By S. Kalekar
These are calls for themed (and paying) non-fiction pitches and submissions – for essays, journalism, and creative non-fiction. Some of the themes are: manifest, fringe, sustainable development in Southeast Asia, inspiration, AI, after, obsession, sent by mistake, art jewelry, music & the brain, food-related pieces, caretaking and the giving of care, random acts of kindness, and climate litigation. A few outlets also accept other genres, like fiction and poetry.
Ninth Letter: Manifest
This literary magazine wants prose and poetry on the Manifest theme for their online edition. “The theme for this issue is manifest. How phony is the magic trick that ends with something real? Some would have us believe that to quell our helplessness in the face of persistent global uncertainty, we need not fall prey to anxiety and our other self-soothing mechanisms masquerading as control. No, we need simply to manifest—what we will, we will to become, and we will become what we will to become, which helpfully eliminates the cumbersome sorting of cause, effect, and general accountability. It all seems a bit abstract.
We at Ninth Letter value positive thinking of course, but wish, with this issue, to bring us back down to Earth. For writers, to manifest gainfully requires not just will, but expert application of our trustiest of tools—concreteness, detail, specificity, and, their building block, the image. And so, for this issue, we invite you to return to our shared fundamentals: Manifest something real, out of words, using these tools. Show, don’t tell: Hold the rabbit by the ears, even though the hat was empty. Make us believe, in spite of ourselves.” Length guidelines are: up to 3,500 words for prose, up to 3 poems. They pay $75 for prose and $25 per poem. The deadline is 1 November 2026. Details here.
MIT Technology Review: Fringe
The editor for MIT Technology Review has issued a pitch call for their next print issue: “MIT Technology Review is seeking pitches for an upcoming issue. The theme is Fringe. We’re looking for feature-length stories along that theme—stories about disruption, taboos, what’s happening at the margins, and the people and ideas driving for change from the outside in.
The initial deadline for pitches is Friday September 11. Article drafts would be due in early December.” According to their general pitch guide, “The feature well of the magazine is devoted to narrative features, investigations, big profiles, and reported essays (generally between 2500-4000 words) centered around a theme.” They pay $1 to $2 per word. See the pitch call here and their general pitch guide here.
Dialogue Earth: Two themes
They’re accepting pitches for environmental stories on two themes:
— Sustainable development in Southeast Asia: They want stories on environmental and sustainable development issues across Southeast Asia. The broad topics of interest are: Critical and transition minerals in Southeast Asia; Clean energy transitions in Southeast Asia; Transboundary water; Biodiversity conservation; Pollution and plastics; and The environment in contexts of conflict and political change. “We prioritise commissioning local journalists with proven experience in environmental journalism. However, we will consider pitches from journalists based in the region with a good track record covering the above issues.” They want pitches for in-depth articles, features, investigative reports, or narrative storytelling. They’re paying $380 per article of 1,000-1,200 words, and more for multimedia work. They have a rolling deadline for this project. Details here.
— Photo stories on the human side of Africa’s solar boom: “We are inviting pitches from photojournalists or photographer & journalist pairings on the human stories behind Africa’s solar boom, and China’s role in this complex energy transition”. They want photo-first features, and have detailed guidelines. They do not want stories from Kenya. They’re paying $1,800 for this project, and the pitch deadline is 13th September 2026. Details here.
The general pitch guide for Dialogue Earth is here.
Publishers Weekly: Book publishing industry news
An editor has issued a pitch call for Publishers Weekly, which covers the book publishing industry: “i’ve been promoted to senior news editor at @PublishersWkly! open as ever to tips, pitches”… You can see the pitch call here.
Poets & Writers
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 November/December 2026, the issue theme is Writing and Technology and for January/February 2027, it is Inspiration (see Upcoming Issues and Deadlines here). They don’t 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).
USA Today: AI
An editor for USA Today has recently issued a call for pitches for AI stories in the US: “Happy to say that today is my first day on the AI beat for @USATODAY! I’m based out of NYC but covering stories all around the country. Send me tips, pitches and ideas”. See the pitch call here.
LA Times: AI and its impact
An editor for the Los Angeles Times has issued a pitch call for work on AI, as well: “Today is my first day with the @latimes! I’ll be covering AI and how it’s changing our lives and local communities. Send me tips, pitches, hot takes, etc.” See the pitch call here.
Grain Magazine: Book reviews and essays on craft
Grain is a Canadian literary magazine that publishes writing from Canada (with a focus on Saskatchewan) and overseas. They’re accepting pitches for book reviews: “Grain is seeking pitches for short book reviews, interviews, and essays on craft.
