There are more than 25 themed calls for pitches/submissions for non-fiction articles, for the 14 magazines/outlets listed here. Some of the themes are: monster; justice; workforce development; issues facing today’s families; plants in love; at work; art is essential; and a Queer history of science. A few specify deadlines, but most do not, so it is best to get queries/pitches in early. – S. Kalekar
Bitch Media: Monster (#89)
This magazine looks at pitches that offer a feminist analysis of culture. For the ‘Monster’ issue, they have extensive guidelines, including: “In this issue, we aim to examine the monsters we all know but are often too terrified to speak of, like healing spaces—houses of worship, for instance—that perpetuate violence; abusive family dynamics that isolate us in cycles of trauma; systems—like foster care—that are meant to protect but are too often used to torment; and anti-union efforts that encourage us to oppose the very organizing that will deliver us from pay inequity and poor working conditions. We are seeking interviews, cultural analysis and criticism, and reported features that take an expansive, incisive look at the monsters that live among us (and, in some cases, inside us) and what it means to slay them, once and for all.” Features pay $700-1,000, dispatches pay $350, and culture pieces pay $250-700. The deadline is 24 August 2020 for this theme. Details here and here.
US Glass – Metal & Glazing: Greenbuild, and other themes
This is a trade magazine for the architectural glass industry. They have no writers guidelines published, but according to their media kit, the November 2020 issue themes are: Green awards, Greenbuild, acoustic glazing, dynamic glass, high-performance glass coatings, skylights and daylighting, sunshades and light shelves, and acid-etched glass. They also have other themes listed. Details here (editorial contact), here (editorial team), and here (editorial calendar/media kit).
Bright Wall/Dark Room: Justice
They publish essays on movies and TV series, and they’re reading now on the ‘Justice’ theme. Their guidelines say, “From courtroom dramas (and farces) to stories of vigilantism and protest to simpler everyday paybacks and punishments, justice can be the work of institutions, individuals, or ad-hoc collectives. They can be idealistic, cynical, or somewhere in the morally murky middle. We’re looking for essays that engage these tough questions with energy, wit, and depth that gives us food for thought (and maybe even hope) as we look to the future.” They’re not, predominantly, looking for essays with real-world relevance. They publish critical essays between 2,000 – 4,000 words, though they also publish in other, longer formats. Pay is $100, and the deadline for this theme is 30 August 2020. They are also accepting unthemed submissions. Details here.
Technical.ly: Civic Tech; Software Development; Workforce Development; Technology of the Future
They are always looking for new voices to chronicle how technology is changing Philadelphia, Delaware, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Their guidelines say, “Our definition of tech and innovation is broad. Think: startups, open data, internet activism, curious use of social media. We’re open. But there has to be a tie to one of our markets — we’re passionate about what’s local. (If you’re not based in any of those regions, we also accept guest posts about tech scenes across the world.) We’re looking for both reported stories (paid) and guest posts and opinion pieces from community leaders (not paid).
We’re particularly passionate about amplifying the voices of women, people of color and other underrepresented folks, so if that’s you, please reach out, even if you haven’t contributed professionally before.” For September, the theme is Civic Tech; for October, Software Development; for November, Workforce Development; and for December 2020, it is Technology of the Future. Details here and here.
American Theatre: People to Watch; Approaches to Training
This is a publication covering theatre in the US. They have an online as well as print edition. They ask for a two-month lead time for material for their print issue. For November, the issue theme is People to Watch; for December 2020/January 2021, they have the Annual Special on Approaches to Training. Details here and here.
Western New York Family: Four themes
They want articles which address current parenting issues. Stories should have a Western New York tie-in whenever possible. For November, the themes are: Issues Facing Today’s Families, and Giving Thanks; for December 2020, they are Holiday Happenings, and Exploring Education (Pull-Out). They’re also interested in work for ‘Shape The Future’ which will focus on all aspects of college choices and preparation for both young people attending for the first time, and adults going back to school to improve their skills or change careers. They need more material written by fathers as well, sharing their perspective and insight on parenting and everyday life in the role of a dad. Articles on making a working parent’s life easier as they juggle multiple roles and responsibilities are also at the top of their list, as are articles on any currently trending topics related to families. They’re also accepting submissions for their regular features and columns. ‘Evergreen’ articles are highly desirable. Pay is $40-150. They prefer full manuscripts to pitches. Details here (the link for downloading the editorial calendar is on that page, under ‘General Editorial Focus’).
ASK Magazine: Shell, Sweet Shell; Plants in Love
This 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.
— Shell, Sweet Shell: For the July/August 2021 issue their guidelines say,
General direction: What’s it like inside a shell?
Possible topics: Why is the ocean full of shelled animals? Why do birds lay eggs that are hard to get out of? How (and why) did cephalopods lose their shells? different kinds of shells and who grows them; how to grow a shell; humans using shells; hermit crab house swapping
They want queries by 30 September 2020 on this theme.
— Plants in Love: For the September 2021 issue their guidelines say,
“General direction: If they’re stuck in the dirt, how do plants get together?
Possible topics: A pollinator for every plant; the first flowers; the oddness of apples; Darwin’s moth; Sneaky plant tricks, how plants get animals to spread their seeds; Boy, girl, or clone? How to tell if a tree is male or female, or both, or neither; genetic engineering for better plants; plants that need humans (how does the corn grow?)”
They want queries by 15 November 2020 for this theme.
They have other themes listed, as well. Details here.
