By S. Kalekar
These are calls for pitches and submissions of themed essays, journalism, and creative non-fiction. Some of the call themes are: science; achieve prefect pacing (for writing); thresholds; forgotten (LGBTQ+) history; environmental stories; invisible cities; conservation stories in the US; crime (and tech); train rides; and performance. A few of the outlets also accept other genres, like fiction and poetry.
Asterisk: Science
Asterisk Magazine is looking for pitches for Issue 13, and the theme is Science. “We like to joke that we’re the only general interest magazine that publishes 5,000 word essays on social science methodology. But we’ve decided: no more softy stuff Issue 13 Asterisk is doing Hard Science”. “Science, meta-science, public epistemics. Biology, energy, the environment, drugs, clinical trials. CRISPR, cancer, consciousness. How do we best fund science? How do we best communicate science? How do we do science better? How do we do science faster?” They are looking for 3-4 paragraph pitches now, while drafts are due in October. They pay $2,000 for pieces in the 3,000-4,000 word range. See the pitch call/thread here.
Writer’s Digest: Achieve Perfect Pacing
Writer’s Digest is a print and online magazine for writers, which 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’re open for submissions for their March/April 2026 theme, Achieve Perfect Pacing. “An issue dedicated to pacing in any and every interpretation of the word as it relates to writing and publishing. That means, how to keep the pace going in a specific genres, or how to write dialogue that comes across as quick banter. It also means, advice for indie authors on how to pace the release of their books and understanding traditional publishing timelines, and much more.” You can read about that here; pitching for each theme is via a form on their website, which will close when that issue is filled. Apart from features, they have several departments and columns. They pay $0.50/word for first world rights for one-time print use and perpetual electronic use. They do not pay for unsolicited online articles and guest posts, except in rare cases when the content is highly focused or unique, in which case they pay $50-$100. General submission guidelines are here.
The London Magazine: Literature in its intersections with culture, politics and the personal
The London Magazine is a UK-based literary magazine in print and online; they accept fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. They charge a fee for general unsolicited submissions, and also have fee-free submission periods which are listed on their guidelines page (they open at the beginning of each listed month and close when the cap is reached). Their editor has recently issued a pitch call for essays: “The London Mag is inviting pitches for essays, reviews and interviews that explore literature in its many intersections with culture, politics and the personal.” There is no submission fee for these essays. Rates for print non-fiction start at £150. See the pitch call/thread here.
Derange: Literary Journalism
“Derange is looking for literary journalism. We can pay $100 per piece, and the subject matter can be about anything. Ideally, your story will pair boots-on-the-ground reporting with narrative flair.” Stories have to be 2,000-3,000 words. See the pitch call here and their general pitch guide is here.
Climate Home News: Critical mineral supply chains
Climate Home News is looking for pitches from those who have at least three years’ experience as a journalist, on critical mineral supply chains. They want work on trends shaping supply chains for energy transition minerals and addressing their sustainability challenges.
They pay $0.46/word up to 800 words. They have detailed guidelines, you have to sign up to read. Details here.
Full Stop
Full Stop is looking for feature-length essays. Their About page says, “Full Stop publishes criticism with an emphasis on debuts, works in translation, and books published by small presses. Our writers and editors give rigorous attention to works without substantial financial backing or cultural recognition, or that may not be covered elsewhere.” They publish reviews, interviews, and feature essays online, and also have digital quarterlies. Please note, they pay for feature-length essays only, $150. They do not publish fiction, poetry, or creative non-fiction. See the pitch call/thread here and their general pitch guide here.
Quest: Thresholds
They are reading for their first issue. “Quest is a new online magazine publishing literary, visual, and critical work that uses sci-fi and fantasy to reflect the world around us.” They want nonfiction, fiction (including serialized fiction), poetry, comics, art, and music on the Thresholds theme. “In this issue, we want stories, essays, comics, poems, art, and criticism that explore our take on “Thresholds”: moments of inflection, tipping points, etc.” They pay $12-100 for written work and $25-100 per installation of story. The submission deadline is 15th September 2025. Details here.