Word Limits
Book Reviews: 450 words
Interviews: 900 words
Essays on Craft: 900 words” The pitches / queries have to be a maximum of 250 words. They pay CAD50/page. Details here (click on ‘New! Call for Pitches’).
(Grain is also open for fee-free creative writing submissions, including literary non-fiction up to 3,500 words, from marginalized/underrepresented writers only, till 14th September; they pay CAD50/page up to CAD250. They will open on 15th September 2026 for submissions from all writers. They charge a submission fee for non-Canadian submissions; details here and here.)
Liminal Lit: After
Their tagline is, ‘For voices that exist between cultures, languages, and belonging.’ You can read more about this on their Mission page: “Liminal Lit is an advocacy focused space for writers navigating the complexities of multiple identities. We exist because the most powerful stories often live in the “in-between” — the friction of existing at the intersection of different cultures, religions, languages, or the experience of being a minority in your own community.
Whether you are first generation, third generation, or simply navigating a lack of belonging, we want your raw perspectives. … Liminality is not just about geography. It is about the experience of living across borders of heart, mind, and heritage.” They’re reading submissions for their second issue, and the theme is After: “After explores what remains, what changes, and what begins following moments that shape us. We invite poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction that interprets this theme in original and compelling ways.
We encourage broad interpretation, whether your work reflects on memory, transformation, grief, joy, migration, family, identity, love, language, resilience, or entirely unexpected places the theme may lead.” They want creative non-fiction, fiction, and poetry, and pay $100. The submission deadline is 15th September 2026. Submission is via a form. Details here.
Hobbyhorse Magazine: Obsession
This is a new magazine. They publish work about (usually geeky) hobbies, “including things like: computing & PC gaming, historical swordplay & fencing, tabletop gaming, Gardening, and even keeping geckos.” You can read more about them here. They’re reading submissions for their first issue, and the theme is Obsession. For (creative) non-fiction:
“For any issue: We’re into people simply geeking out about their hobbies! Please, tell us WHY you love what you love! How’d you discover it? You know those stories before recipes which are really annoying when you just want the recipe? Well, here we’re actually into the story part! How-to guides with plenty of voice also welcome! Come! Teach and geek!
For the OBSESSION issue: Send us reeling. We’re looking for the personal, but less confessional and more exploratory. Purely personal obsessions are less likely to succeed than say, an obsession with someone else’s obsession, or a seemingly societal obsession the writer can speak to personally.” They also accept work on evergreen topics. They’re accepting fiction for the Obsession issue, as well. They pay $0.02/word up to $70 for originals, for works up to 5,000 words; they also accept reprints. The deadline for this issue is 30th November 2026. Details here.
Asimov Press: Three themes
“Asimov Press is a publisher focused on the science and technologies that promote flourishing.” They have a detailed pitch guide, including, “We always welcome pitches from writers who can make sense of scientific progress, especially regarding biology’s impacts on climate, energy, security, agriculture, materials, and medicine, or in metascience. Our authors are typically researchers or policy experts with extensive knowledge in their field or journalists with a deep background in a scientific discipline.
On occasion, we reach out to writers with specific assignments.”
Their editor is looking for pitches on these themes:
“I’m looking to pay someone to write the following pieces ($1/word): – Why don’t we have a universal antivenom?
– What are the bottlenecks with nanopore-based protein sequencing?
– What happened to paper-based diagnostics (and on-demand vaccine manufacturing)?” There is no deadline listed. See the pitch call here and their general pitch guide here.
Rough Cut Press: rant
They publish work from the LGBTQIA community, and have occasional themed submission calls. Send short poetry or prose of up to 650 words on the ‘rant’ theme. They pay $25 for works up to 650 words. The deadline is 27 September 2026. Details here (see ‘what we look for’) and here.
Play the Game: Critical issues in international sport
“Play the Game is an initiative run by the Danish Institute for Sports Studies (Idan) that promotes democratic values in world sports with an emphasis on freedom of expression, transparency, and open dialogue.” You can read more about them here. They have a journalism fund, which is open to freelance journalists and researchers worldwide. “Through public support, the fund enables Play the Game to commission freelance journalists and researchers to produce independent, investigative, and analytical journalism on the most pressing issues in international sport. These include governance failures, corruption, abuse of power, human rights violations, and integrity risks that too often remain hidden or insufficiently scrutinised.” According to their pitch guidelines: “The Play the Game Journalism Fund welcomes pitches from freelance journalists who want to investigate critical issues in international sport.
