These 20 outlets have 26 themes, for which they are accepting nonfiction submissions and pitches. Some of the themes are: underrepresented American artists; issues affecting women; the consequences of war and geopolitical violence; the ritual; air; LGBT subcultures; currency; the fungus among us; lost and found; tech for writers; parenthood, uncensored; gardening stories; climate justice; and consumable culture. A few also publish other genres, like fiction and poetry. – S. Kalekar
Critical Read: Open Canon – Underrepresented American Artists
Critical Read brings the true stories of the American fine, literary and performing arts to a wide readership. They publish artwork biographies (pitches for these will be read from September to December – see guidelines), reported stories, profiles, cultural history, essay, interviews and first person stories. They are accepting pitches for a new series, artist profiles for Open Canon. Their guidelines say, “we’re looking for stories of underappreciated American artists.
We are particularly interested in those writers, artists, and performers whose work has been unfairly overlooked or forgotten because of their race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.
We want short, informative profiles of these American artists whose work hasn’t historically been considered canonical but maybe should be. What was their most important contribution to American art history? Was it a particular way of working, an idea, a style?” They are also currently accepting both submissions and pitches for reported stories, scenes, interviews, and cultural history essays. Details here.
The Fuller Project: Issues that affect women
They are looking for freelance pitches on issues that affect women in the US, and globally. According to their updated pitch template (which you can download from the guidelines page), the articles can fall into these categories: Race, identity, and equality; Caregiving/child care; Economy & labor; Environment/climate justice; Health (including coronavirus/covid-19); Immigration & migration; Politics & policy; Violence against women; or Other. They do not do profiles, essays, or op-eds. They pay competitive rates. Details here.
The Capilano Review: The Ritual
They want submissions for their web folio, and the theme is ‘The Ritual’. They want prose (nonfiction and fiction), poetry, images, audio, and hybrid works. Their guidelines say, “A ritual is a sequence of actions, gestures, thoughts, intentions, habits; it can be performed publicly or privately, revolve around the sublime or mundane, operate as an act of alchemical magic, or encompass the everyday banal. Continuing the conversation started in (the earlier issue, titled New Physicalities), which considered distance and “staying in touch,” our forthcoming (issue) will consider the lingering effects of the pandemic lockdowns and ask if the rituals you’ve formed during the past year have enduring power.
How have apprehension and ease reinforced what you believe to be a sacred act? Have you become more (or less) in tune with your body and its surroundings? More intentional with your practice? How do you imagine these small rituals carrying over into your life as we move toward a reopening and reunion with friends and loved ones?” They are keen to receive experimental work. Submissions should be up to 6 pages, up to 450 words per page. Pay is $50. The deadline is 31 August 2021 for this theme. Details here (theme details) and here (Submittable).
Al-Jazeera: Afghanistan from Europe
In the Tweet dated 16th August, the editor of Al-Jazeera Tweeted that they wanted “pitches (news and features) related to Afghanistan from Europe – from exclusives on evacuations to smart analytics/character-driven stories on the refugee situation.” The Tweet is here and the contact is in the bio here.
The Gay & Lesbian Review: Three themes
This is a bimonthly magazine targeting an educated readership of GLBT men and women. Their tagline is “a bimonthly journal of history, culture, and politics,” and they publish essays in a wide range of disciplines as well as reviews of books, movies, and plays. Features are 2,000-4,000 words, and reviews are 600-1,200 words. They also have interviews, artist profiles, and other columns. They accept both pitches and completed pieces. They have announced a new theme: ‘LGBT Subcultures: From bears to bisexuals’. They are also accepting work on these two themes: ‘Black and Gay: Intersectional realities in the age of BLM’ and ‘The Social Network Revisited: What has changed?’. They invite suggestions for topics, as well. They also publish poetry. Pay for original feature articles is $200, and full-length book reviews pay $100. Details here.
ASK Magazine: The Fungus Among Us; Islands
ASK is Cricket Media’s science and non-fiction magazine for 7- to 10-year-olds. The ideal article is an engaging non-fiction story (or cartoon) that is concrete, specific, and appealing to newly independent readers (grades 3–5), but that an adult reader might also find interesting – it should tell a good story, with an emphasis on ideas and problem-solving. They have feature articles, photo essays, humor pieces, profiles/interviews of scientists, inventors, engineers, and artists, theme-appropriate science experiments, and science panel cartoons. They want pitches on a few themes, including these:
— The Fungus Among Us: “What’s so fun about fungi? So many things!
