There are 34 themed non-fiction submission calls for the 15 magazines and websites listed here. Some of the themes are: disobedience, finance/investments, spirituality, divorce, Christmas, birds, food, fairs, summer, working potters, back to school, design, and racial equality in tech. A few give deadlines for pitches or full submissions but most don’t, so it is best to get the pitches in early. Here they are, in no particular order. – S. Kalekar

Sub-Terrain Magazine: Disobedience
They accept commentary, social or otherwise, creative non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. For the Disobedience theme their guidelines say, “subTerrain has always prided itself on its rejection of the status quo, and in this issue we will feature work that explores disobedience as progress, as chaos, or as morality. Or perhaps the works will be an act of disobedience themselves, in that they flout the so-called rules of genre.” They accept non-fiction of up to 4,000 words and pay CAD0.10 per word, up to CAD500. They are reading for this issue until end-April. Online submissions are charged, but there is no fee for mailed submissions. Details here. 

The Actuary: Finance/Investments; Life Insurance; Environment/Sustainability
This is the magazine of the Institute & Faculty of Actuaries, UK. The financial risk magazine accepts queries for features, and also for web-exclusive content. Around 40% of their readership is based outside of the UK and therefore any relevant international perspective that can be included is welcome. Their guidelines also say, “The Actuary will make no payment for articles other than as may have been expressly agreed in writing before submission.” Generally, the minimum copy date is seven weeks before publication. Most feature articles that appear in the magazine occupy one or two pages, although longer articles will be considered. For May 2020, their themes are: Finance/Investments, Life Insurance, and Environment/Sustainability. The contributor deadline is 16 March 2020 for this issue. There are several other themes listed. Details here (guidelines and link to downloading the 2020 issue themes and deadlines).

The Introspectionist: Spirituality; Divorce; Diets
This online feminist magazine is looking for articles on these topics: Spirituality, Divorce, and Diets. There are several other themes listed. They want unique spins on these topics, deep insights, and in-depth explanations. Their guidelines say, “We look for articles that both tell a story and inform. We publish persuasive essays, creative non-fiction, and in-depth informational pieces.” Articles are 100-5,000 words, and pay is $25 for short department pieces to $200 for long features. Details here and here.

Color Bloq: BOUNDARY: Creating, Maintaining, and Exploring the Invisible Lines Between Us
Color Bloq is a not-for-profit platform for queer & trans people of color. They are currently reading pitches or complete articles on the theme of ‘BOUNDARY: Creating, Maintaining, and Exploring the Invisible Lines Between Us’. Their guidelines say, “Many of life’s greatest lessons revolve around the messy vulnerability of establishing, supporting, respecting, adjusting and even disrupting or pushing boundaries. The BOUNDARY collection from Color Bloq will explore the many ways we engage the idea of structuring our lives within defined expectations and limits, thresholds and hard no’s. Explore the boundaries of everyday interactions: from the personal to the political, professional to private, even those that define the barriers between what’s sexual and what’s intimate (or even platonic and romantic!). What has shaped the boundaries you maintain today? How have you explored, pushed, expanded, or broken them? In what ways have you learned to distinguish between your own and those of others? What impacts the boundaries you navigate between social, cultural, and political institutions? Where have you excelled in these life lessons and where have you faltered?” They publish feature-length articles and cultural critiques (1,200-2,000 words), personal essays (600-800 words), and alternative formats: interviews, reviews, round tables, etc. They also accept visual arts submissions that tie to the theme. Pay is up to $500 for non-fiction articles/essays and for alternate formats, and it is $200 for personal essays. The deadline for this theme is 10 March 2020. Details here.

Faces Magazine: Birds; New Zealand
Cricket Media’s Faces Magazine is a world cultures and geography magazine for ages 9-14. Features (700–800 words) include in-depth non-fiction highlighting an aspect of the featured culture, interviews, and personal accounts; supplemental non-fiction (300–600 words) includes subjects directly and indirectly related to the theme; fiction(up to 800 words) includes retold legends, folktales, stories, and original plays from around the world, etc., relating to the theme. They also publish activities, puzzles, and games. They have two themes coming up: Birds (query deadline March 9, 2020); and New Zealand (query deadline April 13, 2020). All queries need to include an extensive bibliography of materials the author intends to use in preparing the article Details here.

Muse Magazine: Kids in Charge
Cricket Media’s Muse Magazine is a discovery (science, non-fiction) magazine for 9-14-year-old readers. They publish feature articles (800–2,000 words, including sidebars), profiles and interviews, particularly of underrepresented STEM professionals (500–800 words), activities and experiments (500–800 words), photo essays (100–300 words), science fiction or science-focused fiction (800–1,200 words), and infographics. They are currently reading article pitches for the ‘Kids in Charge’ theme. Their guidelines say, “What happens when kids raise their voices and take leadership roles in STEAM organizations?” Possible topics are: Citizen science projects led by kids; High-stakes student elections; Young activists; Advisory boards composed of tweens and teens; Unschooling and free-range kids; Scouts, 4-H, and other youth leadership development orgs. The query deadline is 16 March, 2020. Details here.

