There are 35 themed calls for submissions of non-fiction for the 20 markets listed here. Some of the themes are: wonder; ancestors; equine health; decolnizing the food justice movement; Pride; humanity & death; art & entertainment; and consumable culture. A few specify pitch deadlines, but most do not, so it may be a good idea to get your pitches in early. – S. Kalekar

Parabola: Fire; The Golden Rule; Wonder; Ancestors
This is a quarterly journal that explores the quest for meaning as it is expressed in the world’s myths, symbols, and religious traditions, with particular emphasis on the relationship between this store of wisdom and our modern life. They accept original essays and translations. Their guidelines say, “We look for lively, penetrating material unencumbered by jargon or academic argument. We prefer well-researched, objective, and unsentimental pieces that are grounded in one or more religious or cultural tradition; articles that focus on dreams, visions, or other very personal experiences are unlikely to be accepted.” They publish articles (1,000-3,000 words), book reviews (500 words), retellings of traditional stories (500-1,500 words), forum contributions (up to 500 words), and poetry (up to 5 poems). For their Fire themed issue, the deadline is 1 June 2021; for The Golden Rule, it is 15 August 2021. There are other themes listed, as well, with later deadlines – namely, Wonder (November deadline), and Ancestors (February 2022 deadline). Details here.

Hoof Beats: Hall of Fame; Yearling Sale; Equine Health
This is a harness racing magazine. They prefer to receive queries from first-time writers for the magazine, though they also accept manuscripts. The magazine is 70 percent freelance written, and they are always looking for story ideas pertaining exclusively to Standardbreds and harness racing. Photographs are also encouraged. Pay is $100 for departments and $500 for features. Photo rates are negotiated. According to their editorial calendar, the issue theme for July is Hall of Fame; for August, it is Yearling Sale; and for September 2021, it is Equine Health. There are other themes, as well. Details here (guidelines) and here (media kit/editorial calendar – scroll down).

Adventure Cyclist Magazine: Touring North America
This is the magazine of the Adventure Cycling Association and they accept queries and submissions on a rolling basis. Their writers’ guidelines say they’re specially looking for well-photographed stories of touring in North America (road or dirt). They plan issues 12-18 months out. From freelancers, they accept feature stories, which are 2,000-3,000 words, where writers share their inspiring bicycle trips with readers, and The Final Mile essays which are about a singular experience while on a bicycle trip that captures the essence of bicycle travel (not always inspiring — sometimes hilarious!). They pay $0.25-$0.50/word. Details here.

SubTerrain Magazine: Neighbours
This Canadian magazine welcomes nonfiction, commentary, as well as fiction and poetry from all writers. For their Neighbours themed issue, the guidelines say, “This issue will explore the world of “neighbours.” Whether we love them or hate them, we all have them. There’s the “Good Neighbour” policy and the unwritten but often spoken of “Bad Neighbour” policy. We welcome essays, fiction, opinion pieces, and poetry that reflects upon this unique designation”. There is no fee for mailed submissions, electronic submissions are charged. Creative non-fiction and commentary should be up to 4,000 words. Pay is CAD0.10/word for prose, up to CAD500, and CAD50 per poem. The deadline is 1 June 2021. Details here and here.

Writing Class Radio: Incarcerated
They want true stories, especially of incarceration, for their podcast. Their submission page says, “If you are incarcerated, have been incarcerated, have a loved one who is incarcerated or work/have worked with incarcerated people, we want to hear your story.”  We are also accepting true, personal stories that are not prison related. Stories must be true, and personal, of 850-1,500 words; see ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’t’ sections for their preferences, and the kind of work they will not publish. They also accept reprints. Do not send pitches; they only accept complete work. Pay is $50-100. Details here.

Disegno: Autumn 2021
This is a leading quarterly journal dedicated to long-form independent reporting and critical writing on design. They publish reportage, photoessays, profiles, critical discussion, interviews, reviews and roundtables. They cover design, architecture, fashion, urbanism, graphics and technology, and provide political commentary, academic analysis, arts photography and discussion of current affairs for a design-interested audience. The deadline for pitches for their Autumn 2021 issue is 1 June 2021. They receive online pitches any time. Details here and here.

