By S. Kalekar
These are themed calls for nonfiction pitches/submissions. Some of the themes are: steak; a time of monsters; untrue; inheritance; whales; gaming and technology; AI, philosophy, and human flourishing; food science. Some also accept other genres, like fiction and poetry.
Cake Zine: Steak Zine
They want work exploring steak culture. “It’s a one-off magazine questioning the cultural impact of red meat and the classic steak house—iconic sides and desserts, white tablecloths, old school hospitality from even older waiters, grilling-based masculinity and the aprons that sell it, lab-grown meat and climate outrage. We’re interested in stories that take on steak expansively. Think: beefy drama, the various forms of red meat from jerky, tartare, to tallow and chicken-fried, the protein industrial complex.
Despite being far from dessert, Steak Zine will remain grounded in Cake Zine’s commitment to exploring contemporary food culture in unexpected contexts—be it personal, humorous, historical, or esoteric. … Formats include historical deep dives, personal essays, especially ones rooted in an unexpected POV or expertise (butchers, lab-grown meat techs, steakhouse waiters and bartenders), cultural criticism, unexpected interviews, and short lists, taxonomies, etc. Rates are $125-300. The pitch deadline is 15th October 2025. Details here.
Bright Wall / Dark Room: What is to Be Done?
They publish essays on film and television related topics. “In 1970, revolutionary director, screenwriter, and film critic Jean-Luc Godard published the filmmaking manifesto “Que faire?” (“What Is to Be Done?”) in the UK film journal Afterimage.
Written in a time of extreme sociopolitical tumult as well as a crossroads of the cinematic art form, Godard crafted a missive of dialectical thinking (“1. We must make political films. 2. We must make films politically.”) that demanded artists commit to politically-conscious filmmaking, and acknowledge that all art is already inherently political.
Fifty-five years later, the question arises for filmmakers once again, as well as for their audiences, as we find ourselves in one battle after another. What is to be done? How are films to be experienced and explored in an era in which everything feels deeply, violently political?
Bright Wall/Dark Room seeks to answer that second question in at least some small way with our upcoming November/December issue, What is to Be Done?, a call to write about films politically, or to write about political films, or both.” They pay $100. They are accepting pitches as well as submissions. First drafts are due 19th October 2025. They’re also reading unthemed submissions; there is no deadline for those. Details here.
Contingent Magazine: A Time of Monsters
Contingent is a non-profit history magazine. They are accepting pitches on the theme, A Time of Monsters. “The monster has been here all along. It is a historical constant that manifests in wildly different ways across time, place, and culture. Whatever form it takes, the monster claws at categories; it unsettles social systems; it exists against expectation—and demonstrates that another world is possible. The monster is a friend to historians precisely because of its transgressive status, which casts light into shadowed corners of the past. By studying what has been deemed unnatural or aberrant or nightmarish, historians retrieve the values, norms, fears, and fantasies of their subjects.
For this year’s special December issue, Contingent Magazine is now inviting pitches for essays (800-1500 words) that offer historical perspectives on monsters in any geographic or temporal context. We are eager to publish stories that are specific, surprising, and engage with primary sources. All kinds of monsters are welcome. … Though our call is broad, please note that we are not considering pitches about Frankenstein in any of its iterations … We welcome pitches from anyone, but prioritize contributions from people who have completed postgraduate work in history and are working outside the tenure-track professoriate, including (but not limited to) contingent faculty, K-12 teachers, graduate students, and public historians.” Pitching is via a form (see guidelines). The deadline is 20 October 2025, and they will pay $300. Details here (call on Bluesky), here (theme details) and here (general pitch guide).
Heat Death
Heat Death is a newsletter about “history, nature, culture, and the strange intersections between them.” They are accepting pitches. They pay $50-75 for pieces of 2,000-4,000 words. See the pitch call here and their general pitch guide here.
