The following is a list of calls for pitches directly from editors and publishers.
We’ve included payment rates when available, as well as contact information. You’ll notice that payment rates vary widely, though many of these publisher pay $1 per word.
If you want full access to a database of almost 2,000 publishers, plus hundreds of listings like this every month, then I encourage you to join Writing Launch. However, they’re not currently open for enrollment. You can join the waiting list here.
Please only approach these publishers if you are confident in your ability to send a pitch.
– Jacob Jans
Thanks to Fatima Saif for her research on this article
Wine Enthusiast Magazine is a wine magazine that features wine ratings, reviews, recipe ideas, pairing information, news, and guides. They are looking for pitches: “Email Sarah Daniels (sdaniels@wineenthusiast.net) if you’d like to write 350 words, $1/word, about some exciting facet of how wine is being grown, made, sold or drank. NOT looking for pieces that focus on a single person or business. We’re also NOT looking for pieces about how wine is marketed, or for anything that discusses how good or bad a particular bottle/region/grape/style is.” “One more thing: This is for print, the lead time is about six months. We’re not looking for news stories, and while the pandemic comes up, we’re not looking for explicitly pandemic stories, because who knows what anything will be like in six months.” To learn more, refer to this Twitter thread and their submission guidelines.
Briarpatch is a Canadian magazine of politics and culture. They are accepting pitches for their unthemed March/April issue. They are looking for “investigative journalism, interviews, feature articles, narrative reporting, project profiles, comics and graphic texts, book reviews, and photo essays that are rooted in anti-colonial, anti-capitalist, feminist struggle.” They are committed to publishing more writers of color, especially Black and Indigenous writers. They pay $100 for profiles, short essays, book reviews, and parting shots (1,500 words or less); $200 for feature stories (2,000 to 2,500 words) and photo essays; and $300 for research-based articles and investigative reporting (2,500 to 3,000 words). Send pitches to pitch@briarpatchmagazine.com. Read their Tweet here and call for submissions here.
Deadline: November 9th, 2020
Input is a tech publication that is committed to “offering a fresh perspective on the devices, creators, trends, and ideas that are changing our world.” Their senior editor is always seeking pitches for their style section. So, if you want to write about streetwear, sneakers, or internet culture, then send an email to their senior editor at edgar@inputmag.com. They pay about $0.50 per word. Read their editor’s Tweet here and contact them here.
South China Morning Post (SCMP) is a news media company that is a source for news and insights from Hong Kong, China, and the rest of the world. Their newly appointed Asia Reporter (who will be covering Indonesian affairs and Southeast Asia’s tech scene) is accepting pitches. According to payment reports, they pay up to $0.40 per word. Pitches should be sent to restyworo.yuniar@scmp.com. To learn more, refer to this Tweet. To contact them, refer to this page.
Atlas Obscura is “the definitive guide to the world’s hidden wonders.” They cover history, geography, exploration, science, and culture. Their soon-to-be-appointed senior editor is looking for pitches. According to their pitch guide, they publish stories that focus on a place. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $600 for features of about 1,200 words. For details, refer to this Twitter thread and their pitch guide.
Junkee is an Australian pop culture website that covers TV, film, music, gaming, technology, politics, web stuff, and more. Their editor has tweeted, “NAIDOC week is rapidly approaching, and I’d like to reserve the majority of my budget over November for Indigenous writers, to cover anything in Junkee’s wheelhouse — politics, pop-culture, entertainment, etc.” Pay is $200 per article. Email your pitches to plenton@junkeemedia.com. Read their editor’s Twitter thread here. Learn more about them here.
Digital Spy is the United Kingdom’s biggest TV and movies site. Their movies editor is always open for movie pitches. According to payment reports, they pay £70 per piece. Send pitches to isandwell@digitalspy.com. Read their editor’s Tweet here and their pitch guide here.
EQ is an online lifestyle magazine that “focuses on dating and relationship advice, as well as digital technology that (promises to) improve the way humans form meaningful connections.” They are accepting pitches. They prefer US based (particularly NYC) writers. They will pay $50 for 500-word pieces and $100 for 1,000-word pieces. For details, refer to this Twitter thread. To learn more about them, refer to this page.