What are fungi, what can they do for us, and to us? How are inventors using them? Can they save the world?” They want pitches by 30 August 2021 for this theme.
— Islands: “What’s so special about an island?
Island stories, what makes islands, island animals.” They want pitches by 30 September 2021 for this theme.
They have other themes listed too, with later deadlines. Details here (scroll down, click on ‘ASK Magazine’).
MUSE Magazine: Delicious; Lost and Found
Cricket Media’s Muse Magazine is a discovery (science, non-fiction) magazine for 9-14-year-olds. They publish feature articles (800–2,000 words, including sidebars), profiles and interviews, particularly of underrepresented STEM professionals (500–800 words), activities and experiments (500–800 words), photo essays (100–300 words), science fiction or science-focused fiction (800–1,200 words), and infographics. They are currently reading article pitches a few themes, including these:
— Delicious: “How pepper conquered the world; where spices come from; weird delicacies through history (ex: Roman cuisine, with parrot’s tongues, garum, etc.). The science of taste—how do scientists engineer flavor? Why does cooking change food and the way it tastes? How do chefs invent new dishes? Can you cook food without heat? Does how food looks influence how it tastes? Why are picky eaters so picky?” They want queries by 30 August 2021 on this theme.
— Lost and Found: “What are the weirdest things in a lost and found office? Animals that were thought to be lost or extinct but surprised scientists; lost cities—finding Mayan cities in the jungle with radar, a comic legend for Atlantis; ships and planes that disappeared; people who disappear and suddenly reappear years later; searching for lost treasure; did pirates really bury their gold? Using forensics and technology on treasure hunts. Saxon hoards buried in fields; reconstructing things that have been lost with computer imagery. The first detectives. How to get found if you are lost in the woods.” They want queries by 15 September 2021 on this theme.
They have other themes listed too, with later deadlines. Details here (scroll down, click on ‘MUSE Magazine’).
Writer’s Digest: Exploring Point of View; Tech for Writers
This print and online magazine aims to “keep readers abreast of industry trends, of the latest writers who found success and what they did to achieve it, and of innovative ways to improve and empower the inner raconteur” of their readers. They consider completed manuscripts on spec, as well as original pitches. They say writers should allow 2-4 months for a response. They have a few themes listed, including these:
— Exploring Point of View (for March/April 2022): “We’re taking a deep dive on POV. Don’t be afraid to get nuanced with your pitches because we want to cover this from every angle: fiction, nonfiction, writing for children, non-human POV, including who’s narrating, writing, and reading the story.”
— Tech for Writers (for May/June 2022): “Showcasing all of the ways technology appears in writing and can help writers be more efficient in their craft and business.”
There are other issue themes listed, as well. They have several departments where writers can pitch: Inkwell, 300-1,000 words (best place for a new writer to break in – often an opinion-based piece, weaving a narrative and drawing out tips for readers; can discuss theoretical or timely concepts; trends, humor, insight on news that will still be relevant when our next issue hits stores, weird and intriguing tidbits about the writing world, as well as features); 5-minute memoir, 600 words (reflections on writing life); writing technique articles, 1,000-2,400 words, as well as market reports and other features. There are other columns too – WD 101, and The MFA Workbook (formerly The Writer’s Workbook). For the print magazine, pay is $0.30-0.50/word. They don’t pay for online content unless it is unique and highly focused, in which case they pay $50-100. Details here (guidelines) and here (themes).
BRINK: Currency
Apart from nonfiction, they also publish fiction, poetry, and hybrid works. They are reading work on the ‘Currency’ theme. Their guidelines say, “We often think of currency as a token, a medium used as part of an exchange. Currency is money but it is about so much more than transaction. It signifies acceptance. It proclaims agreement.
How has our cultural understanding of currency changed over time? Are NFT’s really the future of money? What happens when currency is used as a means of destruction or satisfaction? Write about currency as a barrier to need. Other than money, what circulates and is accepted? Tell us stories of when you lacked currency. Tell us stories about value and worth and work.
We are interested in work that focuses on the edge, the brink, of currency. What surrounds currency? What are the images, sounds, ideas, people, movements, and opportunities?”