Book XI: A Journal of Literary Philosophy – What We Talk About When We Talk About…
“Book XI is a journal dedicated to publishing personal essays, memoir, fiction, science fiction, humor, and poetry with philosophical themes. … Book XI is housed at Hamilton College’s Arthur Levitt Center for Public Affairs.” They will soon open a submission period – all submissions must include “What We Talk About When We Talk About” as part of the title for this reading period. Submissions will open 15th October and close mid-December or when their submission cap is met, whichever is earlier. Their Submittable will open during the reading period. They accept submissions of 1,000-5,000 words for prose, or up to 5 poems, and pay $200 for prose, $50/poem. Details here and here.
The Suburban Review: Untrue
The Suburban Review is an Australian literary magazine, and they want submissions on the Untrue theme. “In a time of fake news and counterfeits, scammers and artificial intelligence, tell us how you’re sifting through the layers of conceit. Send us your most suspicious stories, fallacious arguments, and prose that teeters between fact and fiction.
What have you been covering up? Which appearances are deceiving? Is there something that rings false? We’re itching for unreliable characters, fabricated worlds, and deceptive turns of phrase. Is it time to come clean, or will you be keeping up the poker face?” They also take comics and art. Length: 1,250-2,000 words for nonfiction, 500-2,500 words for fiction, up to 3 poems. They pay AUD400 for nonfiction, up to AUD450 for fiction, up to AUD550 for poetry. The submission deadline is 26 October 2025 (5 p.m. AEDT). Details here and here.
Full Bleed: Inheritance
Full Bleed is an annual print and online journal devoted to the intersection of the visual and literary arts. They have detailed guidelines for the Inheritance theme, including, “We are especially interested in innovative projects combining word, image, and design; collaborations between writers and artists; ekphrastic creations; and ambitious critical essays.
Inheritances take on many forms: wealth, land, keepsakes, genetic material, artifacts, entire archives. We can also be said to inherit ideas and aesthetic traditions, political conflict, inequities, trauma, ecologies, or systems of belief. An inheritance may be a blessing or a curse. It can be life-changing and marked by turmoil or escape notice entirely. In some cases, a rightful inheritance can be forsaken, destroyed, or stolen, leaving future generations deprived of access to or understanding of the past. Essentially, an inheritance can be seen as a measure of the past’s ties to the present and future, of the bonds between generations and disparate peoples. Likewise, acts of dispossession can sever or disrupt such bonds.” They want critical essays, creative nonfiction, poetry, short stories, visual art, and hybrid, genre-bending works. Length guidelines are up to 4,000 words for prose; up to 3 poems, and they pay $25-50. The submission deadline is 1 November 2025. Details here and here.
Eldredge Books: Fashionably Late 2 Anthology
They are accepting nonfiction submissions for the second volume of Fashionably Late, a nonfiction anthology featuring LQBTQIA+ people who came out later in life. “We want to hear about the challenges and joys you faced as part of your journey.” Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): Coming out during the pandemic; Breaking free of gender norms; Finding your place in the LGBTQIA+ community; Coming out in a conservative environment; Redefining relationships with your family; and more. Submissions are open to all LGBTQIA+ writers who came out later in life (generally defined as after the age of thirty). They pay $50 for works up to 5,000 words. The submission deadline is 28 November 2025. Details here.
Light & Seed Magazine
Light & Seed is the magazine of the (US) National Forest Foundation, and is published twice a year. They have issued a pitch call. “Do you have a story about how recreating on a National Forests and/or Grasslands changed your relationship to the outdoors, challenged your views, or fostered personal growth? The National Forest Foundation is seeking an essay for the Summer/Fall 2026 issue of its magazine, Light & Seed. Did hunting in Allegheny National Forest give you a new understanding of the interconnectedness of ecosystems? Did trail running through Finger Lakes National Forest help you recover during a difficult time? Did mountain biking in Ozark National Forest allow you to find community? We already have a number of hiking-based stories based in the Southwest and West Coast slated for this issue, so please only send pitches about other forms of recreation in other parts of the country. We’ll prioritize stories that exhibit a narrative arc and strong scenes … We encourage writers of all backgrounds and experiences to pitch.” Payment is $1,000 for 1,000 words. The pitch deadline is 14th October, and first drafts are due 2 January 2026. See the pitch call here and details are here.
