Dear Writers,
Here’s our latest roundup of calls for writers — directly from editors, covering a wide variety of themes and topics.
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
Thanks to Fatima Saif for compiling this list.
People is a source for celebrity and human-interest stories. Their senior editor is seeking freelance writers who can contribute regularly. The articles will be about celebrity relationships and will be assigned out monthly. Rates begin at $200 to $300. If interested, email your clips to kbendlin@dotdashmdp.com. To read their senior editor’s Tweet, click here. To visit their website, click here.
Wired is a magazine that covers the current and future trends in technology. Their Ideas editor is looking for pitches and is “particularly interested in pieces related to democracy and governance, abortion, and future of work.” Pay starts at $500 for essays. Read their Ideas editor’s Twitter thread here and their pitch guidelines here.
Momus is an art publication and podcast that centers “slow looking and brave positioning.” They are accepting pitches on a rolling basis. They want “writing that looks critically at contemporary art and circles its relationship to larger contexts.” They pay between $400 and $500 for reviews (800-1,500 words) and between $500 and $600 for features (1,000-2,500 words). For more information, refer to this Twitter thread and their pitch guide.
Business Insider covers business, financial, and technology news. They are looking for freelance writers who have “a ~ business- or career-focused ~ pitch idea or experience writing about tech, retail, transportation, media, adv, healthcare, real estate, or finance companies, leaders, and trends.” Their rates start at $300. To learn more, refer to their senior editor’s Twitter thread and their writer’s guide.
Stylist Magazine is a weekly magazine and a website for smart, successful, and sophisticated women. Their fitness editor is seeking pitches for “practical pieces on sleep, gut health, nutrition, running, yoga, walking, hormones, sexual wellbeing.” Pay is £150 per piece. Email your pitches to miranda.larbi@stylist.co.uk. Read their fitness editor’s Tweet here and their pitching guidelines here.
Job Opportunity for Danish, Norwegian, and Japanese content writers: “The company I work for is currently looking for Danish, Norwegian and Japanese content writers! Send an email to janni@wordapper.com if you are interested.” The job is freelance but there will be sufficient work for it to be full-time if preferred by the writer. Rate is around €0.04 per word. To learn more, refer to this Tweet.
Opportunity for Science Writers: “On the hunt for excellent science features writers for a series, mainly interviewing/profiles, decent rates (50p per word, potential for more work).” This opportunity is open to writers the world over. For more information, refer to this Tweet.
Unbias the News is an all-women feminist newsroom. They are seeking underreported stories with global relevance. They prefer stories written by locals. Their editor-in-chief has tweeted, “Our international team of editors will review all pitches, but my own preferences at the moment tend towards what I love to edit: future thinking pieces considering climate change or tech, human rights pieces with a constructive or solutions angle, health pieces that dig in deep.” They are accepting pitches on a rolling basis. For personal narratives, they are paying €250 and for reported pieces, they are paying €500 (/person if collaborative). To learn more, refer to their editor-in-chief’s Twitter thread and this form.
Input is a publication that covers science, innovation, entertainment, gaming, and the mind and body. Their deputy editor has tweeted, “I’m looking for features specifically on the topic of VIKINGS. These can be focused on TV/Movies, video games, science, history, technology, or the crosssection of these fields.” They will pay up $1,000 per feature. If interested, email jacob@inverse.com. Read their editor’s Twitter thread here. Learn how to pitch them here.
Fanbyte is a video game website. Their editor is seeking freelance guides writers deep in Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV). Rate is $200 to $300 per piece. If interested, get in touch with their editor at mhigham@fanbyte.com. For details, read their editor’s Twitter thread and their pitch guidelines.
1843 is a digital magazine that features narrative journalism. The magazine is The Economist’s sister publication. Their Eyewitness editor who is editing their behind-the-news short features is accepting pitches from anywhere in the world. According to one payment report, they paid £3,500 for a 5,000-word feature. For more information, read their editor’s Tweet and their pitching guidelines.
Matador Network is the largest independent travel publisher in the world. Their food+drink editor has tweeted, “I’m not open for pitches again until the fall and I have a low budget (rates start at $200) but if any recently laid of writers (or anyone else) has any destination focused travel pitches in the food space feel free to get in touch elisabeth@matadornetwork.com.” Read their editor’s Tweet here. Learn more about them here.