Taproot Magazine: Sustain; Nest
This is a magazine of food, farm, family and craft. Articles are 800-4,000 words. 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. The deadline for their next theme, Sustain, is 1 June 2021 (publishing October); and for the Nest theme, the deadline is 1 August 2021 (publishing December). Payment varies. Details here.

The Monitor: Whose Harvest? Decolonizing the food justice movement
This is the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ bimonthly policy and current affairs magazine, covering issues of critical importance to the related goals of social, economic and environmental justice. They have issued a submission call on ‘Whose Harvest? Decolonizing the food justice movement’. They have extensive guidelines, including “the Monitor is accepting pitches that explore the following questions (and more). How do we decolonize the food justice movement? How can we liberate nutrition programs from white frameworks that put shame on entire communities’ pantries and ways of eating? How do we create food and nutrition programming that is restorative for traumatized, marginalized and underserved communities and doesn’t centre on white, cis and thin bodies as leaders, experts and goals for participants to strive towards?” They want feature articles, investigative journalism, illustrations, and book reviews, that are rooted in an intersectional analysis between 700-1,500 words. The writing style should be accessible (not academic or theoretical). The pitch deadline for this issue is 15 June 2021. Details here.

The Best of New True Crime Stories: Partners in Crime; Unsolved Crimes & Mysteries
They are looking for submissions for two non-fiction, true crime anthologies.
— Partners in Crime: Their guidelines say, “Nonfiction, true crime accounts featuring lawbreaking couples who have joined forces to commit crime. These couples can be married, domestic partners, or lovers. Stories can take place anywhere in the world and be from any time period. I’m interested in material covering a wide range of criminal activity. First-person accounts are especially welcome from writers with a connection to their cases. Add something new to the story, a different viewpoint or angle.”
— Unsolved Crimes & Mysteries: Their guidelines say, “Seeking nonfiction, true crime accounts of unsolved criminal cases and mysteries that can take place anywhere in the world and be from any time period. Material can cover a wide range of criminal activity. First-person accounts are especially welcome from writers with a connection to their cases. Add something new to the story, a different viewpoint or angle.”
The final submission deadlines are 1 June 2021, or until filled, for Partners in Crime; and 1 September 2021, or until filled, for Unsolved Crimes and Mysteries (query first). The final submissions should be 4,000-7,000 words. Pay is $130 for submissions in each anthology. Details here.

Shondaland: Author interviews/profiles, and more
Shondaland is part of Hearst Digital Media. They are accepting pitches on these themes, for publishing in June and July 2021:
“– Author interviews/profiles (no book reviews)
— Entertainment profiles/interviews
— Culture articles/essays about TV/Film/Music/Art (no reviews)
— Profiles of DOPE women doing amazing things”. The editor requests writers to read the website for the kind of stories they publish, before pitching. Rates start at $400. Details here (Tweet) and here (website).

StarTrek.com: Pride Month; Juneteenth; Loving Day; Father’s Day; D-Day; and other themes
This CBS Entertainment-owned website accepts pitches for essays, reported work, features, and more. There are some evergreen topics they always look for pitches on, which include timely responses to recent Star Trek episodes, interviews with one-off Star Trek guest stars, Trek related essays, personal essays that relate back to Trek, any reported work that ties current events back into Trek, deep dives, and listicles. For June 2021, they are interested in some themes (as they relate to Star Trek), including: Pride Month; Juneteenth; Loving Day; Father’s Day; D-Day; and other themes. Pride Month pitches will be given priority. See guidelines for the full list of themes. Details here.

The Deadlands: Humanity and death
They publish essays, as well as speculative fiction and poetry on death and related themes. For critical, academic, and personal essays, their guidelines say, “We are looking for essays that explore the relationship between humanity and death. We are looking for a wide range of subjects, including but not limited to: cultural funerary practices, rituals of remembrance, historical explorations of death imagery, death imagery used in art and by artists, death imagery found in graveyards and on tombstones.” They’re not interested in reviews, or examinations of death portrayed in media. Essays should be between 1-4k words. They want “clear, thorough work that shows an appreciation not appropriation of culture.” Pay is $100 for essays and art, $0.10/word for fiction, and $50 for poetry. Details here.