We are particularly interested in journalism that sheds light on power, governance, integrity, human rights, and accountability in sport – and that aligns with Play the Game’s mission and editorial standards.” Details here.
Business Insider: Overachievers who opted out
An editor for Business Insider has issued a pitch call: “”Lean In” told a generation to want the corner office. But more and more I’ve been hearing and reading about the same generation wanting to be unreachable. What happened?
I’m looking for pitches for Business Insider on the overachievers who didn’t burn out so much as opt out. The VP turned farm-stand owner. The partner-track lawyer who went to four-day weeks and never looked back. The person who got the promotion and immediately started plotting the exit.
If that’s you, I want to know: What did you use to want? What changed it? What’s the version of “success” you have now that your 25-year-old self would not recognize?” See the pitch call here.
Business Insider: Lifestyle pitches – Writers ages 70+
Another editor has issued a call for Business Insider, as well: “I’m always looking to work with #freelancewriters of all ages, but right now, I’m especially eager to hear from writers 70+!
How are you staying active in retirement? Have you started a side hustle? Are you crossing exciting things off your bucket list? Moving in with friends or relatives to make life more cost-effective?
OR maybe you’re helping a grandparent do some of these things! Either way, I’d love to hear from you!
Rates for these kinds of pieces usually start at about $240 for 600 words.” Pitching is via a form. See the pitch call here.
Thema: Sent by Mistake
They accept essays, short stories, poetry, and art, and publish three themed issues a year. Their upcoming theme is ‘Sent by Mistake’. They also accept reprints. Only writers outside of the US can submit by email, US-based writers have to post their submissions. They pay $10-25 and the submission deadline is 1 November 2026 (see guidelines). Details here.
Echo: Exploration
Echo publishes work by teenagers only (writers ages 13 to 19). They are seeking submissions on the Exploration theme, including inward exploration — coming of age, gender or sexuality, and sense of self, as well as outward exploration – adventure, jungle, space, and historical/period pieces. The deadline for themed submissions is 30th September 2026; unthemed work is accepted on an ongoing basis. They accept non-fiction, fiction, comics, graphic stories, and scripts, for which they pay $30, and also poetry, which pays $15. They also pay for artwork. They have helpful write-ups on topics like What is a Lit Mag, a Guide to Lit Mags, How to Submit to a Teen Lit Mag, and Dealing With Rejection. 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 and Postcards columns.
“MAILBAG columns, 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.
POSTCARDS (see examples here). We are accepting pitches for both research and conference postcards. The base pay for a postcard is $50.”
Other sections are currently closed. They also say, “Before you pitch us, please read our About Us page and a few of our articles to familiarize yourself with the magazine’s mission and style. Check out our“how to pitch us” guide to learn more about what we are looking for.” Details here.
Art Jewelry Forum: Contemporary jewelry
“Art Jewelry Forum, the world’s leading platform for critical thinking about contemporary jewelry, is now accepting original unpublished content proposals for articles and reviews to be published on our website.” They have detailed guidelines, and pay $375 for interviews, $500 for reviews, and $500 for researched articles. The pitch deadline is 7th September 2026. Pitching is via a form. Details here.
BrainFacts.Org
They want pitches on stories around the brain and nervous system. They tell “the story of scientific discoveries, the people behind them, and how it relates to our everyday lives. Knowing about the brain’s inner workings helps paint a better picture of the human experience that explores the universe between our ears.” They are interested in these themes for 2026:
Music & The Brain
Vaccines & The Brain
The Aging Brain
Psychedelics & The Brain
Apart from these, they are open to all neuro-related pitches. They assign long (1,000-1,200 words), medium (700-900 words), and short-form (500-800 words) written and multimedia stories. They do consider profiles of experts in neuroscience if you weave the science throughout the story. Pay is approximately $1/word. Details here.
Orion
Orion is an environmental magazine and they are open for digital article pitches till 15th September 2026. “In addition to our quarterly themed calls for specific print issues, we now open twice a year for digital pitch submissions. These pitches are not tied to a particular theme; rather, they are an open call for story ideas that feel consistent with Orion’s digital identity and will appear exclusively online.
We are looking for pitches in the following categories:
Short essays on general topics, food-related pieces, enumerations, conversations, graphic stories, and art portfolios. Before pitching, please spend some time familiarizing yourself with the stories on our website to get a strong sense of our categories and the work that fits in them.
In general, we prefer to read pitches (of up to 400 words), but if it is a short piece (<1000 words) we are also open to reading full drafts. Please note that we prefer to consider one story idea at a time. Length is flexible, but please bear in mind that we are unlikely to publish anything over 2,000 words.” Details here and here.Kenyon Review
This prestigious literary magazine is accepting unthemed submissions, as well as submissions on two themes.