They pay $25 to $100, and are reading submissions on this theme until 31 August 2021. Details here (general guidelines, pay rates, open submission periods) and here (theme details; Submittable).
Keeping It Under Wraps: Parenthood, Uncensored
This is a nonfiction anthology. They are looking for 20-25 writers “who would like to write personal stories or essays for an anthology together about their experiences, views and ideas of parenthood, the choice to be, or not to be parents.” They have extensive guidelines, and some of the themes/suggestions writers could look at are: Anxiety/Mental Health; LGBTQ Relationships; Single Parenting; Miscarriages/Loss of Children; Generational Trauma; Abuse; and Love it/Hate it. Submissions have to be 1,000-5,000 words, and pay is 50chf. Writers can use pen names. The deadline is 1 September 2021. Details here.
The Progressive: Climate change, racial justice, etc.
The Progressive Magazine is an American magazine that aims “to amplify voices of dissent and voices under-represented in the mainstream, with a goal of championing grassroots progressive politics.” According to a Twitter thread, they want pitches for their web edition. They have listed several themes, including climate change, racial justice, disabilities, LGBTQ+ rights, housing, labor, economic disparity, political doc/book reviews, and immigration. Pay is $100-150 for web pieces (800-1,200 words). Details here.
Cunning Folk: Air
This is an independent magazine of occult literature. “Through journalism, personal essays, scholarly articles and short stories, we’re curious to reflect on the relevance of the occult, folklore, mythology, and magic in our world today.” They are reading submissions for a print issue, and the theme is ‘Air’. They have extensive guidelines, including “Air carries sound and light. In various cosmologies, air is often envisioned as the life-force: the breath in yoga, prana—we pollute it at our own peril. Then there is speculation about other things that inhabit this middle world: ghosts, poltergeists, daimons or demons, energies, vibrations and all manner of other phenomena. Or perhaps it is the empty space onto which we project all we imagine. In the occult and folklore, this element brings to mind the suit of swords, associated with intellect and sorrow, and a whole host of flying creatures and witches riding broomsticks through the night. Tell us about the spaces between things, share tales of such creatures, of flying ointment, birds as messengers, the unseen but felt, the wind and singing sands.” They want pitches of personal essays, articles, recipes and how-tos, interviews with interesting people, and are particularly keen to hear from practitioners, authors and scholars. They want submissions of photo essays. They do not want unsolicited fiction or poetry for the print magazine, though they accept these for their online magazine, Spiritus Mundi. Pay is £50, and they are accepting pitches and submissions on the ‘Air’ theme until 15 October 2021. Details here.
Pulitzer Center: 2021 Connected Coastlines Grants
This is an opportunity for US-based journalists. The Pulitzer Center is seeking applications from journalists who want to report stories as part of Connected Coastlines, a nationwide climate reporting initiative in U.S. coastal states. Started in 2019, this initiative is building a consortium of newsrooms and independent journalists across the U.S. to report on the local effects of erratic weather patterns on coastal populations using the latest climate science. Their guidelines say, “We are eager to receive proposals from staff journalists and freelancers who wish to report on coastal stories, underpinned by recent climate science, data, or research, for publication or broadcast by small and regional news outlets in U.S. coastal states.” They prioritize proposals that can be completed in 1-4 months. The ideal range for most awards will be between $2,000 to $8,000. Grants are open now and approved on a rolling basis. Details here.
The Antihumanist: Anti-human narratives
This magazine publishes anti-human essays (750-1,500 words), letters (up to 350 words), as well as flash fiction. Their guidelines say, “We want essays and letters that challenge human centred narratives, that force us to confront our place in the universe, that make us question: Who are we? Why are we here? Is there a purpose?
Equally, we are willing to accept essays that challenge the antihumanist project and explicitly refute antihumanist assumptions and presuppositions.
However, we are not interested in essays which ignore antihumanism entirely.” They also have details on how they want the essay structured, as well as other hints and tips. Pay is $0.05/word. The deadline is 31 August 2021. Details here.
GreenPrints: Your True Personal Gardening Stories
This magazine publishes true stories of gardeners; their tagline is ‘The Weeder’s Digest’. They are currently looking for true personal gardening stories. They have extensive guidelines about the kind of work they want, including “Expressive, thoughtful, humorous, angry, contrite, flippant, searching, witty, observant, sad, inviting— whatever! We focus on the human, not how-to side of gardening. On the people as well as the plants.” Send submissions of up to 2,000 words. Payment is up to $150. The deadline is 28 August 2021. Details here.
