Dear Writers,
Here’s a list of 29 calls for pitches and articles, directly from editors and publishers. We’ve found submissions guidelines pages, payment rates, and editorial contact information for these listings, when available.
You’ll note that many of these editors are offering $400 or more per article. Not bad! Though, of course, it depends on the level of research involved in producing the article.
I was recently approached by an editor that wanted to pay $75 per article. That’s not a bad rate if you can write the article quickly, say, in an hour. Unfortunately, the editor wanted it to be “reported,” meaning at least 2 quotes from external sources. No thanks. I can’t imagine what the hourly rate would be for that work. Not good!
Sincerely,
Jacob Jans
Freedom With Writing
Thanks to Fatima Saif for her extensive research on this article.
MUD\WTR is a premium adaptogenic coffee alternative. They are seeking pitches for their editorial platform, Trends w/ Benefits. They are accepting features, profiles, service pieces, and essays for three verticals which are: psychedelics, wellness, and adventure. Pay is $0.50 per word. Send pitches to elizabeth@mudwtr.com. To learn more, refer to this Tweet. To read Trends w/ Benefits, refer to this page.
Your National Forests Magazine is a biannual magazine by National Forest Foundation. Their editor has tweeted, “Call for Pitches: Your National Forests Magazine is seeking a 1st-person road trip narrative to a National Forest/Grassland for the upcoming summer issue. This isn’t the 1960s cross-country station wagon trope (although both station wagons and family are ok here). Rather, we’d like a modern take on visiting these lands, exploring themes of culture, race, outdoor adventure or self-exploration.” They will pay a flat fee of $1,000 for this piece (1,000 words). To learn more, refer to their editor’s Twitter thread. To read their past issues, refer to this page.
Deadline: February 5th, 2021
Insider is a global news publication. Their editor is looking for essay pitches from “a parent who has (or had!) very strong feelings about taking cara babies.” Their rates for non-reported pieces start at $400. Email your pitches to skleeman@insider.com. Read their editor’s Tweet here and contact them here.
Yes! Magazine is an independent and nonpartisan publisher of solutions journalism. For their upcoming issue on plastics, they are seeking “stories on solutions that involve the wellbeing of our planet, economic recovery, accountability for Big Oil, and repair for marginalized communities.” They pay $0.50/word for their print magazine. Writers should send their pitches to summer2021@yesmagazine.org. For more information, read their Tweet and call for submissions.
Deadline: February 5th, 2021
The Dance Current is a Canadian dance magazine. They are looking for pitches for Black History Month. They want “personal essays, features, profiles, photo essays, and poetry.” Rate: $125 to $400. Pitches should be sent to grace.wells-smith@thedancecurrent.com. To learn more, refer to their Tweet and this page.
21st Century Burlesque is a burlesque and variety publication. They are accepting pitches on “all things theatrical, arts, beauty and fashion, feminism, socio-political issues, pop culture, nightlife, creative business and lifestyle.” Rate is $100/$150 USD upwards. Pitches should be sent to 21stcenturyburlesque@gmail.com. To learn more, refer to this Tweet. To contact them, refer to this page.
Anti-Racism Daily is “a daily newsletter that provides education and action to confront racism at work and school.” They are looking for a US-based, BIPOC writer to “write a series on the racial disparities of death and dying: hospice care, funerals, cemeteries, wills / death-related planning, etc.” They will pay $300 per article (800 words). If interested, send an email to submissions@antiracismdaily.com. To learn more, refer to this Tweet. To contact them, refer to this page.
NextAdvisor, in partnership with TIME, is a personal finance resource that helps people make smart money moves. Their senior editor is hiring personal finance reporters to cover a number of topics including mortgages, loans, auto insurance, and credit cards. Rates start at $350 per article. If interested, DM her on Twitter. Read her Tweet here and contact them here.
