Dear Writers,
Here’s out latest roundup of calls for writers — directly from editors.
Please carefully study the publication before contacting the editor. When writing your pitch, be sure to:
- Carefully study the publication, to get a sense of their style
- Have a clear idea of where you proposed article will fit into the publication
- Have a clear sense of the publication’s general schedule
- Have a clear sense of who the publication’s audience is
- Choose just one idea to pitch — and make sure it closely fits the publication’s needs
- Write a short pitch (no more than 200 words)
— Jacob Jans
Polygon is Vox Media’s gaming website. Their senior culture editor is seeking “culture, trend, internet, and/or fandom analysis stories (not reviews)” about Euphoria, Genshin Impact, Pokemon Arceus, and Five Nights at Freddy’s. She also continues to “be interested in culture stories anchored to upcoming releases, along with tiktok virality and subculture, and popular/storied fan projects and mods (for example, stardew valley expanded mod).” For reporting and critical analysis, their rates start at $300. Pitches should be sent to nicole.clark@polygon.com. To learn more, read their senior culture editor’s Twitter thread and their pitching guidelines.
Inverse covers science, innovation, entertainment, gaming, and the mind and body. Their senior gaming editor has tweeted, “Love is in the air! I’m looking for pitches for a spring special issue called Love Games, focusing on the most memorable romances, thirst traps, unsinkable ships, and sexy mods in video games.” Rate starts at $150 per blog/listicle/essay, $300+ per interview, and $500+ per longform feature/oral history with multiple sources. If interested, send your pitches to jen@inverse.com. To learn more, refer to their senior gaming editor’s Twitter thread. To contact them, refer to this page.
Liberal Currents is a publication that is dedicated to the “defense of liberal ideals.” They are looking for pitches. Their founder and editor-in-chief has tweeted: “Would love in particular to see something from a writer with expertise on foreign policy, really wrestling with the question of what a truly liberal foreign policy would entail.” They are seeking pitches on other topics as well. Rate is $75 per piece. Pitches should be sent to writers@liberalcurrents.com. Read their founder and editor-in-chief’s Twitter thread here and learn more about them here.
International Journalists’ Network (IJNet) offers the latest tips, training opportunities, trends, and tools for professional and emerging journalists around the world. They have tweeted, “Do you know of a journalism tool, app or resource that we haven’t covered? A media innovator who has a fascinating story to tell? We’re always accepting new pitches from writers around the world.” They pay $200 per article. For details, refer to their Tweet and this page.
Headway is The New York Times’ new section that explores “the world’s challenges through the lens of progress.” They are looking for stories: “special call for journos to revisit stories about change makers you’ve previously reported.” They are seeking 3 types of stories: cover stories (4,000-7,000 words); visual and interactive stories; and supporting pieces (500-1,500 words). For supporting pieces, they are looking for ideas around: waste and circularity; alleviating poverty; and past, present, and future of plastics. Rate is $1 to $2 per word. To learn more, refer to this Tweet and this pitching guide.
Deadline: February 24th, 2022
JSTOR Daily is JSTOR’s digital magazine that provides scholarly context to news and current affairs. They are actively accepting feature pitches for their American Prison Newspapers collection. The collection contains “centuries of digitized newspapers produced by and for incarcerated people.” Features can be “based on things mentioned in the archive explicitly, implicitly, or something that may be inferred.” Rate is $400 to $500 for full-length well researched features. For more information, refer to their editor’s Tweet and this page.
CafeMom is a website for mothers and mothers-to-be. Their managing editor is looking for any mom writers who want to explain NFTs. They usually pay $75 for 500 words but the rate for this piece might be negotiable. It will be due in March. Interested writers should email laurgor510@gmail.com. Read their managing editor’s Tweet here and contact them here.
Hill City Bride is a Virginia-based wedding blog. They are open for pitches. If you want to write about weddings/honeymoons, then get in touch with them at jennifer@hillcitybride.com. They will pay $50 per article (around 600 to 800 words). Read their Tweet here. Contact them here.
