Dear Writers,
Here’s our weekly roundup of calls for pitches directly from editors and publishers.
We’ve researched payment rates and contact information, and summarized the opportunity available.
Please only submit to these publishers if you are confident in your ability to send high quality pitches that closely meet the needs of the publisher.
New Freelance Writers: Do Not Send a Pitch Without Reading This First
— Jacob Jans
Thanks to Fatima Saif for her research on this article.
The Portalist is “a haven for science fiction and fantasy fans.” They are seeking contributors who want to review Netflix’s Shadow and Bone series in April. They will pay $150 per piece (1,000 words). If interested, email editor@theportalist.com. Read their Tweet here and learn more about them here.
Lifehacker Australia is a website that offers life hacks and productivity tips. They have tweeted, “Calling on Pitches. Lifehacker Au is looking for freelancers with a fresh take. We’re looking for unique story ideas, features and first-person experiences. If you’ve got an idea for our travel vertical or our new series ‘We Need To Chat: A guide to life’s most uncomfortable conversations’, email a brief outline of your pitch to pitch.lh@pedestriangroup.com.au.” They pay $180 to $500 per piece. To learn more, refer to their Twitter thread. To contact them, refer to this page.
Tom’s Guide covers all things consumer tech including smartphones, cameras, wearables, video games, TVs, and drones. They are looking for 2 to 3 freelancers to cover the EV space (news, hubs, and features). They encourage women and POC to apply. They pay “$50 for quick news hits to $400+ for reviews and other major features.” For details, refer to their news editor’s Tweet. To learn more about them, refer to this page.
Sisters From AARP is a weekly newsletter that celebrates Black women. Their senior editor is looking for “an essay from a Muslim writer on identity & faith, timed to Ramadan. And a writer on the experience of not having children.” They will pay $500 per post. For more information, read their senior editor’s Twitter thread and their writer’s guidelines.
Deadline: March 25th, 2021
Opportunity to write recipe-driven stories: “I’m recruiting writers for recipe-driven stories (for a client – a D2C food company). Looking for summery pitches; long-ish/personal headnotes ok with us.” Rates start at $200 per story (including one photo) and go up to about $350. For details, refer to this Tweet.
Laptop Mag is devoted to helping people choose the best laptop. They are seeking writers proficient in Linux to write software and hardware reviews and also FAQs and tutorials. They will pay $600 for reviews, $400-$500 for FAQs, and $100 or more for tutorials. For details, refer to their editor-in-chief’s Tweet. To learn more about them, refer to this page.
gal-dem is a British online and print magazine that is dedicated to sharing the stories of women and non-binary people of color. They are seeking personal essay pitches that are “joyous, scandalous, reflective – anything *positive*” for their First Person section. They want pitches from writers of color from marginalized genders. They will pay £80 for 600 to 800 words and £100 for 1,000+ words. To learn more, read their First Person editor’s Twitter thread and their pitch guide.
Next City is a nonprofit news organization that covers urban policy, planning, transportation, and design. They are looking for new freelance voices. They want “800-1200 word pitches on the solutions making our cities more equitable and sustainable.” They pay $300 per piece. Pitches should be sent to rachel@nextcity.org. To learn more, read their senior editor’s Tweets here and here. Read their pitch guide here.
Business Insider Australia’s editor is “keen for freelancers to pitch ideas for Business Insider stories – anything from news and features to guides and service journalism.” They pay $180 to $500 per story. Send your ideas to pitch.bi@pedestriangroup.com.au. To learn more, refer to their editor’s Twitter thread. To contact them, refer to this page.
Winnipeg Police Cause Harm (WPCH) is a community-centered police abolitionist group. 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.” WPCH and the Media Co-op are teaming up to co-publish an article. They want pitches from BIPOC writers on “all things policing, prisons, and abolition.” They will pay $200 for the article. Writers should send their pitches to blogwpch@gmail.com. To learn more, refer to this Twitter thread, WPCH’s guidelines, and the Media Co-op’s guidelines.
CBS News’ assistant managing editor is seeking “BIPOC freelance reporters in Atlanta, New York City and Los Angeles, and other major cities to cover the rise in racist violence against the Asian community.” Rate will start at $0.60 per word. If interested, DM their editor on Twitter or email justin@cbsnews.com. Read their editor’s Tweet here. View their website here.
HuffPost UK’s commissioning editor is looking to commission some opinion pieces and first-person reflections on the Covid-19 lockdown anniversary next week. According to payment reports, they pay £100 for 800-word opinion pieces. If interested, send your ideas to charlie.lindlar@huffpost.com. Read their commission editor’s Tweet here. Learn how to write for them here.
Nat Geo Travel’s research editor is seeking a Texas-based travel freelance writer with a passion for bluebonnets and conservation for a potential story. Pay will be $1 per word. If interested, send your clips to starlight.williams@natgeo.com. For more information, read their editor’s Twitter thread and their pitching guidelines.
The Fence is a London-based independent quarterly magazine. They ship internationally but focus around life in the capital. They are accepting pitches for their 8th issue. They publish 4 kinds of pieces, which correspond to the 4 sections of their magazine: ‘facts’, ‘features’, ‘fiction’, and ‘etc’. Pieces are usually 800 to 2,500 words. Payment is generally £75 to £250 per piece. Pitches should be sent to info@the-fence.com. For more information, read their Twitter thread and pitch guide.
SFGate covers news and entertainment from the Bay Area and beyond. Their travel editor is accepting California-centric story pitches for their travel vertical. They usually pay $150 to $300 per piece. To learn more, refer to their editor’s Tweet. To contact them, refer to this page.
Greatist is a health and wellness brand. Their freelance food editor is seeking pitches for “an upcoming series where people share what they keep in their freezers/how their freezers fit into their food/cooking/baking lives.” They will pay a flat rate of $250 for 500-600 words. To learn more, refer to their editor’s Tweet and their pitch form. To contact them, refer to this page.
C Magazine is a Canada-based contemporary art and criticism periodical. They are accepting pitches for features (1,200-3,500 words), columns, and reviews (800-1,000 words) for their issue C150 “Maps” (Autumn 2021). Pay is at least $0.35 per word. For more information, refer to their Tweet, call for pitches, and submission and writer’s guidelines.
Deadline: May 1st, 2021
Backpacker is a magazine and website about backpacking, camping, and hiking. Their senior digital editor is accepting pitches for Bearpacker Magazine (Backpacker Magazine’s annual celebration of everything ursine). He is looking for your “story about bears, bear advice, or bear-related humor.” Their online rates range from $150 to $250, with average being $175 to $200. For more information, read their editor’s Twitter thread and their contributor’s guidelines.