Bass Angler: Winter
They want articles that teach anglers something. They publish articles covering trends, products (no advertorials type pieces) and people in the bass fishing industry. Of interest are in-depth techniques, seasonal tactics, how-to, marketing, sports-health and destination pieces. Their focus is exclusively bass fishing. For the Winter issue, their guidelines say:
“The Winter issue will include a mix of how-to and seasonally adjusted technique articles designed to help bass anglers catch more bass during the coldest part of the year transitioning to the spring. Swimbaits, live Bait for trophy bass, deep water jigs, deep cranking, spin baiting, deep spinnerbaits, ice fishing, trophy bass, keeping warm, staying organized, other bass, deep water reaction, slow and steady, boating safety, bass books, a career in bass fishing and other wintertime techniques are scheduled to be included.”
They will also have tournament articles, winter destination, and lifestyle pieces. Full-length features are 1,200 words; they run shorter pieces also. They ask writers to query them. Article submission deadline is 1 September for the Winter issue. Details here and here.
National Geographic: People showing up for animals in COVID19
Their editor said on Twitter they were looking for pitches on people coming through and showing up for animals during the COVID19 pandemic. Details here (tweet), here (contact details in profile), and here (website).
The Old Schoolhouse: Plant Professions – Careers Involving Plants, and other themes
This is a homeschooling magazine. They are accepting queries now for the Spring 2021 issue, and the themes for feature articles are: Plant Professions – Careers Involving Plants, Florist, Landscaper (Landscape Designer), Arborist, Forestry – Ranger, Plant Geneticist, Agriculture Engineer, Horticulturist, Herbalist, Bio-engineer, Topiary artist/ designer, Hydroponic/Aeroponic farmer, Tree service (Lumberjack), Paleobotanist, Plant taxonomist, Greenhouse/floriculture, Greenskeeper (Golf Course), Agronomist, etc. Other themes are given below.
— Your Favorite Homeschool Speakers and Leaders: 20 Years
— Gardens and Greenhouses Make Money – Stories
— Raising an Entomologist (Insects!)
— Book Reports: Why Do Some Kids Hate Them?
— Nature Studies & Journaling (Unit Studies, Ideas)
— Kids Explore Careers
— Chickens! Coops and Broods! Tell Us Your Stories
— Spelling & Phonics: Give Us Hands-On Ways to Teach
— Language Arts: Writing and Grammar
— Special Needs Homeschooling: Share Your Experiences, or Teach Parents What They Need to Know
— Science: Slime and Other Crazy Concoctions
They have two resource guides also, and the topics for those are: Family Farms & Small Business Owners; and Creative Learning, Reading, and Writing. They have themes listed for other issues, as well. The article submission deadline for this is 30 November 2020 (the query deadline is unspecified, but queries usually close earlier than the submission deadline). Details here.
Voyage: Craft essays on writing YA
This is a new online journal of young adult (YA) writing. They publish year round. They are looking for craft essays, specifically those that relate to the art of writing YA. They’re also interested in pieces that merge personal essay and craft essay— ones that also speak to the experience of being a YA writer. Pay is $50 for craft essays. This magazine also publishes fiction and creative nonfiction in the YA genre, and pays $200 for those. Details here.
Critical Read: Art is Essential; Artwork biographies
Critical Read brings the true stories of the fine, literary and performing arts to a wide readership. They publish artwork biographies, reported stories, profiles, cultural history, essay, interviews and first person stories. Their mission is to re-imagine critical writing about the arts, and to make American art and art history more accessible and discoverable.
— Art is Essential: For this flash nonfiction series their guidelines say, “We are looking for essays of around 300 words on a publically held work created by an American artist—be it visual art, performing art, or literature—that you are turning to now. It could be an appreciation of the art you have access to from your home. It can also be a remembrance of the art you wish you could see or hear right now, or a trip to a museum or arts organization that you wish you could relive. How is this work of art sustaining you right now? How has it transformed you? Why does it drive you?” They’re reading work on this theme until mid-September, and are paying $25 for these essays.
–– Artwork Biography: They want pitches for these deep-dive, fact-based, and narrative-driven essays. Their guidelines say, “By ‘art’ we mean nonprofit arts including but not limited to ballet, drama, classical music, opera, jazz, performance, installation, visual art and more. We have a particular interest in deserving works of art that are not (yet) considered canonical. Our priority is works of art by American artists. We are very interested in pitches about works of art by American artists whose legacies have not been adequately protected.”
They also publish reported pieces. They have other themes also, but charge a submission fee for those. Details here.
Catapult: At Work
They are reading pitches as well as submissions for their ‘At Work’ series. Their guidelines say, “This series features examinations about “work”—the labor we choose to take on (or are forced to take on) to survive. As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, we’re especially interested in hearing from “essential” workers (those in education, food service, medicine/healthcare, etc.). We’re also keen to read stories from people returning to “nonessential” jobs because their employers are open (for example, bookstores).
Often, the essays we publish are a mix of memoir, cultural criticism, and/or reporting, though we welcome new formats as well. Though Catapult is based in the United States, we also welcome pitches and submissions from those writing in different countries.” Submissions are 4,000 words or fewer. They are reading till end-August for this theme. Details 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:
‘The Mismeasure of LGBT People: A Queer History of Science’. They are also accepting work on these two themes:
— ‘The Social Network Revisited: What has changed?’; and
— ‘The Science of Sexuality: New findings and perspectives’.
They invite suggestions for topics, as well. Pay for original feature articles has doubled to $200, and they pay $100 for book reviews. Details here.
Author 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.