Southwest: The Magazine – The Food Issue; The Fair Issue Southwest: The Magazine is the magazine for Southwest Airlines. They typically publish two works of narrative non-fiction each issue, around 3,000 to 3,500 words. They want a compelling tale with memorable characters, none of whom have to be famous. They also assign special advertising sections. The stories can be personal narrative essays, profiles, trend stories (all with strong characters); they are less interested in stories about particular places unless they contain a personal angle or remarkable character. Writers should remember to keep their pitches focused on Southwest Airlines destinations or cities that are within a short driving distance. They usually plan five to six months out and begin working on an issue two to three months out. They also have special advertising sections. The theme for July 2020 is The Food Issue (with two special ad sections, on Franchises and Nevada); and for August, it is The Fair Issue (with three special ad sections, on Education, General Health, and Franchises). Pay for features is typically $1/word and for the advertising sections, it is dependent on the number of advertisers. Details here and here.

New Mexico Magazine: A Celebration of Public Lands; Guide to Summer
They want article ideas about New Mexico experiences, with opinionated storytelling and a first-person point of view when appropriate. The story should capture a place in such a way that readers are inspired to follow in the writer’s footsteps. Therefore, they need to be about things their readers could (conceivably) do right now. They also put an emphasis on covering areas throughout the state. They want to publish a lively editorial mix, covering both the down-home and the upscale. They also want to explore the gamut of the Old West and the New Age. They are looking for writers  who are adept at establishing a theme then sustaining a story with fresh eyes and true insight. The theme for May is A Celebration of Public Lands, and for June, it is Guide to Summer. There are many other themes listed. Pay is $0.35-0.40/word for the magazine. Also see guidelines for photographers and multi-media contributors. Details here and here.

Pacific Yatching: Eco Boating Special / Safe Boating Month; Small Boat Special; Summer Cruising
This is a magazine for the boating community – powerboaters and sailors – in B.C. and the Pacific Northwest. Their guidelines say, “Many of our stories have a “hands-on” feel to them. The reader shares the experience with the writer, and is encouraged to “follow in the author’s wake.” While precise nautical and technical information is important, colourful anecdotes bring the story to life. Both are important. In other words, our reader wants you to balance meaty navigational and technical details with first-person observations, blending the practical with the romantic.” They accept both features and department pieces, and prefer to accept both completed manuscripts and queries (the later preferred). Queries with strong photos will get attention faster. The theme for May is Eco Boating Special / Safe Boating Month, for June, it is Small Boat Special, and for July 2020, it is Summer Cruising. There are several other themes listed. Details here and here.

Paper Angel Press: Heartwreck – Romantic Disasters at Sea
Their guidelines say, “Life at sea presents many challenges, and finding (and keeping) love is one of the biggest. Heartwreck: Romantic Disasters at Sea is a collection of true and semi-true stories about love gone wrong on the high seas… Rough weather, small spaces, long days in the boatyard, and an eclectic mix of personalities make personal relationships among the seafaring community challenging and rife with struggles. We’re looking for personal essays and memoir/creative nonfiction pieces about your experiences. … Maybe a relationship fell apart and you got stuck with a boat you didn’t think you wanted. Maybe, after five days at sea with a partner and five months to go, you realized you can’t possibly live with that person on a small boat. Whatever the disaster, if it happened on or around boats, we want to read about it.”
Deadline: 30 July 2020
Length: 2,000-5,000 words
Pay: $0.02/word
Details here.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Five themes
They accept true inspirational stories and poetry on set themes. Deadlines have been extended for previous themes, and a new theme added.  

— Listen to Your Dreams: They want work on dreams. “Dreams are often the way we tap into our own inner wisdom. Sixth sense, gut feeling, premonitions, instinct. … What have you learned from your dreams? Did you listen? … Did some miraculous insight serve as a warning about something that was going to happen?” They don’t want stories about realizing your dreams (as in aspirations) for this issue, but on dreams while sleeping. Some suggested topics are: dreams about finding love; dreams that saved you or a loved one from danger/death; dreams that helped you face your fears; dreams that changed the direction of your life; and dreams in which you communicated with a loved one, either dead or alive. The deadline is now 15 March 2020.
— Christmas is in the Air: This was previously titled Stories about Christmas. They want work about the entire December holiday season, including Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and New Year’s festivities. Stories should be “Santa safe”. Some suggested topics are: Christmas through the eyes of a child, things that went wrong, funny anecdotes, holiday traditions, holiday humor, memories of the holiday season, and family reunions. The deadline is now 30 April 2020.
— Age is Just a Number: This was previously titled The Golden Years or Second Wind. They want humorous or serious stories of life after 60. Some suggested topics are: time for a new career, trying new things, bucket lists and adventure, the wisdom of age, new passions, and raising grandchildren… or still raising grown children! The deadline for this is now 31 May 2020.

