Dear Writers,
Here’s our latest roundup of calls for writers directly from editors and publishers.
All of these are paid opportunities. We’ve included payment rates and contact information for all of these publications.
Do not contact these publishers unless you know how to send a high quality pitch. That means carefully studying the publication. Watch this free lecture to learn how to send a pitch that wins over editors.
— Jacob Jans
Thanks to Fatima Saif for compiling this list
The Urbanist examines “urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.” They are looking for original reported articles. They want to “highlight issues related to urbanism that have been historically overlooked, and invest in writing that really pushes the dial forward on how to make cities better for all the people.” They will pay $200 per article. They highly encourage women and BIPOC writers to pitch. To learn more, refer to their Tweet, this page, and their guidelines.
Business Insider is a website that covers business, financial, and technology news. Their senior editor is looking for freelancers who cover finance, ESG, or sustainable finance. According to a previous Tweet by this editor, their freelance rate starts at around $300. If interested, email your background/clips to akalish@insider.com. Read their senior editor’s Tweet here and learn how to write for them here.
Positively Aware Magazine is an HIV/AIDS care and treatment magazine. The guest editor of their upcoming issue is accepting pitches. The theme of the issue is diversity, equity, and inclusion in HIV and AIDS advocacy. BIPOC and LGBTQ writers are preferred. Rate starts at $350 for up to 400 words. Email your pitches to writeoncm@gmail.com. Read their guest editor’s Twitter thread here and contact them here.
Ensemble Travel: Extraordinary Experiences Magazine is looking for pitches for “stories about destinations off the beaten path, YOLO & luxe.” They are also seeking Q&As with celeb/someone high profile in travel. They pay $0.65 CDN per word. This opportunity is open to Canadian and American writers. If interested, send your pitches to editorbv@ensembletravel.ca. To learn more, refer to their editor’s Tweet. To read their magazine, refer to this page.
Deadline: December 15th, 2021
Lovetovisit.com is seeking students, bloggers, and freelance writers across the UK to write for them. They would “love itinerary-style pieces on free attractions to explore in your area.” They pay 5p per word. If interested, send your ideas to press@lovetovisit.com. To learn more, refer to their commissioning editor’s Tweet and their website.
USA TODAY Travel offers the latest travel news, tips, guides, and deals. They are seeking travel pitches from writers from underrepresented groups (e.g. BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, chronic illness, etc.). They will pay $300 for up to 600 words, which is $0.50/word. Email your pitches to jrivera@usatoday.com. To learn more, refer to their editor’s Twitter thread and their website.
MIT Technology Review is a media company that explains the commercial, political, and social impact of the newest technologies. They are seeking “pitches about the rapidly changing world of money and finance.” Rates start at $1 per word. Send your pitches to amy.nordrum@technologyreview.com. To learn more, refer to this Tweet and their ‘about’ page.
Deadline: December 17th, 2021
Fed is “a food startup that designs, prepares, and delivers nutrition-focused meals for specialized diets.” They are accepting pitches for issue #7 of their food journalism magazine, Sliced. The issue is themed Sport. Some of the themes they are particularly interested in are:
“Food, sports science, and optimizing performance; developments in sports nutrition, or food and sport, that have merged into everyday life.”
“Nutrition and supplements; athletes and players engaging with food in unusual ways to get the most out of it; sports where foods are inextricably linked to the playing of the game; athletes/players promoting and using dubious nutritional products and practices.”
“Groundskeepers adapting to the climate crisis, droughts, and flooding, with insights/lessons for agriculture; foods and food technology developed specifically for consumption when watching sport.”
They pay CD$0.15/word for around 1,200 words. To read their Twitter thread, click here. To read their previous issues, click here.
The Muse is an online career platform. They cover careers and work. Their deputy editor has tweeted, “I’m looking for freelance pitches as we try to expand our coverage beyond the actionable advice we’re best known for. What does that mean? We’re looking for reported features, essays, perspectives, maybe even humor pieces that shed light, provide insight, reframe, and capture zeitgeist at a moment when careers, work, and culture are shifting and evolving in a big way.” Some of the topics they are interested in right now are:
“-Pandemic, Great Resignation, boomerang effect, etc.
-Return to office, remote work, hybrid work, etc.
-Work culture/future of work
-Early career
-Burnout
-DEI
-Mental health
-Four-day work week”
They pay $300+ for most pieces. They will consider going up to $1 per word. If interested, send your pitches to stav.ziv@themuse.com. Read their deputy editor’s Twitter thread here and learn more about them here.
Insider’s digital culture editor is seeking “reporters based (UK + US) with good digital culture knowledge who are able to pick up short-ish news assignments for quick (sometimes same-day) turnaround.” Their rates start at £200 for the quickest stories. To learn more, refer to their digital culture editor’s Twitter thread and their freelance reporter application.