Metro.co.uk covers news, lifestyle, health, food, sex, entertainment, sports, and more. They are “looking to commission a writer who came out later in life – the later the better – to write a piece on what this was life.” Their rates usually start at £70 for 600 to 800 words. Pitches should be emailed to siobhan.smith@metro.co.uk. To learn more, refer to this Tweet. To contact them, refer to this page.
Better Homes & Gardens offers inspiring ideas for home, food, recipes, gardening, and holidays. Their senior food editor has tweeted, “We’re looking for compelling personal essays about a specific recipe of significance to your family. These will appear in print under our Family Recipes overline alongside your family photos.” Pay is $1,000. If interested, send your pitches to emily.teel@dotdashmdp.com. Read their senior food editor’s Twitter thread here. Learn more about them here.
Scholastic is a publisher and distributor of children’s books. They are looking to expand their pool of freelance education writers for grades Pre-K to 12. Education or teaching background will be a plus. The selected writers will “work on all components of the teaching materials and resources within their area of expertise, including lesson plans and skill-building activity sheets.” Rates typically start at $40-$75+ per activity. For details, refer to their editor’s Tweet and this form.
MIT Technology Review is a media company that explains the commercial, political, and social impact of the newest technologies. They are seeking pitches for their upcoming issue on mortality. They welcome “news, features, profiles, essays, and op-eds.” Rate is $1 to $2 per word. If interested, email your pitches to rachel.courtland@technologyreview.com. To learn more, refer to their editor’s Tweet and their ‘about’ page.
Deadline: June 3rd, 2022
Insider is a global news publication. They are always looking to expand their roster of Disney experts, so if you are a fan/frequent visitor of the Disney parks, then fill out this form. Pay starts at $175. For more information, refer to their associate editor’s Twitter thread.
io9 by Gizmodo is seeking a freelance writer to lead their “recaps of Ms. Marvel—preferring to highlight writing from a South Asian, Muslim, or SWANA/MENA background.” Pay starts at $300 per recap. If interested, email james.whitbrook@gizmodo.com with links of your prior work (MCU/TV recaps will be a plus). To read their deputy editor’s Twitter thread, click here. To visit their website, click here.
Duolingo is a platform that includes a language-learning app and a website. Their senior manager, editorial strategy has tweeted:
“To any former tudum writers: Duolingo is looking to commission freelance pieces from culture writers who can tie current trends + language.
Things I’m interested in:
– How shows get ‘localized’ – what’s the process for translating shows + writing subtitles? What are the obstacles, innovations in the space?
– Translated lit. – when you translate a novel, how do you preserve author voice? Or, is it now a new voice?
-Always interested in timely stories that bring language into current conversation + offer our learners a new way to think about the language.”
They will offer a flat rate of $500 to $600 per piece (not more than 1,000 words). To learn more, refer to this Twitter thread. To contact them, refer to this page.
FanSided is a network of fandom-focused sports, lifestyle, and entertainment websites. They are seeking pitches for all kinds of things but especially for their “Features, Fan Voices and Why We Play series right now.” FanSided Features stories are 2,000 to 10,000 words and although in the past, they have mostly published reported non-fiction, they are always interested in publishing other kinds of pieces as well. Fan Voices is their “home for fan-forward stories about the experiences of fans and how relationships with sports, teams and athletes have rippled through their lives.” Why We Play is their “home for stories about the power of sports to bring us together, overcome obstacles, make positive change and reach everyone.” Their rates start at $100-$150. To learn more, read their creative editorial director’s Tweet and their pitch guidelines.
The Discoverer is a travel publication. They are looking for freelancers to write guides, essays, interviews, and more. They are seeking: “Guides to attractions/experiences, restaurants/food, hotels/Airbnbs, and specific regions/neighborhoods; essays covering interesting first-person travel experiences; and interviews with captivating individuals that help tell the story of a particular place.” “We want to show our readers what it’s like traveling both domestically and internationally right now (although we’re primarily looking for content that covers the U.S. and easily accessible international destinations from the U.S.), regardless of what format that content takes.” Their pieces are usually 500 to 2,500 words long. Essays are around 1,000 words long. Rate is $250 to $500 per piece. They are also open to updating older content on their website. To learn more, refer to their assistant editor’s Tweet and their freelance contributor guidelines. To pitch, refer to this application form.