Phylum Press: Corkscrew Willow
They want work for their quarterly journal. “Each year, Phylum will choose 4 different species from a phylum within the natural world. These four species will be the names and inspiration for each ISSUE we publish during that year.” The current phylum is Magnoliophyta and the current issue is on the corkscrew willow. “Corkscrew Willow comes from the family of Magnoliophyta, or more commonly known as “flowering plants.” They bear both flowers and fruits. Corkscrew Willow is a species of Willow Tree most noted for its twists and turns, which can most notably be seen after leaf fall. At Phylum Press, the Corkscrew Willow symbolizes twists, turns, and anything unexpected that may fall into our laps. Embrace the new, plant the seed, care for it, then see what happens!” They want creative nonfiction (up to 5,000 words), as well as fiction and poetry. “While we love to receive works that relate to each ISSUE’s theme, we do not preference those submissions over others.” They pay $10 and the submission deadline is 31 October 2025. Details here.
The Local: Healthcare
The Local magazine covers urban health and social issues in Toronto. You can read about them here. They are accepting pitches for their winter issue, which will be focused on healthcare. “specifically interested in stories about privatization and places where money and health collide. Features, essays, first-person, etc, starting at 0.75 cents/word.” See the pitch call here.
queerbeat: queer pop culture
Their website says, “queerbeat is an online magazine focused on deeply and accurately covering LGBTQIA+ persons in India.” They’ve issued a pitch call. “Have a queer pop culture hot take that will blow our minds? We want to hear from you. queerbeat is now looking for different pop culture stories—reviews, interviews, and features.” They pay INR10,000-40,000. The pitch deadline this theme is 20th October 2025. See the pitch call / thread here and their detailed pitch guide here.
American Craft: Revolution
This is a magazine about American craft and its makers. They publish reported articles, essays, and opinion pieces. “From the handmade that we use in our homes every day to the fine craft honored in museums, we cover inspiring craft being made today. We also showcase craft organizations making a difference in their communities, thought leadership in the field, and the importance of craft in contemporary American culture.” They publish articles, essays, and opinion pieces – on artists, craft that brings together a community, handmade goods, galleries, and much more. For Summer 2026, they will publish work on the Revolution theme: “Revolution is circular motion. It’s also transformation, overthrow, and upheaval. This issue looks at cyclical techniques and patterns in craft that lead to metamorphosis. We feature craft created through spinning-like spun glass or ceramics thrown on a wheel-and handmade goods that twirl. We share stories of craft revolutionaries, from historic figures to contemporary makers reviving craft traditions. And, in “The Scene,” we visit the San Francisco Bay Area where we celebrate the revolutionary spirit of the artists and makers who live there.” The issue’s special coverage themes are: museums; wood; metal; and San Francisco Bay Area, California. Stories for American Craftare generally assigned at 400-2,000 words; pitch via the form on their guidelines page. Their pay is $0.50–$1.00/word.The pitch deadline for this theme is 10th November 2025. Detailshere (scroll down for theme details).
(American Craft is also open for pitches Work, due 9th February 2026.)
Lullaby Machine
They have detailed guidelines, and accept creative nonfiction as well as poetry and fiction “that engages, however expansively or experimentally, with the threads connecting lullaby, rest, grief, dream, capitalism, ecology, and the internet. …. We are excited to receive work that considers questions like (but not limited to):
What does it mean to rest in a world that wants us awake, productive, and sellable as much of the time as possible?
What does it feel like to stand on a stage and what does it mean to step off?
What is a liminal place and what happens there?
If you scroll far enough, where do you end up?
How do we relate to grief and death in a capitalist culture sustained by the illusion of its eternal life?
How do we take care of each other?
What could it mean to sing a lullaby in public?“
Reviews and interviews have to be pitched. They are reading submissions for their third issue. They pay $30 for works up to 2,500 words. The submission deadline is 15 October 2025. Details here and here.