Mother Jones: Mixed Media
Mother Jones is an investigative news organization that delivers “multiplatform reporting on the urgent issues of our time, from democracy protection and climate change to extremism and beyond.” They’ve recently issued a call for their Mixed Media section; “Think arts criticism, essays, interviews.” “Mixed Media is the culture section of our magazine. We welcome pitches for 1,500- to 2,500-word reported essays, profiles, and culture dispatches, especially those that examine structures of power, explore identity, or illuminate cultural undercurrents.” Rates start at $1.75/word for print and $0.75 for online. See the call here and their general pitch guide here.
Rough Cut Press: Silence
They publish work from the LGBTQIA community, and have monthly themed submission calls. Send short prose of up to 650 words on the Silence theme. Pay is $25. The deadline is 27 September 2025. Details here.
The Revelator: Conservation stories set in the US
They reopened for pitches recently for a limited number of freelance stories, which will run in November and December. They have detailed guidelines, including, “We’re primarily looking for conservation stories set in the United States right now. More specifically, we want the conservation stories that other publishers just don’t know how to handle — the stories you believe in, that get under your skin, that make your reporter’s radar scream, but you haven’t found a place to tell them yet.” Also see the list of things that interest them, and also the kind of articles they do not want (including pitches about their parent organization, the Center for Biological Diversity, or issues in which they have an active involvement). They pay $300-500 for 1,000-1,500 words; they distribute them under a Creative Commons license. See the pitch call here and their pitch guide is here.
Asian Dispatch: Asian societies, culture, politics, and more
Their outgoing editor has issued a pitch call: “Asian Dispatch is seeking pitches from journalists across Asia on stories around Asian societies, culture, politics, technology, and climate. Brownie points for those who can think beyond their regions, and pitch cross-border, on-ground reportage, sharp/in-depth analysis, and personal essays. If you’ve never done cross-border reporting, our wonderful team is happy to help you find reporting partners in other countries and provide editorial guidance throughout. Our rates are $250 for pieces up to 1,500 words, and $350 for longer, cross-border reporting.” See their pitch call here and general pitch guide here.
Gay & Lesbian Review: Three themes
They accept unsolicited manuscripts and proposals on all LGBT-related topics. They are especially looking for work on these themes:
— Forgotten History: From a Civil War bromance to a lesbian prison riot
— The Kink Issue: Alternative sexualities
— Ethnographic Journeys: LGBT lives in non-Western cultures
They also welcome suggestions. They accept feature pitches/features (2,000 to 4,000 words), as well as work for various sections/columns and reviews. Some sections are unpaid. They pay $250 for feature articles, and writers of full reviews can request $100 payment (see guidelines). Details here.
Contingent Magazine: Mailbag and Postcards Columns
Contingent is a non-profit history magazine. “Our writers are adjuncts, museum workers, independent scholars—all people who work outside the tenure-track professoriate.” They are accepting pitches for the Mailbag column, which is “roughly 400 to 500 words. Is there a question you’re often asked about the work of doing history? Do you wish there were a short, accessible answer to that question you could just point them to? Write it for us. The base pay is $150.”
They are also accepting pitches for the Postcards column. “We are accepting pitches for both research and conference postcards. The base pay for a postcard is $50.”
All other sections are currently closed. See the pitch call here. Details are in their pitch guide here.
Dialogue Earth: Environmental Stories
“Dialogue Earth is an independent non-profit platform dedicated to bringing compelling environmental stories from local voices to audiences around the world. We publish reporting, opinion and analysis in English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Urdu, Nepali, and Bengali.We welcome pitches for articles between 1,000 and 1,500 words from journalists and experts. We will work with writers to develop their stories and do not accept pre-written pieces.” They have theme-specific calls for these each of these desks/regions (see guidelines for details of each): China, Asia Pacific, South Asia, Southeast Asia – Mekong region, Southeast Asia – Malay Archipelago, Africa, Latin America, Global China,and Global ocean. “Fees for journalism are based on competitive market rates in the author’s region.” They also accept pitches from non-journalists: academics, policymakers, activists and other experts, but do not pay for opinion pieces. Details here.
