of nature and culture, you can read about them here. They’re looking for article pitches. “We’re excited to read your pitches for essays on the environments of film and television. Send us your story ideas about the viewing experiences that sharpened your view of nature — watching climate disasters in blockbuster movies, inhabiting the landscapes of the drive-in, or researching the carbon footprint of streaming. Please note that we are looking for nonfiction pitches, not full stories.” They do not want poetry or fiction. Pay is unspecified. They want pitches up to 500 words, and the pitch deadline is 15 January 2024. Details here and here. (Later in January, they will also open for reader-submitted photography; the theme for that is ‘Puddles, splashes, floods, and other images where water meets land’, and payment for that is magazine subscription, see here.)
Griffith Review: Attachment Styles
Griffith Review is an Australian literary and current affairs journal; they mostly publish work of Australian writers, and some work by international writers. They’re currently accepting nonfiction submissions only, on the ‘Attachment Styles’ theme. They have detailed guidelines on the theme, which is about going “far beyond the family tree to consider the pleasures, pitfalls and peculiarities of our messy human relations.”. They want complete submissions of up to 4,000 words only, not pitches. The deadline is 14 January 2024. Details on the theme, as well as future themes for 2024, are here. Submit here.
(They also say here that they’ll issue a separate call for poetry, later in January.)
Consequence Magazine: War and geopolitical violence
They publish work “that addresses the human experiences, realities, and consequences of war and geopolitical violence through literature and art.” They accept non-fiction of up to 4,000 words (interviews, essays, and narrative non-fiction), fiction (including flash and excerpts), poetry, translations, and art. All works will be considered for online and print. Pay is $30-50 for print prose, $50 for online prose, and $20/poem. The next reading period opens soon, on is 15 January 2024, and will remain open until mid-April. Their submission portal for will open for most categories during the reading period; translations are open now. Details here.
Poets & Writers: Writing Communities
They publish articles of interest to emerging and established literary writers. They publish News & Trends, The Literary Life Essays (on the more contemplative aspects of writing, ranging from creative process to the art of reading), The Practical Writer (advice and how-to articles that offer nuts and bolts information about the business of creative writing), and features – articles, essays, profiles, and interviews regarding American literature. According to their section for advertisers, for May/June 2024, the issue theme is ‘Writing Communities’ (see ‘Upcoming Issues and Deadlines’ here). They do not publish fiction or poetry, or reviews. They take both, story proposals, and articles on spec, and take 4-6 weeks to respond to queries or manuscripts. Details here (themes) and here (writers’ guidelines).
Prairie Fire: 50 Over 50
This is a call for Canadian women writers over 50 years old. “Prairie Fire is giving centre stage to women writers fifty and over! This special issue is a celebration that honours and recognizes the enormous contribution of living Canadian women writers, who have helped shape CanLit and continue to do so.
If you are a woman, aged fifty and over, have at least one published piece of writing (literary journals, non-literary journals, writing group publications, anthologies, books, etc… we’re really not picky on this point.) and live in Canada (or lived a substantial amount of your life in Canada) then we want to see your unpublished work, as we compile this mosaic of new writing to be released in fall of 2024. We ask that all submitters be 50 years of age or older by the deadline, February 15th, 2024.” Length guidelines are up to 8,000 words for creative nonfiction and fiction, and up to 3 poems. Pay is CAD0.10/word up to $250 for prose, and CAD40/poem; you can see payment rates here. Details for the call are here. (Apart from this themed call, you can see their general submissions guidelines here.)
just femme & dandy: Time Travel
This is a biannual literary & arts magazine for and by the LGBTQIA+ community on fashion; they want work on the ‘Time Travel’ theme. They have detailed guidelines, including, “We want to hear about the historical figures that informed your developing queer/trans styles, what you imagine for our queer future. Think Queerasures & Queertopias: Past, Present, and In Futurity! We’re particularly interested in receiving submissions that considers queer fashion, past, present, or future in terms of climate change and fashion’s role in (un)sustainability. We would love to hear from up and coming drag artists and independent fashion designers. You are welcome to send us submissions outside of the theme, but submissions that relate to the theme are highly encouraged. We accept anything that can be displayed on a website: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, tutorial, illustration, comix, photography, painting, video, drag, costume/fashion designs, hot takes, interviews, and so on!” They pay $50 per text-based submission and up to $150 per multimedia submission (video, photography, image + text, fashion spread + interview, etc.). The submission deadline is 15 January 2024. Details here.
