S. Kalekar
These are calls for pitches and submissions of nonfiction/essays/reportage on various themes paying up to $2/word. Some of the themes are: walls; artists on craft; funny stories; ways of seeing the objective world; writing (speculative fiction) from science; the durability of the nation-state system; food; lost and found; travel mistakes.
Small Robin Press: Walls Anthology
They want essays for their Spring 2026 anthology; they want “nonfiction works that examine life in a sincere, human way.” “Whether breaking through a wall, scaling it to freedom on the other side, or sitting at the top as you take in the view, walls are structures where great stories happen. Walls are not neutral; they divide and imprison, they enclose, they exclude, they liberate.
Walls welcome weary travelers and define sacred spaces. Walls guard wounded hearts. And let’s not forget, walls always have more than one side. In fact, some walls, like hedgerows, can become their own ecosystems and communities from within.
We want your stories about walls. Tell us of walls you’ve left behind and walls you dared to exist on the wrong side of. Tell us, too, of walls you’ve scaled, broken, or broken yourself on. The wall might be a glass ceiling, a broken/unbroken fourth wall, or it might be a literal barrier keeping someone out. What social, cultural, and institutional walls have you encountered, fought, or even found yourself building?” They champion intersectional voices. They want essays up to 3,000 words. They pay, though pay is unspecified. The submission deadline is 30 November 2025. Details here.
The Sunlight Press: Artists on Crafts series
The Sunlight Press accepts personal essays, short fiction, reviews, poetry, photography, and also submissions for Artists on Crafts series, which are “Interviews/Reflections by artists on their process of the art of choice (accompanying photos welcome); under 1,000 words”. They pay $50 for prose, $35 and up for poetry, and $20 for photos. They close for all submissions on 15th November 2025. Details here.
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Funny Stories
They publish true stories and true poetry, up to 1,200 words. They’ve posted details on a few themes. The upcoming deadline is for Funny Stories, about “stories about something that happened to you or someone close to you, the kind of stories that get you and your listeners laughing when you tell them. Rat out your spouse. Share that funny thing your kid said. Tell us that hilarious thing that happened when your relatives did… yeah, that thing. We want to hear about your family, your friends, your colleagues… and most importantly, that embarrassing thing that you did. Laughing at ourselves is the best!” A few suggested topics Mistaken identity; Laughing at “inappropriate” times; Slip of the tongue – words that came out wrong; Embarrassing moments; Wedding mishaps; Funeral foul-ups; Holiday meltdowns; Worst gift ever; Zany vacations. They pay $250. The submission deadline is 15 November 2025. Details here and here (also see other tabs on this page, including FAQ).
Orbital Studies Magazine: Ways of Seeing the Objective World
Orbital Studies is a new magazine and they want submissions for their inaugural issue. “Orbital Studies Magazine is a print-first publication featuring beautifully crafted and poetically attuned writing and visual art engaging with science, nature, math, technology, and the philosophy that relates them.” “Submissions now open for Issue #0 of Orbital Studies Magazine, closes Dec 10, 2025 Send us your fiction, non-fiction, poetry and visual art pitches on the theme of Ways of Seeing the Objective World. For fiction + essays aim for 2000 words. We pay all contributors.” See the call here and their detailed guidelines are here.
The New Republic: Climate/environment, and more
An editor for The New Republic has issued a pitch call: “Please send me your climate/environment/ag/public health pitches! … Reportage, analysis, opinion, essay pitches all welcome. We publish in a range of registers, from the more technical/academic (as long as there’s a clear tie-in for our readership), to diatribes (if interesting), to narrative, to lyrical reflections on life in a changing world. … Pieces do not *need* to be quick responses to daily news (although pls send those), but they should typically be engaging with current U.S. discourse in some way. I also have a bit of a soft spot for off-the-wall stuff, so please don’t let the fact that your pitch is nutty dissuade you”. And, “Typical rate for shorter (think roughly the 1000 to 1800-word range) pieces is $400, with adjustments upward for pieces that are longer or a heavier lift in other ways.” See the pitch call / thread here and their general pitch guide is here.