Reckoning 6: Climate justice
Reckoning is a magazine of climate justice, and they want submissions for their sixth issue. They want work “about environmental justice that addresses the intersection between social upheaval and environmental changes, from collapses to breakthroughs, and everything in between. People’s large-scale relationships to the Earth produce formidable stories of devastation and resilience, which we welcome, but we also welcome those moments of intimacy, of quiet revolution, of deciding that changing the world means understanding and fighting for one’s place in it. We’re especially interested in work that demolishes or subverts binaries; that engages all the senses and emotions; and deals in hope, complexity, and complicity.” Also, they want nonfiction stories “of environmental racism, of mental health intertwined with climate justice, of reckoning with systemic inequities during natural disasters, be they incisive or philosophical, bleak or hopeful, private or macrocosmic.” They also publish fiction and poetry. They specially want work from anyone who has suffered the consequences, intended or otherwise, of dominant society’s systemic disconnect with and mistreatment of the natural world. Pay is $0.08/word for prose, of up to 20,000 words. The deadline is 22 September 2021.
Details here (general guidelines) and here (theme details).
The Dirty Spoon Radio Hour & Journal: Consumable Culture
This is a radio show and online journal. They want essays, interviews and articles about people “who work in our consumable culture.” They want non-fiction only – personal essays, story-driven interview profiles and narrative non-fiction journalism. They welcome contributors–first time authors, established writers, chefs, servers, food industry workers, farmers, foodies, non-foodies, and everyone in between to pitch or submit. They rarely take work from writers outside the US – they seek to place American stories of food and consumable culture within the global context. Finished essays, profiles and articles typically run between 750-1,500 words. Pay is $50. They read submissions from January to October each year. Details here.
DeSoto Magazine: Making a Difference/Charitable Giving; Holiday Wishes & More
This monthly upscale lifestyle magazine is focused on stories about life in Mississippi, Memphis and the Mid-South. They accept pitches for articles about people, cuisine, history, southern culture, human interest, travel, gardening, health and the arts. Length guidelines are: features — 1,000 to 1,200 words; departments – 750 to 850 words; and Essays (Reflections) —500 words. Rates are $50 for On the Road Again, $100 for essays and In Good Spirits, $175 for most departments, and to $240 for features. The deadline for their November issue, ‘Making a Difference/Charitable Giving’, is 15 September; for the December issue, on the ‘Holiday Wishes & More’ theme, it is 15 October 2021. Details here.
Undark Podcast: Intersection of science and society
Undark Magazine publishes a mix of long-form, narrative-driven journalism, shorter features, profiles, essays, op-eds, book excerpts, Q&A’s, reviews, photography, digital video, and data visualizations. Currently, for their podcast, they are looking for experienced audio journalists with a proven track record producing feature-length audio documentaries to pitch them ideas for features of topics at the intersection of science and society. Their guidelines say, “The Undark Podcast continues its mission of illuminating the places where science intersects with our everyday lives by delivering — once a month from September to May — a feature-length exploration of a single, fascinating topic at this convergence. Scientific questions and challenges are woven deeply into our politics, our economics, our culture — and they are animated by a wide spectrum of competing values and interests. Our goal is to present rich, narrative-driven audio stories of science as it manifests amid that push-and-pull of human society.” Also, “We’re looking for stories with a mix of sound from real people out in the world and good conversations with experts and decision makers. Successful pieces will deftly navigate scientific and technical details, while making them both captivating and relevant for our general audience.” They pay $3,000 for a 25-minute piece, for the podcast. Details here (podcast pitch guidlines), here (magazine pitch guidelines), and here (portal).
Consequence Forum: Human consequences of war and geopolitical violence
Consequence Forum is an independent, non-profit organization that publishes two monthly features online (in addition to other online content) and a print journal in the fall and the spring. Apart from nonfiction (interviews, reviews, essays, and narrative nonfiction of up to 5,000 words), they publish reviews, fiction, poetry, visual art, and translations focused on the human consequences and realities of war and geopolitical violence. Pay is $40-80 for print prose and $80 for online prose. The deadline is 15 October 2021. Details here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She is the author of 182 Short Fiction Publishers. She can be reached here.