American Craft: Weave
This is a magazine about American craft and its makers. They publish reported articles, essays, and opinion pieces. They have detailed guidelines, including, “From the handmade that we use in our homes every day to the fine craft honored in museums, we cover inspiring craft being made today. We also showcase craft organizations making a difference in their communities, thought leadership in the field, and the importance of craft in contemporary American culture.” They publish articles, essays, and opinion pieces – on artists, craft that brings together a community, handmade goods, galleries, and much more. For Fall 2024, they will publish work on the Weave theme. “Weaving brings materials—and people—together. Whether it’s clothing that provides warmth and beauty, handwoven textiles that create a welcoming home, baskets that carry important things, or the way new ideas emerge when people partner up, we explore the ties that bind, patterns that thrill, and the strength that comes from synthesis. This issue also includes profiles of artists and others honored as 2024 American Craft Council Fellows.” The issue will have special coverage, and the themes for those are: Textiles; Jewelry; and Craft Collections / Auctions. Stories for American Craftare generally assigned at 400-2,000 words; pitch via the form on their guidelines page. Pay is $0.50–$1.00/word.Pitches for the Weave theme are due 12 February 2024. Detailshere.
(American Craft is also reading for Winter 2024, on the Interior theme; that has a May deadline).
The Telegraph UK: Global Health
The Deputy Global Health Editor of The Telegraph, UK, has issued a pitch call: “Call for global health pitches – and a look back at what we did in 2023. Our remit is broad! Freelancers – keep this in mind. In the past year, we’ve covered everything from Ebola outbreaks and kidney rackets to sexual violence in Ukraine and natural disasters.” They have listed some pieces from the past year, and say, “Freelancers: if you have an idea which touches upon similar themes, please do get in touch. We steer clear of ‘wonky’ and ‘dense’ policy stories, of which there are many in the global health beat, so I’d encourage you to do the same. Instead, consider whether your story is telling our readers something they didn’t already know and if it feature strong human-led case studies (which we love, as you’ll see in our coverage). And remember: how can you angle your story to appeal to a traditional Telegraph reader?” See the pitch call/thread here.
Business Insider: Quitting Technology
Business Insider is “Looking for essay pitches on quitting technology and how you feel about it. Say you moved from having a smart phone to a flip phone, or removed all the smart devices from your house.” See the editor’s post here.
Business Insider: Life decisions because of pop culture
The Lifestyle/Entertainment editor of Business Insider has issued a pitch call: “Did you become a doctor because of Grey’s Anatomy? Move to Forks because of Twilight? Start a career in music because you were a fan girl? Looking for pitches from people who made life decisions because of pop culture for @BusinessInsider! … Rates start at $225.” See the call here.
Ploughshares: Look2 essays
Apart from work for the literary magazine, Ploughshares is also accepting submissions for the Look2 essay series. “This series seeks to publish essays about underappreciated or overlooked writers. The Look2 essay should take stock of a writer’s entire oeuvre with the goal of bringing critical attention to the neglected writer and his or her relevance to a contemporary audience. … The writer can be living or dead and from anywhere in the world (if there are good English translations available). Essays should make note of biographical details that are pertinent to the writer’s work.” They accept only pitches/queries of 1-2 pages, not completed work, for this series. There is no submission fees for Look2 essays. Pay is $45/page, up to $450. The pitch deadline is 15 January 2024. Details here.
Nikon Magazine
The editor of UK-based Nikon Magazine has issued a pitch call for journalists: “Always looking to increase my freelancers base at Nikon magazine, if you’re a journalist who writes tutorial-based articles and uses a Nikon camera (at a pinch knows a lot about Nikon cameras) send me an email & clips: Fee 30p per word (depending on scope etc).” The call was issued on 11th January, and the deadline is “Next week ideally”. See the call here.
Rest of World: AI; Electric vehicles; Silicon Valley’s impact outside the West
Rest of World’s website says, “Our vision is to become an indispensable source of information that captures people’s experiences with technology outside the West.” You can read what they’ve published here. Their Features Director has issued a pitch call. “Pitch me on:
– AI
– electric vehicles
– Silicon Valley’s impact outside the West
As always, the focus must be outside North America/Western Europe.” See the call here. Their masthead is here.
(Rest of World is also open for Tech X Religion Fellowships – three successful candidates will get $10,000, mentorship, and more, the deadline to apply is 31 January 2023, details here.)
The Lead: Climate change, Immigration, Education, and more
Their website says, “The Lead is a micro-mag: a lean, mean site on politics, culture, and everything in between. We cover the sharp angles that define our life in the UK today: poverty, racism, climate change, corporate and government malfeasance, the breakdown of our healthcare system and the fracturing of the state. … our aim is not just to inform: it’s to restore agency.” They want to hear from UK-based writers – “Send us your best ideas for features, op-eds or investigations on climate change – immigration – education – housing – race – inequality… We also want brilliant, original, engaging stories on culture (with a political peg) – the NHS
As always, writers from marginalised communities are specifically encouraged to pitch!” See the pitch call/thread here.
