Dear Writers,
Here’s a huge list of calls for pitches directly from editors and publishers, covering a very large variety of topics.
Payment rates are generally listed with each call. We’ve done our best to research this information, but it certainly isn’t set in stone. You are still likely to need to negotiate pay rates.
For those interested in getting started as a freelance writer, I highly recommend watching this free webinar.
If you’re not confident in your ability to approach publishers, please read this first.
Thanks to Fatima Saif for her extensive research on this article.
– Jacob Jans
The Calvert Journal is an online magazine that is “dedicated to exploring the culture and creativity of the New East: Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Russia and Central Asia.” They cover architecture, design, business, tech and start-ups, music, film, theatre, books, fashion, travel, photography, and more. They are currently accepting pitches. They pay £200 for features and £150 for photo stories. Read their features editor’s Twitter thread here and their submission guidelines here.
All Stats Aren’t We is “a Leeds United media channel that focuses on the statistical and tactical aspects of the game.” They are looking for analytics/tactics writers who want to write about Leeds United. They have a couple of free slots in their weekly schedule. They will pay £50 per piece. To learn more, refer to this Tweet.
PROTOCOLS is “a publication for provocative Jewish writing, art, and politics.” They are seeking pitches for essays, criticism, and reviews for their Issue # 8: Contracting at the Seams. Fiction and creative nonfiction should be up to 6,000 words, and short-shorts and linked shorts should be 500 to 1,000 words. There are no line limits for poetry. Pay will be $75 for original work and $50 for revised work. Send pitches to submissions@prtcls.com. Read their Twitter thread here. Learn more here and here.
Deadline: September 4th, 2020
Yoga Journal is looking for pitches about the yoga and wellness community. They are specifically looking for “stories about innovative leadership; inclusive approaches to teaching; yoga service organizations; new businesses, spaces, styles, and methods that help make wellness accessible; personal essays on transformation through yoga and new alternative and complementary healing modalities; and more.” They pay $125 to $400 for columns, $1 per word for features (1,500 to 4,000 words), and $200 to $250 for reported stories (400 to 800 words). For more information, refer to their Twitter thread and contributor guidelines.
RainMaker is looking for personal finance-related pitches. They want pieces for “black and brown community, generation X late 30’s to late 50’s.” The pieces can be about retirement, budgeting, homebuying, and credit. They will pay a flat rate of $50-$150 per project. For details, refer to this Twitter thread.
The Texas Observer is a bimonthly magazine and website that offers sharp reporting on news, politics, and culture of Texas. They are looking for freelancers. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.50 per word. For details, refer to this Tweet and this page.
The Real News Network is an independent, nonprofit news network that is focused on providing uncompromising and fact-based journalism. They are “looking for someone to write a piece on politics, race, and the WNBA.” They will pay $1 per word for about 1,000 words. Email your pitches to lisa@therealnews.com. To learn more, refer to this Tweet. To contact them, refer to this page.
The Order of the Good Death is “a group of funeral industry professionals, academics, and artists exploring ways to prepare a death phobic culture for their inevitable mortality.” The Collective for Radical Death Studies is “an organization formed to decolonize death studies and radicalize death practice.” They are both looking for pitches for a series that will address racism and racial disparities in end of life teaching and practice. They want articles of about 800 to 1,000 words. Their rates will start at $250+. Email your pitches to deathsubmissions@gmail.com. To learn more, refer to this Tweet and this page.
BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ writers who want to expand their writing portfolio should fill out this form. Preference will be given to US writers because of time zones and topic relatability. Topics will generally be about the minority experience as it relates to how they are marketed to, diversity and inclusion, and tech. Pay will start from $125 to $220. For details, read this Twitter thread.
Audubon is the National Audubon Society’s official magazine. They celebrate bird life and probe the issues facing our planet today. Their newly appointed senior associate editor is accepting pitches and tips related to environmental justice. According to payment reports, they pay up to $0.43 per word. Email their editor at xian.chiangwaren@audubon.org. To learn more, refer to this Tweet and this page.
Polygon is a gaming website. They cover games, guides, reviews, entertainment, and more. They are accepting pitches for games reporting, op-eds, and criticism. They are also accepting pitches for features and comics. According to payment reports, they pay an average of $0.22 per word. To learn more, refer to their editor-in-chief and co-founder’s Twitter thread. To learn how to pitch them, refer to this page.
Your Teen Magazine is a resource for parenting teenagers. Their managing editor is looking for “lighthearted side-by-side parent-teen debate” of 200 words each. She is also looking for “side-by-side parent-teen debate/takes on a more serious note” of 400 words each. Pay for the shorter pair will be $50 and for the longer pair, it will be $100. Send your pitches to sholbrook@yourteenmag.com. To learn more, refer to their editor’s Twitter thread and this page.
BRIGHT Zine is an ethical lifestyle magazine. They are seeking pitches from experienced writers for their Issue Ten. They cover a range of topics. They pay a flat rate of £120. For more information, email them at info@brightzine.co. Read their Twitter thread here and contact them here.