SPY is a discovery and reviews website. They are seeking writers, experts, and product reviewers with “expertise in gadgets, gear, grooming, health, home, pets, sex & more.” They usually “pay on a per piece basis, but the per/hour equivalent is always AT LEAST $25 an hour and typically higher.” If interested, DM them on Twitter or email bwertz@spy.com. To read their Tweet, click here. To learn more about them, click here.
Earth Island Journal is a quarterly journal that covers environmental issues. They are looking for pitches for their special edition on urban environments. They would “like to explore the full range of issues and solutions related to built environments, sustainability, and nature, including, but not limited to, how cities can and are tackling the climate crisis, the role of architecture in developing climate resilience, and how urban environments affect our understanding of nature and our place in it.” They are seeking on-the-ground reports, and also personal essays, think pieces, and artwork. They pay $0.25 per word for print stories. Writers can expect to earn $750 to $1,000 for an in-depth story of about 4,000 words. They pay $150 for online stories. If interested, email submissions@earthisland.org. For details, refer to their Tweet, call for pitches, and guidelines.
Deadline: March 15th, 2022
Parents Magazine helps parents raise happy, healthy kids. Their executive editor is looking for pitches from Black fathers about their experiences with co-parenting and custody agreements. Rate is $250 to $350. Pitches should be sent to kindred@meredith.com. Read their executive editor’s Twitter thread here and their writer’s guidelines here.
The Fuller Project is a global nonprofit newsroom that reports on issues affecting women in the US and abroad. They are commissioning original enterprise reporting in the US. Two specific opportunities:
“1. Stories at the intersection of gender & economic mobility in California
2. Stories on environment/climate, through a gender lens, in the US (particularly interested in CA and the Southeast)”
They want deeply reported, focused enterprise stories with an eye to potential impact/accountability. Rate is $1 per word for up to 1,200 words. If interested, email your pitches to pitch@fullerproject.org. To learn more, refer to their acting editor-in-chief’s Twitter thread and their pitch guidelines.
Eat, Drink, and Do Good newsletter features original thought pieces on social justice by emerging writers. They are accepting pitches for unique POVs on social justice related topics. They pay $100 for the piece and $50 for accompanying audio or video content. If interested, send your pitches to hello@studioatao.org. To learn more, refer to this Twitter thread and their newsletter.
Insider Life is the lifestyle section of Insider. Their daily features editor is looking for freelance pitches. They cover the following beats: entertainment; digital culture; health; food and drink; fashion, beauty and style; home and design; travel; weddings; and the royals. Their features editor mostly commissions longer, reported pieces (1,000-2,000 words). According to payment reports, they pay up to $1/word for deeply reported features. For more information, refer to their daily features editor’s Tweet and their features pitch guide.
Wirecutter is a product review site owned by The New York Times Company. They are seeking 1 or 2 freelancers to write on DIY smart home topics. Shorter pieces typically pay $300. Rates for long-form reviews vary. Updates to existing reviews pay around $500 and new reviews or rewrites of existing reviews pay $1,500. For details, refer to their senior editor’s Tweet and their pitch guide.
Elite Daily is an online news platform for millennials. Their news editor is seeking “essay pitches from writers 18-25 who sought out professional help for their finances, whether it be therapy or some other form of financial counseling.” Rates start at $125. Send your pitches to collette.reitz@bustle.com. To read their news editor’s Twitter thread, click here. To visit their website, click here.
Deadline: February 17th, 2022
Men’s Health is a magazine about fitness, health, sex, style, travel, and grooming. Their health editor is seeking a nutrition-savvy health freelance writer to take on a minimum of 5 SEO/news-driven stories per month. Rate is $100 to $160 per story. If interested, get in touch with their health editor at taylyn.washington-harmon@hearst.com. Read their health editor’s Tweet here and contact them here.
Wirecutter is a product review site owned by The New York Times Company. Their trends editor is open for pitches and is “interested in timely pieces on trending products and services, product reviews, product launches, and seasonal frames for beats like outdoor gear, tech, home, and style.” Shorter pieces typically pay $300. Rates for long-form reviews vary. Updates to existing reviews pay around $500 and new reviews or rewrites of existing reviews pay $1,500. If interested, send your pitches to treye.green@wirecutter.com. Read their trends editor’s Twitter thread here and their pitch guide here.