The i Paper is a British national newspaper. They want opinion and analysis pitches that offer new angles on the news. They also want engaging stories drawn from personal experiences. According to one payment report, they paid £120 for a comment piece of 700 words. Pitches should be sent to commentdesk@inews.co.uk. To learn more, refer to this Tweet and their opinion section’s pitch guide.
i-D is a fashion and style publication by Vice Media. Their editor is looking to commission more stories this year. She has tweeted, “I want reportage on underrepresented communities! Sharp, original takes on cultural products (which are current/inside our demographic pls)! We’re looking for quotes from expert voices, looks at niches that aren’t actually very niche at all + a striking lede images always helps.” Rate: £150 to £200. Send your pitches to signjennamahale@gmail.com. Read their editor’s Twitter thread here and their pitch guide here.
Huck Magazine celebrates and explores “independent culture – people and movements that paddle against the flow.” They are accepting pitches for their next issue which is due on shelves in spring. They pay £120 and up for shorter features, and £225 and up for longer features. Send your pitches to niall@tcolondon.com. For more information, refer to their editor’s Tweet and their submission guidelines.
Stylist Magazine is a weekly magazine and a website for smart, successful, and sophisticated women. Their editor has tweeted, “I am so bloody happy with all the amazing freelancers and pitches that Strong Women Training Club has been receiving. Pieces that are everything Stylist Magazine is – inclusive, thoughtful, actionable. Please keep them coming!” They pay £150 per feature. If interested, email miranda.larbi@stylist.co.uk. Read their editor’s Tweet here and contact them here.
Backpacker is a magazine and website about backpacking, camping, and hiking. They are actively assigning stories for their website for February and beyond. They welcome news, travel, skills, profiles, and essays. Their online rates range from $150 to $250, with average being $175 to $200. To learn more, read their senior digital editor’s Twitter thread and their contributor’s guidelines.
Hardware Things is a website that highlights hardware design and technology in Africa. They are accepting reported longform stories (1,500 to 2,500 words) on hardware technology and manufacturing in Africa. They will pay up to $0.15 per word. For details, refer to this Twitter thread and their call for submissions.
Patheos is a multi-faith website that is dedicated to hosting the conversation on faith. They are commissioning content to kickstart 2021. They are “looking for it all—religion and food, religion and fashion, religion and the environment, religion and the arts.” They are accepting pitches in the following categories: Religion Behind the Scenes Profiles; Reported Features; Surprise! Religious History; Pop Culture – Lists, Essays, Opinions; Religion Lost & Found Essays; and Holy Envy. They pay “around $250 for personal essays/op-eds, and up to $1,200 for lengthier, more resource-heavy pieces.” For more information, refer to this Twitter thread and this page.
HelloGiggles is a positive community for women. They are always looking for pitches. They are accepting essays, features, trend pieces, and more for their fashion/beauty and lifestyle verticals. According to payment reports, they pay $0.05 per word. If interested, send your pitches to rachel.simon@meredith.com. For details, refer to their deputy editor’s Tweet. To learn more about them, refer to this page.
BBC Worklife is “a resourceful guide, geared towards younger generations of ambitious professionals who are seeking to find the proper work and life balance in the ever-changing 21st century workforce.” Their editor is open for pitches. They cover “social-science topics: how we work/live and why.” According to payment reports, they pay £450 per feature. Email your pitches to meredith.turits@bbc.com. For details, refer to their editor’s Twitter thread. To learn more about them, refer to this page.
LatinaMedia.Co uplifts Latina and femme Latinx perspectives in media. They are accepting pitches. They want “Latina and femme Latinx perspectives on media (TV/film/books, new or cannon) and current events, particularly BIPOC ones.” They pay $100 for pieces of 600+ words. If interested, email your pitches to cristina@latinamedia.co. For details, refer to this Twitter thread. To learn more about them, refer to this page.
Under the Sun is an in-house publication by ReVision Energy (an employee-owned solar company) that “seeks to guide its readership to a deeper understanding of solar energy technology, and the larger issues surrounding the transition to a world powered by 100% renewable energy.” They are always looking for pitches from BIPOC environmental voices for their newsletter guest column. Their audience is primarily in Northern New England. Their typical subject matter includes “renewable energy policy, technology advances, adjacent sustainability topics (organic agriculture, impact of climate change on fisheries), as well as youth perspectives and artistic interpretations of environmentalism.” They pay $0.50 per word for editorial pieces of 500 to 1,000 words. For more information, refer to their Tweet and call for submissions.