Deadline: August 21st, 2020
Scalawag is a website and magazine dedicated to the American South. Their editor wants pitches about politics in the South. Their rates for short reported stories start at $400+ and non-reported stories start at $300. Send your pitches to kwebb@scalawagmagazine.org. For details, refer to their editor’s Twitter thread and this page.
Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada (WEOC) is an association of organizations that provides resources for women entrepreneurs. They are building a roster of Canadian freelance writers from diverse backgrounds to contribute content to their website. Their “online content aims to reflect the needs and experiences of those who work to support women entrepreneurs, including business advisors at entrepreneurial support organizations.” They are covering the following topics this year: accessing capital, financial and business planning, human resources, supplier diversity and export, and mental wellness. They will pay $250 per piece (600 to 700 words). For details, refer to this Tweet and this page.
Them is an LGBTQ+ platform by Condé Nast. They are seeking some queer entertainment and culture pitches. They are specifically seeking “stories tied to Legend of Korra, Ratched, and other things coming out this month and next.” They are also “interested in pitches about queer TikTok and open to evergreen-y entertainment/culture stories.” They will pay $300 to $350 per piece. Send pitches to gbthem@protonmail.com. To learn more, refer to this Twitter thread. To visit their website, click here.
Running Dog is an online arts platform that publishes articles about exhibitions and events in Sydney and regional New South Wales. They are looking for proposals for ‘LIVE STREAM NOW’ which is their “third issue in an ongoing series investigating four major concerns that are reshaping our world.” They are accepting submissions from both local and international writers and artists. Submissions may include long-form essays, poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, digital interfaces, and video. They particularly encourage submissions from diverse writers and artists. According to their assistant editor, they will pay $300 AUD. For details, refer to their Twitter thread and this page.
Deadline: August 26th, 2020
48 Hills is an online publication that covers San Francisco’s news, politics, arts, culture, music, nightlife, and more. They are accepting pitches for San Francisco Bay Area stories. They pay $100 to $150 for reported and researched stories. Send pitches to marke@48hills.org. To learn more, refer to their publisher’s Tweet and this page.
The senior editor of Greatist is “looking for a culture + mental health writer who is interested in tackling the topic of shame and how this emotion was wielded this year (cancel culture, racism, masks, etc).” Pay is $400. File date: August 19th, 2020 to August 24th, 2020. If interested, send an email to cyuen@healthline.com. To learn more, refer to their editor’s Twitter thread. To contact them, refer to this page.
EdTech Magazine explores “technology and education issues that IT leaders and educators face when they’re evaluating and implementing a solution for K-12 and Higher Ed.” They are looking for pitches about technology in higher education. They pay $0.50 to $1.00 per word for articles of 800 to 1,200 words. For details, refer to their associate editor’s Tweet. To learn more about them, refer to this page.
Social Soundtrack is a company that is “dedicated to creating opportunities for community-building, storytelling, and healing across the African Diaspora through creative art and cultural expression.” They are accepting pitches from Black writers. They prefer “essays or narrative non-fiction, reported pieces, interviews with artists, and op-eds.” They are not accepting poetry and fiction pieces. They are paying $50 per article. For details, refer to their Tweet and submission guidelines.
Popdust. If you are a POC writer (particularly Black or Asian) and want to write about pop cultural criticism, CBD, and sports, then send an email to meghanson@popdust.com or DM her on Twitter. Pay is $50 to $150 per piece. For details, refer to this Tweet.
Life & Thyme is a print magazine and website that specializes in culinary storytelling and food journalism. They are looking to expand their global network of contributors and correspondents. Their “journalism questions big issues that plague humanity on a global scale through the lens of food culture, anthropology and innovators.” They are “especially interested in BIPOC perspectives and stories outside of the American lens.” They typically pay $200 to $500 per story. To learn more, refer to their Twitter thread. To become a contributor, refer to this page.
HelloGiggles is “a positive online community for women.” Their senior lifestyle editor is looking for “a writer who is the first person in their family attending college during the pandemic.” Payment reports indicate that they pay an average of $0.05 per word. If interested, contact their editor at raven.ishak@meredith.com. To learn more, refer to this Tweet and this page.
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a daily newspaper for Philadelphia. Their deputy editor, opinion has tweeted, “Looking for a writer: We’re doing a pro/con about whether the bar exam should continue as normal. We’ve got the ‘no way, diploma privilege is enough’ side locked down but looking for someone to argue the opposite.” According to payment reports, they pay up to $0.29 per word. If interested, send an email to epalan@inquirer.com. To learn more, refer to this Twitter thread. To contact them, refer to this page.
30pin is an online magazine of consumer technology history. They are looking for contributors. They want long form articles (1,200 words or more) that offer a fresh viewpoint on consumer technology’s history. The guest slots are limited. They will pay at least $100 for a reported piece of around 1,200 words. Send your pitches to hello@30pin.com. For details, refer to their owner and editor’s Twitter thread. To learn how to pitch them, refer to this page.