Talenthouse Media Foundry is a “platform that empowers game creatives to thrive independently.” They are open for pitches that focus on the indie/industry side of things: “a look at how a celebrated indie title got made, maybe, or an in-depth interview with someone who makes stunning arty things for games.” They are also open for opinion pieces. Sense of humor is very welcome. Rate is £150 to £400 per piece. Pitches should be sent to ian.dransfield@talenthouse.com. To learn more, refer to their Tweet. To contact them, refer to this page.
Backpacker is a magazine and website about backpacking, camping, and hiking. Their senior digital editor is seeking pitches for Bearpacker Magazine (Backpacker Magazine’s annual celebration of all things bears including safety tips, stories, and science). They generally pay $200 to $250 for around 800 to 900 words. If interested, email your pitches to aroy@outsideinc.com by Tuesday (i.e. February 15th, 2022). Read their senior digital editor’s Tweet here and their contributor guidelines here. Read Bearpacker Magazine here.
Deadline: February 15th, 2022
Bella Caledonia is a Scotland-based online magazine that explores independence, self determination, and autonomy. They have tweeted, “Taking pitches on ‘cost of living’ crisis; Platinum Jubilee propaganda; police collusion with loyalist paramilitary groups; a future for women’s football; Scotland’s housing crisis.” Deadlines are negotiable. Rates are £90 for 900 words. To learn more, refer to their Tweet. To contact them, refer to this page.
Inverse covers science, innovation, entertainment, gaming, and the mind and body. Their editor, TV & movies is seeking movie/TV stories on “time travel” for an issue which will be published this spring. Rates are $150+ for essays or listicles; $300+ for interviews; and $500+ for features. Send your pitches to gaby@inverse.com. To learn more, refer to their editor’s Tweet and this page.
Future plc is a global multi-platform media company that has over 300 print publications, websites, and events. They are seeking freelance health writers to contribute reviews/features across a few different websites at Future. They are especially seeking writers with experience in health, not just fitness. They generally pay 15p per word. If interested, get in touch with their health editor at alice.ball@futurenet.com. Read their health editor’s Twitter thread here. Contact them here.
Ladies Who Leverage Magazine is “a global women’s community of empowered women who leverage their expertise, resources, and relationships to build their business, brand, and badassery.” They are looking for pitches for the April issue of their digital magazine. The theme is Momentum. They want “stories that cater to the female entrepreneur, fusing business with lifestyle.” They will pay $150. Send your pitches to editor@ladieswholeverage.com. For more information, read this Tweet and their call for pitches.
Deadline: February 15th, 2022
Urban Ivy publishes coffee table books inspired by real life. They are accepting submissions for their next title, Gifted. They want “stories from individuals who have embraced eccentric or unusual professions and life paths.” They pay $250 per story. For details, read their Tweet and call for submissions.
Deadline: February 15th, 2022
Healthy Rich is a personal finance website. They publish “stories that illuminate the diversity of our relationships with work and money.” Their owner and executive editor has tweeted, “I’m seeking pitches from writers with disability, chronic illness, ND, for a couple of pieces for Healthy Rich. What do we need to know about the intersection of money and disability?” Rate is $300 per post (around 1,000 to 1,500 words). Email your pitches to pitches@danamedia.co. Read their owner and executive editor’s Twitter thread here and contact them here.
Deadline: February 18th, 2022
The Monitor is a bimonthly policy and current affairs magazine by CCPA (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives). They are looking for pitches: “What could the future of growth look like? How do we evaluate degrowth, post-capitalist futures, nowtopias against feminist, disabled, and decolonial principles to ensure an equitable future? We want to hear from you.” They want features, investigative journalism, illustrations, and book reviews rooted in an intersectional analysis (700 to 1,500 words). They pay $300 for 750 words and $500 for up to 1,500 words. They pay up to $800 for features, and $200 for book reviews. For more information, refer to this Tweet and their call for pitches.
Deadline: February 20th, 2022