The Bold Italic is an online magazine that celebrates the free-wheeling spirit of the Bay Area. They are seeking submissions for their Pandemic Dating Diaries series. If you have a “weird, funny, cute, sad, or hopeful dating / relationship story from the last year”, then send your pitch to info@thebolditalic.com. They will pay $100 per piece (500 to 700 words). For details, refer to their editor-in-chief’s Twitter thread. To learn how to write for them, refer to this page.
Studio ATAO is “a nonprofit community think tank that creates content & live experiences at the intersection of food, art, technology, and social impact.” They are looking for new voices for their newsletter. They want 300 to 500-word intros on social justice topics that you care about. They prioritize BIPOC contributors. Pay: $50. If interested, contact jenny@studioatao.org. To learn more, refer to their founder’s Twitter thread and this page.
Travelfish is an independent travel guide for Southeast Asia. They are looking for submissions for their long reads section. They want a writer out of Cambodia and Singapore. They will pay $750 USD for 2,500 to 3,500 words plus pictures. To learn more, refer to their co-founder’s Twitter thread. To contact them, refer to this page.
Future of Good features stories, innovations, trends, and insights about social impact in Canada. They have posted a call for submissions. They want essays (800-1,200 words) on racism in Canada’s social impact world: “How does racism present itself in Canada’s social impact organizations? How does it affect you, personally and professionally? What are the elephants in the room we’re not talking about? How do organizational processes and practices enable or entrench racism? What does racism look and feel like in an all-online, remote work environment?” They will pay $0.60 per word. If interested, email kylie@futureofgood.co. To learn more, refer to their Tweet and call for submissions.
Deadline: February 8th, 2021
Chicago Reader is Chicago’s largest weekly newspaper. They have tweeted, “If you’ve got a story about Chicago music you’d like to write, please consider pitching us. It’s always a joy to dive into a new story from a first-time Reader writer.” According to their music editor, they generally pay $150 for online stories of 800-1,200 words, and $400 for print stories of 2,000+ words. For more information, read their Tweet and pitch guidelines.
Dazed is a British style magazine and an online platform that covers music, film, TV, fashion, culture, science, technology, and more. Their editor is looking for “a writer who understands this Reddit/WSB/GameStop/stock short selling beast and who would like to write about it.” Their rates for tech features start at £150. If interested, email anna.cafolla@dazedmedia.com. You can read her Tweet here and contact Dazed here.
GoldFlakePaint is a Glasgow-based music journal and blog. Their editor is looking for essay pitches (that avoid mental health/ Covid-19) for their next issue. Rate: £50 for 1,500 to 1,800 words. Send your pitches to maine.samantha@gmail.com. To read her Twitter thread, click here. To learn more about them and to contact them, click here.
A content driven ethical jewelry platform is seeking submissions for listicles/ culture/ op-ed pieces. They generally pay $100 for 700 words. If interested, contact sp@thefuturerocks.com. To learn more, refer to this Tweet.
GameDaily.biz is a trade publication that “looks at the games business through the lens of culture.” Their editor is accepting feature (i.e. long-form story) pitches “right now”. They can only accept a few pitches but if you have a stellar idea and a business angle, then send it to astrawhun@gmail.com. They are especially seeking “pitches from and that feature underrepresented communities and identities.” Pay will be $200 per long-form story (800 to 1,200 words). To learn more, refer to this Twitter thread. To contact them, refer to this page.
Can I Play That? is a community where disabled gamers share their stories of game accessibility. They have tweeted, “Are you a Deaf or hard of hearing writer who loves horror games? Would you like to write about your experience playing them?” They will pay $100. Pitches should be sent to submit@caniplaythat.com. For details, refer to their Tweet and submission guide.
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