–– Stories of Divine Intervention: They want stories about divine intervention and timing, miracles, angels, miraculous healing, messages and signs from heaven. Stories can be religious or non-religious. The deadline for this theme is 31 August 2020.
— Stories About Self-care and Me Time: They want stories about self care, which is not just about physical health but includes your emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing. They want stories about how you neglected your self-care and then how you realized its importance and so you now engage in it. The deadline is now 30 September 2020.

Deadlines: Various (see above)
Length: Up to 1,200 words
Pay: $200
Details here and here.

Technical.ly: Global Expansion; Racial Equality in Tech; Design
They are always looking for new voices to chronicle how technology is changing Philadelphia, Delaware, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Their guidelines say, “Our definition of tech and innovation is broad. Think: startups, open data, internet activism, curious use of social media. We’re open. But there has to be a tie to one of our markets — we’re passionate about what’s local. (If you’re not based in any of those regions, we also accept guest posts about tech scenes across the world.) We’re looking for both reported stories (paid) and guest posts and opinion pieces from community leaders (not paid).

We’re particularly passionate about amplifying the voices of women, people of color and other underrepresented folks, so if that’s you, please reach out, even if you haven’t contributed professionally before.” For May, the theme is Global Expansion; for June, it is Racial Equality in Tech; and for July 2020, it is Design. There are several other themes listed. Details here and here.

Charlotte Parent: Babies and Toddlers + Birthday Parties; Summer Fun; Back to School
They provide useful advice and local resources for raising children in the Charlotte area. Readers include parents, teachers, child-care providers and other advocates for children ages newborn through teens. Deadlines are three months before the issue is printed. The theme for May is Babies and Toddlers + Birthday Parties, for June/July it is Summer Fun and for August, it is Back to School. There are also other themes listed. They accept both pitches and article submissions. They also publish two annual guides: GPS [Go, Play, See] and Education Guide. They also accept reprints of articles from publications outside their region. Articles are 500-1,200 words. Assigned articles generally pay $50-150, and reprints, $30-45. Details here.

Oregon Humanities: Outside
They publish essays, photographs, films, audio recordings, data visualizations and infographics, and other media that explore the thoughts, perspectives, and experiences of Oregonians, especially those who have been ignored, generalized, or oppressed. Work is published on our website or in print in the magazine. They exclusively publish work by Oregon-based creators, and prefer to consider completed drafts, but also accept queries and proposals. They are now reading work on the Outside theme. They have extensive guidelines on the theme, including, “Explore the meaning of being outside, the creation of the idea of the outdoors, and who has been invited into and excluded from these spaces. Share a story of people interacting with a natural environment—what are the possibilities and the harms? Tell us about the history of preservation, land reclamation, adventuring and exploring, and the myth of untouched wilderness. We want to hear about climate justice, about land, fire, and water—their meaning and effect. What does the future of our relationship with the outdoors look like?” They welcome all forms of nonfiction writing, including all forms of essays and journalism, and excerpts from forthcoming or recently published books. Features generally range between 1,500 and 4,000 words. Pay ranges from $200 to $300 for shorter online pieces and $500 to $1,000 for personal essays and features; payment varies depending on the length and complexity of the piece, and whether it is an original, commissioned work or a reprint or adaptation of an existing piece. They will consider and offer a modest honorarium for previously published work, as well as book and other excerpts. The deadline for this theme (proposals or drafts) is 15 March 2020. Details here and here.

Ceramics Monthly: Emerging Artists; Working Potters; Earthenware
This is a magazine of studio ceramics, and their audience includes artists/potters, educators, students, gallery and museum personnel, and collectors. They have various departments, including Techno File (a scientific explanation of, and a practical studio application for, a ceramic topic), and Studio Visit, They also publish features (topical and technical articles), profiles (750-1,500 words each), and exhibition reviews (500-1,000 words). For May, the theme is Emerging Artists; for June/July/August, it is Working Potters; and for September 2020, it is Earthenware. There are several other themes listed. Topical Articles, Profiles, Technical Articles, and Exhibition Reviews are paid at $0.10 per printed word; Techno File and Glaze articles are paid a flat rate of $250. Some pieces are paid for with a subscription and some are unpaid (see guidelines). Details here and here.

BONUS: Arizona Highways
This magazine on Arizona does not seem to publish its editorial calendar but they are inviting pitches for the rest of 2020 until 14 March, 2020. They accept freelance queries for Dining, Lodging, and History departments, and for features: on experimental travel in Arizona, history, nature and environment, and long-form profiles. Essays are also considered. Details here and here.

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Author 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.