Planetside: Writing from Science; Genre Mash-Ups & Remasters
Planetside is the nonfiction magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), and publish work on topics that might be of interest to creators of science fiction and fantasy (SFF) throughout the globe. They’ve issued a pitch call for two themes:
“• Writing from Science: how scientific fact can inspire speculative fiction
• Genre Mash-Ups & Remasters: about the art and craft of blending distinct genres” They pay $0.10/word for works of 800-1,000 words. Please note, they want pitches, not completed essays. Do not send fiction or poetry. See the pitch call here and a detailed description of the themes, as well as their general guidelines, are here.
The Nation: The Weekend Read
There is a pitch call for a weekend essay series for The Nation. “I’m launching a new weekend essay series @thenation. The Weekend Read will take the form of memoir, first-person narratives, and dispatches with a political through line. These pieces will come out every Saturday on our website and on The Nation’s Substack. … These pieces can cover just about anything, as long as it is in some way personal. Think: Your story about getting an abortion, gender transitioning in Trump’s America, interacting with cops at a protest, getting pulled over at a border, quitting a university job, etc.” See the pitch call / thread here, where you can also read the first piece published in this series.
Oregon Humanities: Labor
They only accept work from Oregon-based writers. For their next print issue, they want pitches on the Labor theme. “In this issue, we hope to address work of all kinds: physical, mental, and emotional, done for money, for pleasure, or for the benefit of our families and communities. We’re interested in labor as a collective effort, as in the labor force or the labor movement, as well as individual exertions.
Writers for this issue might investigate the history of collective organizing or working conditions in Oregon or explore how the ways we work are changing in response to cultural and environmental phenomena such as climate change, generational shifts, artificial intelligence, and TikTok. Give us an insider’s perspective on jobs that are essential to our way of life but aren’t often celebrated. Help us find meaning in everyday tasks or understand monumental efforts. We welcome all forms of nonfiction writing … including essays, journalism, criticism, and excerpts from forthcoming or recently published books. Successful submissions will reflect our vision of an Oregon that invites diverse perspectives, invites challenging questions, and strives for just communities. … We encourage stories created with or by communities—classrooms, neighborhoods, congregations, or any other group with shared interests and experiences.” Features are 1,500 and 4,000 words. Contributors are paid $750 to $1,500. Submit a pitch or draft by 15th December 2025. Details here.
Channel Magazine
This Ireland-based magazine publishes fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. “We love work that speaks directly of a writer’s bond with and fear for our planet, and work that takes a local landscape, or a local flower, as its subject; equally, though, we love work that draws on an aspect of nature as setting, image or metaphor. We believe that all writing relies to some extent on historical engagement with nature, in that all human language has been shaped by our embeddedness in our shared environments.” Fiction and poetry are read during submission periods (the current one ends on 20th November 2025). Non-fiction (considered for both print and online) is accepted on an ongoing bases. They accept submissions in English and Irish. They pay €35 per printed page up to €250 per piece and with a minimum fee of €60 for single-page works; and €35 per 400 words, up to a maximum of €250 per piece, with a minimum fee of €60 for work published online. Details here.
Typebar Magazine
Typebar “is an irreverent online magazine publishing literary analysis, cultural criticism, and stories about typewriters.” They are looking for essay pitches: “Right now our interests include, but are not limited to: The mid-late aughts internet, critical reevaluations of cultural artifacts (ephemera or mainstays) from the 90s and aughts, and typewriters. We don’t have much interest in contemporary film or television and even less in earnest discussion of contemporary mega IPs. More broadly, we like academic-minded but accessible literary criticism and analysis regardless of genre or era.” Please read their archives to get a sense of what they like. They pay $75. See the pitch call here and their general pitch guide is here.