Poets & Writers: Inspiration
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 of 2,000-3,000 words – articles, essays, profiles, and interviews regarding American literature. According to their section for advertisers, for January/February 2026, the issue theme is Inspiration. (see Upcoming Issues and Deadlines here). They do not publish fiction, poetry, or reviews. They accept pitches as well as articles on spec (see guidelines), and take 4-6 weeks to respond to queries or manuscripts. Details here (themes) and here (writers’ guidelines).
The Kenyon Review: Four themes
This well-regarded literary journal is open for unthemed as well as themed submissions of nonfiction (including flash, up to 1,000 words), fiction, and poetry. “In 2026, our magazine will feature folios on the following themes:
Alchemy: The NOPE Dossier (edited by poet Cate Marvin)
Invisible Cities
Precarity
Document (Previously: Who Gets to Be American?)
We invite work that broadly interprets these themes. When you submit, you will have the option to identify your work for general submission or the themes.” See guidelines for details on each theme. They also accept excerpts from larger works, as well as translations. They accept up to 7,500 words for prose, up to 6 poems, up to 30 pages for excerpts. They pay $0.08/word for prose up to $450, $0.16/word for poetry up to $200. The submission deadline is 30 September 2025. Details here and here.
Business Insider: Recent/upcoming travels, train rides, and more
An editor is looking for pitches for Business Insider: “Looking to assign stories for the fall and winter months! Tell me about your recent or upcoming travels, train rides, flight upgrades, and the recipes you’re loving! Rates start at $200 for 600 words”. See the pitch call here and the pitch form for this call is here.
NPQ: We Stood Up Column
NPQ (Non Profit Quarterly) is an American magazine. They are inviting submissions of up to 500 words for their We Stood Up column. “We Stood Up offers workers, builders, & organizers the opportunity to share a first-person story from their work & world. If you would like to share a story about how you participated in organizing a more just workplace, please send your submission to NPQ”. And, “NPQ offers $300 for contributions to this space that is dedicated to showcasing grassroots and worker voices.” See the pitch call here and guidelines for this column are here.
Rudaan Books: Thoughts from the Writers Desk Column
“Ruadán…Books is an independent publisher focusing on dark thrillers and speculative fiction with a nonfiction column online. … We especially welcome writers from marginalized demographics.” “For Ruadán’s nonfiction column Thoughts From the Writer’s Desk, we are looking for unpublished, original nonfiction essays about the writing life and individual journeys in the world of writing, in-depth tips on the craft and business of writing, thoughtful columns on genre fiction, especially horror, dark fiction, and speculative fiction in general. We appreciate personal perspectives, unique insights, and profound stories. Ruadán Books wants nonfiction essays that make people learn something and feel something.” Essays have to be 1,000-2,000 words, and they pay $0.10/word for originals. They will also consider reprints, but only if they are not available to read online, and pay $0.03/word for those. Details here.
Design Observer: The Design of Horror | The Horror of Design (DH | HD)
Design Observer publishes work on “design and its role in shaping culture, commerce, society, and the planet”. They’re seeking pitches on The Design of Horror | The Horror of Design theme. “Whether you’re seduced by the scary or shy away from it, we want your take on the most chilling and thrilling ways that horror and design intersect. What cursed objects, theories, trends, policies, or people are haunting today’s designers? What horrors from history, and harbingers of frights still to come, should we be paying attention to? How can we dredge up enough final-girl energy to confront these resident evils?
We welcome art-eds, op-eds, criticism, reported articles, and multimedia work from professional designers and journalists. Read the rest of this pitch guide for more on what types of stories will make us bite. Also check out some of our archival horror coverage for inspiration.” Rates start at $1.50 a word for commissioned short pieces featuring original reporting and sourcing (typically, 500-900 words); longer reported pieces will be commissioned on a case-by-case basis. And they pay $150 for art-eds, op-eds, and essays (~800-900 words) by design leaders, practitioners, thinkers, and writers. Pitches on The Design of Horror theme are due by 22nd September 2025. Details here and see the pitch call here.