TechRadar is a UK-based consumer technology news and reviews website. Their computing writer has tweeted, “TechRadar is POC/Women/LGBTQIA+ friendly and as a queer person myself, I would love to talk nerdy with you.” “Please email jessica.weatherbed@futurenet.com for freelancing opportunities on reviews and features for computing hardware and PC gaming peripherals.” They prefer UK-based writers for product reviews. They pay between £100 and £250 per piece. For details, read their computing writer’s Tweet and their pitch guide.
LAist is a website about Los Angeles and everything that happens in it. Their food and freelance editor is looking for food stories: “I want stories that are unique and uniquely Southern Californian, stories that celebrate our local food culture while recognizing its intrinsic global connections. These could be profiles, trend pieces, roundups, listicles, slice-of-life write-ups, hidden histories, personal essays or something I haven’t dreamed of.” They typically pay $300 to $500 for a reported story. Send your pitches to tips@laist.com. For details, refer to their Tweet and this page.
Colorado Newsline provides “fair and accurate reporting on politics, policy and other stories of interest to Colorado readers.” They are looking for freelancers. They pay $100 to $600 for stories. Interested freelancers should contact quentin@coloradonewsline.com. Read their editor’s Tweet here. Learn more about them here.
The Asia business editor of Al Jazeera English has tweeted, “I’m looking for smart, engaging writers to pitch stories about business and the economy in Asia. We see the economy in broad, relatable terms – that means everything from air travel to crypto and all in between.” They pay $350 for news features and features. If interested, contact powerj@aljazeera.net. For more information, refer to their editor’s Tweet and this pitch guide.
Budget Travel is a website that empowers consumers to travel the world on any budget. Their publisher is seeking writers for a paid assignment. The writers should have experience in the Northeast USA. Their average rate is $0.25 per word. If interested, send a writing sample to pitch@budgettravel.com. To learn more, refer to their publisher’s Tweet and this page.
The Dance Current is a Canadian print magazine and website about dance. They are accepting pitches for their Spring 2022 issue. They are seeking short reported articles and personal essays (around 700 words). They are also seeking poetry. They pay $125 to $400. Pitches should be sent to grace@thedancecurrent.com. For details, refer to their Tweet and guidelines.
Deadline: December 17th, 2021
Knock LA is a community journalism project that is committed to telling the real story of Los Angeles. They are seeking a journalist of color in the LA area to do important local stories. They pay $125 per article (rate is flexible). Send your pitches to cerise@knock.la. For more information, refer to their editor’s Tweet and this page.
Fast Company’s Co.Design highlights “the world’s best examples of design and innovation, working in concert.” Their editor is seeking freelance pitches. They cover “everything from branding & typography, to packaging & fashion, to transportation, sustainability & architecture, as long as it has a sharp design angle.” Their rates start at $300. If interested, send your pitches to arawlins@fastcompany.com. To read their editor’s Tweet, click here. To visit their website, click here.
The Org is “a network of public org charts for employees at fast-growing startups.” Their editor has tweeted, “If you have analysis, opinions or reported pieces you’d like to write about The Way We Work Now, you can always pitch them to me.” They pay $0.50 to $1.00 per word. They can also discuss flat rates. If interested, send your pitches to maya.kosoff@theorg.com. Read their editor’s Twitter thread here and learn more about them here.
The Spruce Eats features recipes, cooking videos, actionable tips, and more. Their commerce team is seeking “writers with culinary experience to help with product testing.” They will pay about $600. They will prioritize BIPOC voices. If interested, email trock@dotdash.com. To learn more, refer to this Tweet and this page.
World Wildlife Magazine is a quarterly magazine by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) that covers our planet’s most pressing conservation issues. They are looking for short, uplifting personal essays about the impact of nature on your life. They are imagining these pieces as first-person, nature-focused versions of the NYT’s Modern Love. They are also open to poems. They will pay $1.25 per word for accepted pieces (100-300 words). They are seeking essays from US-based writers. To learn more, refer to their Twitter thread, submission form, and digital magazine archive.
Scott’s Cheap Flights is a website and newsletter for cheap flight deals. Their content marketing manager has tweeted, “Come pitch me if 1) you know a destination very very (very) well and want to cover it for our newsletter or 2) you are an expert in a particular airline, or a true miles expert who knows biz/first class like the back of your hand.” “I have several specific pieces to assign based on location and subject matter expertise (not a totally open call for pitches).” Rate is about $200 to $500. If interested, email katie.hammel@scottscheapflights.com. Read their content marketing manager’s Twitter thread here and contact them here.