Noema Magazine: The durability of the nation-state system, and more
Noema, the online and print magazine published by the Berggruen Institute, publishes essays, interviews, reportage, videos and art on the overlapping realms of technology, philosophy, governance, economics, geopolitics and culture. Their commissioning editor has issued a pitch call “for essays that offer original and compelling ideas and arguments on/around the following:
> The future of crisis-afflicted political, economic and other systems (democracy, capitalism, etc)
> The ways humans relate to the nonhuman world (in light of damages wrought)
> The evolution of Al (and our evolving relationship with it)
> The climate crisis (and ways of addressing it at a systems level)
> The durability of the nation-state system (and what comes next)
> Other topics that touch on the profound transformations shaping the 21st century.” And, “The emphasis is on essays that explore conceptual shifts and/or routes forward on subjects of concern.” See the detailed pitch call / thread here.
In a Flash: Roots
In a Flash is a Substack-based literary magazine and they publish one piece of themed flash non-fiction a month. For November 2025, the theme is Roots; send a creative non-fiction piece of up to 500 words on this theme. And, “We’ll also spotlight the author with a Q&A section.” They pay $25, and the submission period for each month’s theme is from the 1st to the 15th of that month. Pieces sent outside of these dates will not be read. Details here (general guidelines) and here (theme for this and upcoming months).
Playboy: Escapism
The editor for Playboy has issued a pitch call. “I am very tentatively taking pitches for the March 2026 print issue of Playboy. I’m looking mainly for fun reported features. I’m also interested in front-of-book, profiles, anything with unique access. … The theme is “escapism” but not strict. Our audience leans male and I’d love more pitches geared toward that. I’m also interested in stories for digital!” Rates for print are $1/word. See the pitch call / thread here.
Tendrils: Trauma and the Environment
“Tendrils is an art & literary journal dedicated to fostering healing and sparking conversations around trauma.” You can read more about them here. “As an art & literary publication, we’re dedicated to sparking conversations around trauma and opening pathways for healing. The second edition of Tendrils will explore the profound relationships between trauma and the natural and built environment; how processes of growth, decay, and change, mirrors and shapes our individual and collective experiences.
We invite creators to interpret this theme in their own way—whether conceptually, through abstraction, realism, or any form in between. We’re interested in thoughtful, bold, and distinctive voices that contribute fresh and meaningful perspectives to the topic.” They pay $20 for essays, fiction, poetry up to 1,000 words as well as art, and the submission deadline is 30 November 2025. Details here.
Inverse Gaming: Year-end lookback essays, and more
“I’m looking for freelance writers to pitch Inverse Gaming for end-of-year coverage! namely, I’m looking for someone to … pitch us on some year-end lookback essays ($500+).” (The call also asked for pitches on another topic, which has been commissioned, so do not pitch for that.) Also, “Inverse Gaming is accepting freelance again in general, so I’m also opening this up to general gaming essays or reported features pitches as well. in general, we like stories about the craft behind video games, the amusing historical game lore you wouldn’t expect, etc.” See the pitch call / thread here.
ZME Science: Underreported science stories, and more
“ZME Science is looking for pitches. We’re specifically looking for underreported science stories with a “wow” factor, whether they’re about forgotten discoveries, bizarre natural phenomena, or the strange, unexpected applications of new technology.” And, “If you have a pitch that is unique, niche, or just plain weird, we want to see it. … fees around $150”. See the pitch call / thread here.
UpBeat: Climate change and agriculture
UpBeat, a new India-based solutions journalism Substack, is looking for pitches: “UpBeat is looking for solutions journalism story ideas in the agriculture and food supply domain:
If you are someone who knows what agriculturists – food growers and suppliers, processors and distributors, policy makers and financiers and anyone associated with the food growing sector – are doing to adapt to the unpredictable shifts in weather, rainfall, snow and mist, pollution and degrading soil or too much plastic in it, or bugs and pests and/or absence of them – write to us … How are these agriculturists building resilience against climate issues or environmental crises? That’s what we are interested to know and publish.
Climate change and agriculture –>> This is our broad spectrum for November and December, and we are looking for stories of #hopewithevidence from these fields. … We pay 10,000 INR for approx 500 words and might have a small travel budget. ++ Special bonus fees for data-based stories.” Details here.
The Oxford American: Food
“The Oxford American is now accepting pitches for our upcoming Spring 2026 Food Issue. We’re looking for stories that explore how food preserves a legacy, crosses borders, and creates connection.” The pitch deadline is 15 November 2025. See the pitch call here and further details are here. Pay for print is unspecified; they publish online also, and pay is $100-300 for digital.