(Design Observer is also looking for pitches on other themes on an ongoing basis: The perils and promise of AI; Travelin’ thru; and How are you imagining your future?)
Lucky Jefferson: Bond
Lucky Jefferson publishes social change. For their upcoming print issue, they want submissions on the Bond theme. “In collaboration with currently incarcerated artist Juan Hernandez, Bondinvites currently and previously incarcerated individuals, as well as those connected to them, to share creative works that explore the unconventional relationships shaped by incarceration. This could include connections to objects, communal ties, or bonds formed within the carceral system.
Participants—including friends, family, and pen pals—are encouraged to submit poetry, essays, comics, graphic art, and more to share stories that reveal the human need for connection.” Send prose up to 1,000 words. They pay $30. They are open until filled, for this theme. Details here and here (see the relevant category on Submittable).
Mongabay: Stories about Africa
They invite pitches from experienced journalists for news stories, features, investigative reports, profiles, and case studies, on Africa. They have detailed guidelines, including, “This reporting project aims to strengthen understanding of the global and local forces affecting Africa’s ecosystems, and foreground the voices of those impacted by environmental changes, considering both fruitful and harmful connections between conservation and development.” They are interested in these broad themes: development pressures, environmental change, tracing supply chains, sustainability, and conservation. Completed articles will be 800-2,000 words and should include quotes from at least three original interviews. “Completed stories will be paid on a per word or fixed fee basis, with rates depending primarily on the journalist’s experience.” They publish under a Creative Commons license. Details here.
Consequence Forum
They address the human consequences of war and geopolitical violence through literature and art. They accept non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and art. For this issue, their translation feature is The Congo, for which they have detailed guidelines. “For our Volume 18.1 Translations feature, Consequence invites literary translations from the languages of the Congo into English—especially from Lingala, Swahili, Tshiluba, Kikongo, Kinyarwanda, and French—that engage with the lived realities and long shadows of war, colonialism, extraction, and displacement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the broader Congo Basin.
We welcome poetry, short fiction, nonfiction, oral histories, personal essays—whether historical or ongoing, collective or deeply personal.”
They pay $20-50 for writing. The submission deadline is 15th October 2025. Details here and here.
Ninth Letter: Performance
There is no fee to submit to their themed submission call for the web, for the Performance theme. “To perform is to, for some audience, create the illusion that reality is this, rather than that. We do this everywhere–our social (and social media) lives, our dress, our relationships, our feelings, our genders, all performed in their ways; all around us there is the low hum of wishful artifice imparting an intended impression onto seen and unseen—perhaps even imaginary–spectators. Taken to its logical conclusion, a reasonable, if cynical, truth emerges: performance, in our day-to-day, is so essential, so inextricable from our quote-unquote “authentic selves,” that perhaps the authentic self is simply the sum of a lifetime of performances–that the show has somehow become its own type of truth. In professional wrestling, the word for this is “kayfabe”–the unspoken agreement that not only is the show inextricable from reality, but that, in essence, the performance is the reality. Or is it? How do we perform, and for whom?” Submit one piece of short prose (non-fiction or fiction) of up to 3,500 words, or up to three poems. They pay $25 per poem or $75 per piece of prose. The submission deadline is 1st November 2025 for the web edition. Details here.
(There is a fee to submit to Ninth Letter’s unthemed print edition, with a fee-free period in December – see guidelines.)
MIT Technology Review: Crime
Their editor has issued a pitch call: “MIT Technology Review is seeking pitches for an upcoming print issue. The theme is Crime. We’re looking for pitches for longer pieces: narrative features, compelling investigations, essential profiles, and super-sharp essays. This call for pitches is aimed at journalists, but if you’re an expert with a strong idea, please don’t hesitate to reach out.” They pay $1-2 per word. The pitch deadline is 26 September 2025. Details here and here; see their pitch guide here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.