Inkcap Journal: Environment in Britain
This journal publishes reported features, interviews and essays, on the environment in Britain: England, Wales and Scotland, and they accept pitches on these topics. “We particularly like pieces that engage with thorny issues at the heart of nature conservation, tackle issues of social justice, or tell an unexpected story. We like articles on humans, habitats, plants and animals. And we welcome diverse voices and perspectives.” They pay £100-300. See their pitch guide here.
Condé Nast Traveler: Updated pitch guide, Queer travel stories, and more
An editor for Condé Nast Traveler has issued a pitch call – “we updated the @cntraveler pitch guide; hit me up w/ queer travel stories AND essays/reporting on specific identities—also points & miles and (après) ski in particular, i’d love stories re: destinations w/ surprising/unexpected queer communities thriving”. They want to “expand the scope of “queer travel writing,” … how are local queers making spaces for themselves and guests?”, and, “i’m especially keen on stories from South America, Africa, and Asia”, and more. Rates start at $300 for 500 to 600 words. See the pitch call/thread here, and their pitch guide here.
Brink Literary Journal: Boundaries
This literary magazine publishes non-fiction, fiction, poetry, translations, and cross-genre work; they’re particularly interested in hybrid/cross-genre submissions. They want submissions on the ‘Boundaries’ theme. “Boundaries indicate limits. Metaphorical and literal, they are lines drawn in the sand and across maps. They define space through the use of perimeters and distance. Think bone. Think bound. Think born. Boundaries divide; land, people, language, customs, and histories. Boundaries confine and resist.
And yet, our collective knowledge has expanded precisely because boundaries of thought, science, medicine, and creativity have been broken, stretched, and annihilated. Boundaries are thresholds to cross. They mark beginnings, they represent fresh new horizons. With consent and context, boundaries break.
Show us, create for us, these exact things. Take us to the edge, the brink, of boundaries.” Pay is $25/poem, and $50-100 for prose. The deadline is 31 January 2024. Details here and here.
(They’re also open for a hybrid writing contest, which has a submission fee.)
Taproot Magazine: Land
They want pieces exploring the topics of food, farm, family and craft. The magazine is divided into three sections: Head – essays about living a more connected life; Hands – recipes, crafts and projects to make yourself; and Heart – the personal experience of more connected living. Also, “We are looking for traditional and modern crafts. We are looking for recipes, and techniques to be carried into the kitchen, the garden, the pasture, the urban homestead, the rural farm.” Articles are 800-4,000 words. The theme for their upcoming issue, to be published mid-Summer 2024, is Land. The deadline is 1 February 2024. They have another theme listed, with a later deadline. Details here.
The New Territory: Creative nonfiction for the literature section, and more
The New Territory is a biannual indie magazine of the Lower Midwest, edited by and for Midwesterners. Their callout says, “The NT is seeking a fresh batch of creative nonfiction submissions for the literature section + journalism-based pitches for future features. Are you a writer? Do you have a connection to the Lower Midwest?”. The budget for essays is $75-150 (depending on how many get accepted), and the deadline is 15 March 2024. See the callout here, and the general magazine guidelines are here.
The Feminist Press: Absolute Pleasure – Queer Reflections on Five Messy Decades of The Rocky Horror Picture Show
This is a call for essays by queer and trans writers on The Rocky Horror Picture Show for an anthology. They have detailed guidelines, including, “To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the film’s debut, Taneka Stotts and Margot Atwell are working with Feminist Press to create an anthology of nonfiction essays by queer and trans writers about The Rocky Horror Picture Show, what it means to you, its place in the culture and film history, and more. We want this book to contend with the film and its full legacy, in all its messy, problematic, murderous glory. The anthology will be published in 2025 by Feminist Press under the name Absolute Pleasure: Queer Reflections on Five Messy Decades of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” They’ve detailed some themes they hope explored, which include Rocky Horror’s place and role in queer communities, in the past and today; representations of race, disability, gender identity, sexuality, and internalized queerphobia (positive and problematic); and more. Pay is $0.08/word for essays of 1,500–7,000 words, and possible bonuses. Submission is via a form. The deadline is 1 March 2024. Details here.
The Sun: Fresh starts & fresh endings
The Sun Magazine wants work “about fresh starts & fresh endings. Tell me about when you quit a job and moved to an off-grid cabin. Ever blow up your life? Send me the essay”. They want complete essays only, not pitches. Rates begin at $200 and they will accept essays up to 7,000 words; the deadline for this theme is 19 January 2024. See the submission call/thread by their Assistant Editor here. The Sun also publishes unthemed non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and art; usually, they charge for online, but not mailed, submissions. Except for the themed call, for which they’re accepting work by email, they only accept work via Submittable, for which there is a submission fee, or by post, for which there is no fee. Their general submission guidelines are here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.