Immerse is a publication (produced in partnership with the MIT Open DocLab) that sparks creative dialogue around emerging forms of non-fiction media (VR, AR, and beyond). They are seeking “proposals for articles that platform & interrogate emergent non-fiction media (VR/XR/AR, video games, post-Internet art, virtual platforms, interactive media, participatory/co-created works, & more).” They pay $250 per piece (standard length 1,200 words). If interested, contact them at editor@immerse.news. For more information, refer to this Tweet and this page.
Sweaty City is an Australian magazine about climate change and urban ecology. They are looking to commission a feature about how climate change is affecting the Australian music industry. They are “interested in what the music industry looks like during the climate crisis – everything from how Aussie musicians are addressing climate in their work to how live music and festivals are being affected by extreme weather events.” They will pay $250 (negotiable). Send pitches to editorial@sweatycity.com. For details, refer to this Tweet and this page.
Texas Monthly is a magazine and website that covers Texas news, politics, culture, food, travel, history, music, crime, and more. Their editor is accepting pitches for “lifestyle and culture stories about food, travel, music, art, style, and the great state of TX.” According to payment reports, they pay $1 per word. Send your pitches to leah.prinz@gmail.com. To learn more, refer to this Tweet. To contact them, refer to this page.
Business Insider is a website that covers business, financial, and technology news. They are looking for freelance tech reporters, writers, and columnists to pitch and “cover the major players shaping the enterprise tech and VC/startup industry.” Email your pitches to akalish@businessinsider.com. Their rates start at $300. For details, refer to their editor’s Tweet. To learn how to write for them, refer to this page.
SFGate covers news and entertainment from the Bay Area and beyond. Their sports editor has tweeted, “The SFGate sports section is punting (sports term) on gamers and instead focusing on features, essays, hot takes that are fun rather than obnoxious, & investigative sports stories — usually but not always with a Bay Area connection. I’m especially interested in stories that are sports/fitness adjacent.” Pay is $150 to $300 per story. If interested, send pitches to alex.shultz@sfgate.com. For details, refer to their sports editor’s Twitter thread. For more contact information, refer to this page.
Burum Collective is a community blog and virtual networking space for people working in the beer, wine, and cider industries. They have tweeted, “From January 2021 we will be able to pay for one writer a month, which means we are now officially open for pitches! A big goal for us has always been for the blog to be a collection of unfiltered, honest, funny, educational and/or personal words from people in our industries.” They currently have only 12 slots available. They especially welcome pitches from those who haven’t written professionally before. They will pay £0.20p per word. Read their Twitter thread here and submit your pitch here.
Fanbyte covers gaming, technology, and entertainment. Their features & trending editor has tweeted, “My backlog has cleared up so now’s a great time to pitch me on games and their surrounding culture. I like pieces that are comedic, weird, and insightful. Personal essays are a hard sell but with the right hook can work.” “To clarify, your ideas don’t have to be funny, and we don’t publish straight-up satire. Just do you. Topics I’m especially interested in right now: labor and economics of games; reporting on interesting communities and projects; games outside of North America/Europe/Japan.” They pay $100 for simple listicles; $150 for essays, reviews, and basic guides; and $200 for features. If interested, send your pitches to merrittk@fanbyte.com. For details, refer to their editor’s Twitter thread. For more contact information, refer to this page.
Facing South is “the online magazine and weekly email update of the Institute for Southern Studies.” They are “on the lookout for freelance pitches from journalists and other writers — reported features, shorter articles, and Voices editorial essays that reflect the South’s diversity of race, class, culture, and experience.” They are looking for: “stories exposing abuses of power, holding powerful interests accountable, and elevating the voices of everyday people working for systemic change in the South.” They encourage pitches from writers with backgrounds that are under-represented in coverage of the South. Rates are $150-$200 for op-eds, obituaries, and other Voices pieces; $200-$300 for first-person reports, personal essays, or photo essays; $350-$500 for reported stories; and $200-$300 for interviews. Send your pitches to sue@southernstudies.org. For details, refer to their Tweet and call for pitches. To contact them, refer to this page.