Rooted literary magazine: Home
“Rooted Literary Magazine is looking for work that makes us question our convictions, provides us with a fresh perspective, or pushes the boundaries of genre and narrative.” They want submissions on the Home theme. “Home means a lot of things, whether it’s a physical place, a person, a hobby, or a sense of being we’ve all felt at home. And a home can provide comfort just as easily as it can cause pain. For November, we are seeking pieces that offer a glimpse into home.” They accept non-fiction up to 2,000 words, as well as other genres like fiction, poetry, art, audio, and video. They pay $10, and the submission deadline is 1st December 2025. Details here and here.
Apartment Therapy Media: Holiday pitches for 2026
Apartment Therapy is accepting pitches. “Apartment Therapy’s Lifestyle team is now accepting 2026 pitches for stories tied to holidays, events, and observances happening in January, February, and March — think Dry January, Mardi Gras, and St. Patrick’s Day. We’re looking for personal, original, and timely ideas across our Lifestyle verticals: 🏡 Life 🧽 Cleaning 📦 Organizing 🏘️ Real Estate Bring us your pitches for: —Personal essays with a strong point of view —Unique perspectives or reported features —Profiles of inspiring people or brands —History deep dives that connect to the season”. Pitching is via a form. The pitch deadline is 17 November 2025, or earlier if they fill up their slots. Details here.
Griffith Review: Lost and Found
Griffith Review is an Australian literary magazine and they want fiction and nonfiction submissions for issue 92; the theme is Lost and Found. “’Loss,’ wrote Marcus Aurelius, ‘is nothing else but change’. We lose face, lose time, lose heart, lose touch, lose ground, lose our keys (often); we can lose the things that hold us back or weigh us down, just as we can lose the people and places we love most. Loss, whether it offers us pain or reward, is fundamental to the experience of being human. What might we lose or gain as technology continues its rapid advance? How do we halt the loss of our natural world? What’s lost by growing up between cultures? Are we losing our sense of a shared reality? And what are the benefits to being a loser?”
Do not send poetry. They mostly accept work from writers in Australia, and some work from overseas writers. They pay AUD0.75/word for prose up to 4,000 words, and the submission deadline is 30 November 2025 (see guidelines). Details here and here.
Rest of World: EV Revolution; China Outside China; and more
“Rest of World’s stories aim to connect the dots across a rapidly evolving digital world, through on-the-ground reporting in places typically overlooked and underestimated. We cover most of the countries outside the West, with a focus and presence in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.” They are focused on 4 key coverage areas for 2025: EV Revolution (the economic and environmental impact of the mainstream adoption of electric vehicles); China Outside China (Chinese innovation, competition, and cross-cultural friction changing rules of global tech and what it means for the world); Tech Giants (the efforts of U.S. tech heavyweights to grow their businesses outside the West); and Innovation (the billion-dollar ideas built outside the West amid political instability, economic uncertainty, and inconsistent systems — and what success and failure costs.) See this page for details of the themes.
I Have That on Vinyl: Thanksgiving
I Have That on Vinyl is looking for pitches: “open now for THANKSGIVING. if you want to write about alice’s restaurant, or write about all the albums you’re thankful for, DMs are open”. The deadline for this theme is 10th November 2025 (for pitches or first drafts) – see the pitch call / thread here.
And, their general pitch guide says, “Here are some things I’m looking for: personal narrative essays about a specific record, about collecting vinyl, about your favorite record store or why you buy variants or how you came to love a certain record. I want stories about your first purchase or your first visit to a record store. I want to hear about your passion for vinyl, for music, for collecting. I want odd stories about novelty records, and lamentations on greatest hits volumes and box sets.
The possibilities are endless, really. No pitch is too weird or offbeat for me. I want variety on the site, not the same old records being talked over and over.” They pay $20. Details here.