Orion: Whale Issue – The Deep Dive
“From October 1- 15 we will be accepting nonfiction story pitches for our Summer 2026 Whale Issue: The Deep Dive. Send us your ideas about cetaceans! We are particularly interested in stories that examine historical perspectives around conservation and industry. No orcas, please — we’ve already got them covered.
Please keep pitches to 500 words or less.” See the pitch guide here and use this form to submit pitches.
The Fiddlehead: Disability – The Revolution
This well-regarded Canadian magazine is open to international submissions of fiction, non-fiction and poetry during this reading period. The general (unthemed) reading period ends on October 15th, and they are also reading for a themed call, Disability: The Revolution, until end-November. For the themed call, they want to hear from disabled writers. “Revolution: from the old French revolution, originally referring to the motion of the stars. Later versions of the word in the 15th century played on this sense of cyclical revolving — in the changing of the seasons, but also — crucially — the revolving of the wheel.
What does revolution look like from a disability standpoint? How do we remember that disabled writers just taking up space is revolutionary? How do we, as disabled writers, consider that question of the wheel and its many manifestations — literal, temporal, and symbolic? How do we celebrate it, remake, and open ourselves to the revolution, ongoing and future, that must usher in a more accessible world?
For our Summer 2026 issue, The Fiddlehead seeks work from disabled writers on the theme of revolution. You can interpret the theme as broadly as you like.” They want submissions of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, and pitches for reviews for the Disability call. Also see the BlueSky call / thread about this themed call here.
Their Submittable is open for several categories, please be sure to submit to the correct one. Length guidelines are up to 6,000 words for prose, up to 6 poems, and they pay CAD65/page. Details here and here, submit here.
Aftermath
They want work on gaming and technology: “we want stories that highlight important, under-explored facets of gaming and technology, as well as stories that hold powerful figures to account. We like stories that are focused on people rather than products, whether that’s developers and game workers, players, online and fan communities, or journalists.
We’re especially interested in investigative or reported stories and stories that include the voices of players, workers, and community members. Games journalism has less and less room for investigative reporting these days, and we’re happy to carry that mantle as much as we can within our means.
We’re also interested in essays that connect games, technology, and the internet to politics, current events, cultural trends, and other areas. We’re open to experimental formats that tell stories in ways beyond text.
We’re generally not looking for game or hardware reviews, lists, guides, or service posts unless you have some particularly unique expertise to share.” They pay $300-500. See the pitch call here and their pitch guide here.
Voquent
Voquent, a voice acting agency and production studio, is looking for pitches from “film, television, and video game writers to pitch articles for our platform. We’re looking for your expertise to create stories, features, and insights that focus specifically on voice acting and voiceover, exploring the craft, performance, and impact of voice talent in media.” Article categories are: Production (behind-the-scenes looks at voice acting and industry processes), Ideas (discussions on trends, issues, big conversations in voice acting), Guides (how-to articles offering actionable advice for voice actors), Voiceover (all things voice-over with emphasis on human performance), and Entertainment (interviews, podcasts, deep dives into actors and performances behind films, TV, video games). “Our standard rate is 10p per word(£100 for 1,000 words, etc) with potential adjustments for research-heavy articles.” Details here.
My Galvanized Friend: Centering Joy
This literary magazine only accepts works (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art) from LGBTQ+ writers in the US. They want submissions on the Centering Joy theme. “We invite submissions that center joy, ways to protect the sweetness in your life, and to microdose pleasure wherever possible. Insisting on joy is crucial when the world and politics are trying to suppress queerness, pride, or anything that deviates from the repressed and espoused ideals. Share your joy, that tender resistance.” Length guidelines are 500-3,500 words for prose, up to 2 pages of poetry; pay is $25 for prose, $10/page of poetry. The submission deadline is 31 October 2025. Details here and here.