Kill Your Darlings is an online magazine that is dedicated to arts and culture. They are open for non-fiction pitches. They want “your weird and wonderful ideas for pieces across culture, society, and memoir.” According to payment reports, they pay at least A$250 per piece. For details, refer to their Twitter thread and this page. For tips on how to pitch them, refer to this page.
Deadline: November 14th, 2020
Candide is an app for gardeners and plant enthusiasts. Their editor has tweeted, “I’m looking for gardening pitches again! Anything around trends, projects that you have done, gift guides, new products etc. Think Christmas and the slow period between now and the Spring, I’m open to ideas!” Don’t pitch about how gardening saved you during lockdown. Pay is £90 per article. Email pitches to marta.funk@candide.eu. Read their editor’s Twitter thread here and learn more about them here.
English Review Magazine is a print and online magazine for A-level students and teachers. The magazine “includes in-depth analysis of key texts, contextual background, and articles designed to focus students’ exam skills, including tackling unseen extracts.” Their editor is looking for pitches from A-level teachers, writers, and early career academics. They pay £100 for 1,500 words and £150 for 2,000 words. Send pitches to michele.mendelssohn@ell.ox.ac.uk. For details, refer to their editor’s Tweet. To learn more about the magazine, refer to this page.
Foundations Revealed is “an online community and educational resource covering historical costuming, vintage couture and corsetry.” They are currently looking for pitches for “articles on traditional dress from cultures other than Britain and the USA.” They pay $300 per article (at least 3,000 to 4,000 words with 30 to 40 photos, videos, and diagrams). To learn more, refer to this Twitter thread and their submissions guide.
Paper Plane is a twice-monthly newsletter that features original stories from journalism students in Canada. Their editor has tweeted, “Looking for pitches for the late-November issue and into December. Hit me with those holiday-themed stories!” Pay is $0.10 per word. To learn more, refer to their editor’s Tweet and their pitch guide.
R29Unbothered is Refinery29’s sub-brand for and by Black millennial women. They are seeking “freelance trending news writers to cover news, politics, entertainment, and more.” According to payment reports, Refinery29 pays an average of $0.26 per word. If interested email your pitches and resumes to stephanie.long@refinery29.com. To learn more, refer to this Tweet and this page.
A new quarterly arts, architecture, and ideas journal that is loosely oriented around Los Angeles is looking for pitches. Pay will be $1 per word. If interested, DM on Twitter. To learn more, refer to this Twitter thread.
Atmos is “an exploration of climate and culture, a biannual magazine and digital platform curated by an ecosystem of adventurers, creatives, and journalists dedicated to pioneering progress around the world.” Their climate editor is accepting pitches. They pay $500 to $1,000 for features. If interested, send your pitches to yessenia@atmos.earth. For details, refer to their editor’s Tweet. To contact them, refer to this page.
The Media Co-op is “a coast-to-coast network of local media co-operatives dedicated to providing grassroots, democratic coverage of their communities and of Canada.” They are looking for pitches. Priority topics:
- “Analysis and opinion on Montsion non-guilty verdict re the killing of Abdi (Black writers pls)”
- “Indigenous land & water defence (Mi’kma’ki, TMX, CGL, 1492 Land Back Lane, etc.)”
- “Homelessness crisis across Canada”
They pay up to $200. If interested, email your pitches to info@mediacoop.ca. To learn more, refer to their Twitter thread and this page.
Arkansas Soul is a digital media publication that publishes content for BIPOC by BIPOC in Arkansas. They are seeking freelance writers who can pitch content with a focus on BIPOC in Arkansas. Pay is $150 to $300 for Reimagine Arkansas stories and content (500 to 2,000 words), $100 to $250 for personal essays, first-person accounts, and op-eds (750 to 2,000 words), $150 to $250 for reported news stories (500 to 1,000 words), $150 to $250 for feature stories (1,000 to 2,000 words), and $150 to $250 for profiles and interviews (flexible word count). For more information, refer to their Tweet, call for writers & content, and submission guidelines.
Promised Land Magazine covers art, fashion, and culture. They are currently seeking “Black writers well-versed in subjects of fashion, beauty, culture, lifestyle, fitness, and art.” Rates start at about 50 cents per word. DM them on Twitter for more information. Read their Tweet here. Visit their website here.