“In 2027, our magazine will feature folios on the following themes:
- Contemporary Caribbean Literature
- Caretaking and the Giving of Care
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.” They’ve listed the themes on their Submittable. They accept flash (up to 1,000 words) and short non-fiction (up to 7,500 words), fiction, and poetry. They also accept excerpts from larger works (up to 30 pages) as well as translations. They pay $0.08 per published word of prose (minimum $80, maximum $450) and $0.16 per published word of poetry (minimum $40, maximum $200). The submission deadline is 30 September 2026. Details here and here.
Chicken Soup for the Soul
They publish themed non-fiction prose and non-fiction poetry. They have two themes with deadlines in September:
— Count your blessings: “One of the most important keys to contentment and happiness is the ability to count your blessings. Even during the toughest times, if we can find gratitude and count our blessings we feel better.” Some suggested topics are: How do you count your blessings?; How do you express your gratitude for your blessings?; How does doing good for others become a blessing in your own life?; What made you realize that your life is good and that you are grateful for it?; And more. The submission deadline for Count Your Blessings has been extended to 15th September 2026.
— Random Acts of Kindness: “Small gestures can make a big difference in someone’s day, even in someone’s life. In our fast-paced world many people tend to only pay attention to what is important to them.
… We are looking for true stories about random acts of kindness that have happened to you or stories about a kindness that you performed for someone else. Stories can be serious or funny but they should definitely inspire our readers to look for ways in which they can perform kind acts.” Some suggested topics are: How an act of kindness you received changed your life or changed you as a person; Performing an act of kindness for a total stranger; Changing your life by doing one random act of kindness each day; Turning negative into positive; Holiday kindnesses, at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, etc.” The submission deadline is extended to 30th September 2026.
Chicken Soup for the Soul pays $250 for works up to 1,200 words. They have other themes listed too, with later deadlines. Details here and here (also see other tabs on this page, including FAQ).
The Han Bando Review: Encounters
“The Han Bando Review publishes work that brings Korea in conversation with the wider world. We seek writing and art that reveal something unexpected: about place, history, culture, identity, language, memory, or the lived experience of crossing boundaries. We welcome established and emerging voices alike.” You can read about them here. They are accepting submissions on the Encounters theme: “We want to explore moments where something real comes into contact with the self: encounters between people, cultures, places, traditions, ideas, and ways of seeing. Some may be dramatic. Others may unfold almost unnoticed. What matters is the sense that something has been met, and that the reader is invited into that experience.” They want creative nonfiction (up to 5,000 words), as well as fiction, poetry, hybrid works, as well as translations and art. They pay 100,000 KRW (roughly $70). The submission deadline is 30th September 2026. Submission is via a form on their website. Details here and here.
The Key: Palestine
“The Key is a new online publication focused on high-quality analysis, interviews, essays, reviews and reportage about Palestine.
The Key will cover Palestine how it should be covered: as the core issue at the heart of the modern world.
The Key will examine and expose, week on week, the global ramifications of the ongoing colonization of Palestine and Western support for Israel.
The Key will publish, review and critique the most important new writing coming from and about Palestine. The Key will, piece by piece, map and analyze the battles being fought over Palestine around the world: from cultural institutions to physical resources, from the competition of ideas to the conquest of land.” Their editor has issued a pitch call: “We have a really exciting and full slate coming from The Key these next few months, but I’m always interested in your pitches.” They pay, though payment is unspecified. The magazine is affiliated with PalFest, The Palestine Festival of Literature. See the pitch call for The Key here and the magazine here.
The Wave: Climate litigation
This is a pitch call for a climate litigation newsletter. “I’m currently commissioning features for my climate litigation newsletter The Wave.
I’m looking for stories on climate litigation from around the world. These could be a deep-dive into a particular lawsuit or protagonist, a climate litigation trend or an exploration of what’s happening in climate law in a particular country. They could even explore why climate litigation ISN’T taking off in a particular field or jurisdiction.
I’m particularly interested in pitches from the Global South and places that have not been covered well, although if you have a strong and novel idea elsewhere do send it over. If you haven’t written about this specific subject before please do send over links demonstrating that you can report on complex policy/legal topics for a general audience in an accurate and clear way.” Also, “You must read the pitch call and publication properly before pitching. … Check out the website for examples of the kinds of stories I cover: https://www.the-wave.net/” Payment is $0.50/word. See the pitch call here.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.