Business Insider: Travel mistakes, Packing tips for specific destinations, and more
Business Insider is looking for lifestyle pitches. “I’m looking to commission some new lifestyle stories for Business Insider! Some topics I’m looking for right now:
-Travel mistakes
-Packing tips for specific destinations
-Travel essays
-Tips from locals of popular tourist destinations
-National parks
-Business-class flight upgrades
-Lessons from retirees -Personal essays about unconventional living situations
-Ina Garten and Gordon Ramsay recipe reviews” They pay $230 for 600 words. See the pitch call here and pitching is via a form.
Disability Rights UK: Disability, Colonialism and Resistance
They are accepting pitches for their blog from disabled people in the UK. “As part of our Intersectionality and Disability Justice work, we are publishing multiple blog pieces from Racialised Disabled people on the topic of Disability, Colonialism and Resistance.
We know that the legacies of colonialism are lasting, in our bodies, families and lands.Yet, these stories are so often silenced or unheard – especially here in Britain, the belly of the beast. We are interested in hearing Disabled people’s perspectives on your history and resistance. Do you or your family come from a place that was or remains under colonial occupation? How has this history shaped you, your experiences as a Disabled person and your perspectives on resistance?” They have suggested some topics, including (but not limited to): How colonialism can be disabling; Imaginative forms of resistance that spring from being Disabled; Shame around disability in a colonial context; How impacts of colonialism may be missed out by mainstream disability movements; How resisting colonialism and ableism can be connected; How we can learn from anti-colonial movements throughout history. The pitch deadline is 10th November, and they pay £100 via bank transfer or a voucher (see guidelines). Details here and here.
Writer’s Digest: Write Like a Pro
Writer’s Digest is a print and online magazine for writers, which aims to “keep readers abreast of industry trends, of the latest writers who found success and what they did to achieve it, and of innovative ways to improve and empower the inner raconteur” of their readers. They consider completed manuscripts on spec, as well as original pitches. They say writers should allow 2-4 months for a response. They’re open for submissions for their May/June 2026 theme, and the theme is, Write Like a Pro; they’ve listed other themes too, with later deadlines. “While this may sound like a more business-focused issue than usual, with this “Write Like a Pro” theme, we’re not only looking for articles on demystifying aspects of the publishing industry for both traditional and indie writers or providing advice for freelancers, we’re also looking for craft-related articles that help writers elevate their writing to the next level. ” You can read about that here; pitching for each theme is via a form on their website, which will close when that issue is filled. They also have several departments and columns. They pay $0.50/word for first world rights for one-time print use and perpetual electronic use. They do not pay for unsolicited online articles and guest posts, except in rare cases when the content is highly focused or unique, in which case they pay $50-$100. General submission guidelines are here.
IHRAM Press Magazine: Voices of the Unhoused
This is the literary magazine of the International Human Rights Art Movement (IHRAM). For their upcoming issue, they say, “Centering on homelessness and the unhoused, this issue explores the human stories behind stereotypes, societal failures, and the fight for basic rights like shelter and healthcare. Reflections on homelessness during COVID-19 and personal journeys to stability provide a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle for dignity and safety.
We are committed to publishing personal experiences of those who have been unhoused, factual retellings of stories about homelessness in the author’s life, reflections of the author’s personal experiences, and feelings of optimism and faith.” Send up to 2,500 words for prose, or up to 5 poems. They pay $50 for written work, and $25 for art. The deadline is 1st December 2025 (please note, they have closed submission calls earlier than the deadline in the past, due to overwhelming submissions). Details here (click on ‘Our publishing concerns for 2025’)
MIT Technology Review: The Future of Work
For their May/June 2026 print issue, the theme is Breakthroughs. They run short news stories and profiles (500-800 words), op-eds, and data spreads in the front of the book and essaysand book reviews in the back of the book (usually around 2,000 words) for the print issue. They also publish narrative features, investigations, big profiles, and reported essays (generally between 2,500-4,000 words); the features are around the issue theme. “Rates range from $1 to $2 per word, depending on the experience level of the writer, the story, and the publication route. Deeply reported features pay more than shorter news pieces”. According to their general guide, the rough deadline for feature pitches for The Future of Work theme is mid to late November 2025. Their general pitch guide is here; scroll to the end for themes.
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.