Consequence Forum: Young Writers Nonfiction Project
Consequence addresses the human consequences of war and geopolitical violence through literature and art. They have various formats, including nonfiction and fiction. They are also open now for a special feature, the Young Writers Nonfiction Project. They have detailed guidelines, including, “For this young writers’ project, the journal is looking for nonfiction pieces (such as personal essays) from writers aged fifteen to twenty-four that in some way center around themselves and their relationships, as well as how those relationships have been impacted by the global crises of today and yesterday.
What political and military decisions—made perhaps before you were born or before you were even allowed to vote—are plaguing the most personal parts of your world? How are you dealing with them?” They are also accepting submissions for a special translation feature on the Congo (see their submission portal for details). Consequence pays $20-50 for writing. The submission deadline for all formats is 15th October 2025. Details here and here.
Newsweek: Personal essays
The essays editor at Newsweek is looking for pitches. “Writers, I’m commissioning personal essays again — now at Newsweek! … Looking for personal stories about parenting, health and relationships.” See the pitch call here.
Cosmos Institute: AI, philosophy, and human flourishing
The Cosmos Institute has issued a call for pitches, for work to be published on their Substack. “We’re looking for pitches about how AI can support human flourishing. If you want to write for the Cosmos Institute, send us your pitch for an article tied to one of the following topics focused on AI and the good life:
Truth-seeking: the ability to inquire openly and correct our errors. Human autonomy: the cultivated capacity for self-direction. Decentralization: systems that resist coercion, capture, and control. History: the intellectual origins of technology, especially AI. Philosophy and AI: applying philosophical ideas to AI development. We’re offering $1,000 each for essays around 2,000 words in length to be published on our Substack.”
Submit your pitches via a form, linked on their pitch call. Details here and here.
Family Style: Culture; Design; Fashion
Family Style publishes work about fashion, art, design, food, and culture. They are looking for pitches: “I’m commissioning for Oct-Nov rn! looking for timely essays & written-through features on culture, design, and fashion. … and lastly if you have an idea that you think is a great fit but doesn’t fall into the oct-nov window, feel free to send it anyway” They have also linked to some recent pieces they have commissioned. See the pitch call / thread here.
National Geographic: Food science; Pets; Plants/backyard plants
The digital editor for National Geographic has issued a pitch call: “I’m looking for smart, sharp pitches for National Geographic on food science, pets, and plants/backyard plants. Successful stories will be science driven, serviceable, and cite research and relevant experts. Nat Geo doesn’t do straight news, so I’m really looking for second-day stories here—what unique takes can we offer on current trends that will really get people talking? What can we share with readers that will really make them say, “Wow, I didn’t know that!”? I’m prioritizing timely, WIDELY RELEVANT stories over evergreen or super-niche topics. … And of course, I’m always taking other pitches, particularly in the realm of health, wellness, and culture! Same guidelines apply.” See the pitch call here.
C Mag: Chorus
C Mag is a Canadian magazine of art and culture, and they’re looking for pitches on the Chorus theme. “For this issue, we invite artistic engagements with CHORUS as both form and method. A chorus can amplify an utterance, and layer singular voices. It holds both unison and dissonance. As in musical polyphony, where multiple melodies occur at the same time, we think of ideas on collectivity that don’t dissolve distinction. How might we think with choral and other musical structures as an aesthetic, political, and feeling force? And what of the hiccups that are just as much a part of meaning-making, including pauses, sounds of breath, or even a crackle through a PA system? Think: choirs, the protest chant, repetition, sonic art, musical composition, language, call-and-response, glossolalia, work songs, and more.
Ahead of refreshing our editorial categories, we are seeking pitches this round for thematic Features of all kinds and creative Compositions, which can include artists’ visuals and experimental thought for a print format. We also welcome Reviews pitches, not required to be on theme, on a rolling basis.” The deadline is 15 October 2025. They pay CAD0.35-45/word. Reviews are paid a flat rate (CAD430 for print, CAD210 for online). Details here (theme details) and here (links to all their calls, including for letters responding to their STOP! Issue; Indigenous art writing award – the no geographic restrictions; as well as general guidelines).
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.