Washington Post Magazine: Underreported stories in communities across the US
They want journalists to contribute to a special issue about the diminished state of local and community news in the United States. They want stories in areas with limited access to comprehensive news, in various formats (a long-form narrative feature; an accountability or investigative piece; a photo essay or video; a profile; a human interest piece; a visual essay; etc.) and tones (from serious and news-forward to lighthearted and comic). These stories should fall into at least one of these topics: Public safety (including terrorism, the coronavirus pandemic, policing); Health (availability and quality of health care); Education (state and local school issues, school taxes); Infrastructure (digital and physical systems, including mass transit, road and weather conditions); Environment (air and water quality, environmental hazards); Economic conditions (employment options, economic developments); Civic and cultural life (arts and entertainment programs, religion, social services); Politics and political life (voter registration, local and regional politics). Pitches are due by 21 May 2021. Details here.

Widget: School & Education; Work & Money; Arts & Entertainment
They publish humour, satire, and comedy pieces, and they accept themed pitches. They have a few slots left for these themes: School & Education; Work & Money; and Arts & Entertainment. (Their pitch submission form has a drop-down menu of calls that are still open). They pay $200 (once per person, per grant period – the current period is until end-June). They’re accepting pitches until 23 May 2021. Details here (Tweet) and here (guidelines and submission form).

The Rumpus: Funny Women
This feminist magazine is looking for work by women and non-binary writers for its short conceptual humor column, ‘Funny Women’. The editor wants submissions of 650-1,000 words. They do not accept personal essays/stories/anecdotes for this column; “send evergreen over timely pieces (holiday themes, weather, politics, etc.) because it often takes months to read a submission after you’ve written, revised, and submitted it.
Also, no pop culture (celebrities, TV shows, top 40, etc.)”. The editor’s favorite submissions are literary and feminist at the same time.  The guidelines also say that writers have to follow the editor on Twitter. The Rumpus also open for submissions in a few other categories. Details here.

Mutual Interest Media: Co-operative and trade union movements
They are looking for pitches “on a range of political topics but especially on the co-operative and trade union movements (Upcoming union elections is something we’d like pieces on)”, according to their Twitter thread. This is a readers’ and writers’ co-operative which seeks to revitalize democracy beyond just the state. Pay is a revenue share model. Details here (Tweet) and here (website).

Poets & Writers: MFA Programs
This is a magazine for writers of poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. Their editorial content is divided into four sections: News & Trends: brief articles about pertinent information in the writing and publishing industries; 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: profiles of and interviews with contemporary writers in current American literature. Other features include articles and essays that look at subjects of interest to creative writers, such as writers’ conferences and residencies, small presses, regional writing, and the distinctions of genre. They accept both, proposals and articles on spec. For September/October 2021, the theme is MFA Programs. Details here (submission guidelines) and here (theme).

Brain Mill Press: Voices – Makers on Making
They are looking pitches for their online ‘Voices’ section, for ‘Makers on Making’ column. These are emotional, radically authentic essays of 750-1,500 words. This column features a different maker each month — printmakers, writers, knitters, crafters, painters, photographers, textile artists, and anyone else involved in art — with essays about their process on a particular project. These pieces delve into the psychology of making, the lessons we learn from success and (often more usefully) failure, and what it is to be a human authentically and emotionally involved as a maker in our world. They exclusively invite submissions from people of color, women, and LGBTQIA+ writers. Other interested writers for Voices can also pitch them and they will consider these pitches on a case-by-case basis. Details here.

The Dirty Spoon Radio Hour & Journal: Consumable Culture
This is a radio show and online journal “of consumable culture curating the latest in music, essays, memoirs, and interviews from chefs, authors, aficionados and aunties from around the world. To get beneath the surface, we don’t look for what’s on the table, but what’s under it, bringing you real stories from the people who shape what we consume.” They want non-fiction only – personal essays, story-driven interview profiles, and narrative non-fiction journalism – about people who work in consumable culture. Finished essays, profiles and articles typically run between 750-1,500 words. Pay is $50. 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:
— ‘Black and Gay: Intersectional realities in the age of BLM’.
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. They also publish poetry. Pay for original feature articles is $200, and full-length book reviews pay $100. 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.