The Daily Beast is a news and opinion website dedicated to independent journalism. Their editor is seeking pitches from culture writers for voice-y op-eds, reports, analyses, and trend explainers (don’t send reviews, anniversary content or personal essays unless you have a strong case). Her coverage areas are “movies, music, TV, animation, comedy, video games, celebrity culture, and the internet!” BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ folx are encouraged to pitch. Pay starts at $250. Pitches should be sent to allegra.frank@thedailybeast.com. Read their editor’s Twitter thread here and their pitching guidelines here.
i-D is a fashion and style publication by Vice Media. Their editor is open for pitches and is currently looking for more opinion pieces. They pay £150-£200 per piece. If interested, send your pitches to roisin.lanigan@i-d.co. For more information, read their editor’s Tweet and their pitch guide.
The Walrus is a Canadian general interest magazine. Their senior editor is always seeking stories (both print and web). For web, rates are CAD $600 for pieces that are about 1,500 words long and CAD $800 for pieces that are at least 2,000 words long. For print, rates are CAD $1 per word. If interested, send your pitches to daniel@thewalrus.ca. They are also seeking a full-time Associate Editor who will be responsible for commissioning and editing features for their website and print magazine. The applicant should be eligible to work in Canada and have at least 2-3 years’ experience in an editorial environment. Their office is located in Toronto but the applicant will have an option of remote or hybrid work. Salary is $42,000–$48,000. Deadline to apply is May 30, 2022. To learn more, refer to their senior editor’s Tweet, their submission guidelines, and their careers page.
Prism is a BIPOC-led news outlet that covers voting rights, electoral justice, criminal justice, racial justice, workers’ rights, immigration, the environment, gender and LGBTQIA+ issues, and more. Their news editor is looking to expand their freelance list. They are looking for some social justice writers for short-turnaround news stories for their news section. They are especially interested in writers with experience of covering racial justice, abolition, housing, abortion, and LGBTQ+ issues. They encourage BIPOC writers to apply. Word count of news stories is usually around 1,000 words. Pay is $0.40 per word. To learn more, refer to their news editor’s Twitter thread and this page.
The Face is a British magazine that covers style, music, TV, film, fashion, culture, and more. Their deputy editor is accepting pitches and is “open to all kinds of things from internet and cultural trends to sex, beauty, art, politics & society, books.” According to payment reports, they pay £150 to £500 for features. Email your pitches to felicity@theface.com. Read their deputy editor’s Twitter thread here. Learn more about them here.
Pellicle is a primarily UK-based consumer drinks publication that mainly focuses on beer, wine, and cider. They are accepting pitches that focus on investigative, evidence-based reporting about beer. They pay £0.23p/word up to £575 for features. For details, read their co-founder’s Twitter thread and their pitching guide.
Talenthouse is a global platform that connects creatives with brands and celebrities. Their head of editorial has tweeted, “Pitch me advice, experiences, how-tos, lists – anything, about being a freelance designer or creative today.” Rate starts at £200. She also wants to speak to people who know these films really well: Eternal Sunshine, Shaun of the Dead, and Lost in Translation. If interested, email kate@talenthouse.com. To read their head of editorial’s Twitter thread, click here. To learn more about them, click here.
Guardian US is a website that covers American and international news. They are seeking pitches for their “Guns & Lies in America” series. They cover “all forms of gun violence, from mass shootings to daily incidents, and always highlight the people who are most impacted by shootings.” The base rate is 65¢ per word. To learn more, refer to this Tweet and this pitch guide
Being Patient is an online community for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients and caregivers. They are seeking pitches for “Diversity & Dementia” series. They want “profiles on inspiring people of color who are working to make a difference in the lives of people with Alzheimers / dementia (through research, advocacy, community organizing, etc).” Word count: 800-1,200 words. Rate: $0.20 per word. Pitches should be sent to alex@beingpatient.com. To learn more, refer to this Twitter thread. To contact them, refer to this page.
Deadline: May 26th, 2022
The Monitor is a bimonthly policy and current affairs magazine by CCPA (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives). They are accepting pitches for their September/October issue which will explore how real estate investment trusts (REITs) have reshaped the rental market of Canada. They are seeking features, investigative journalism, illustrations, and book reviews rooted in an intersectional analysis (750 to 1,500 words). They pay $300 for 750 words and $500 for 1,450 words. They pay up to $800 for features. They encourage pitches from marginalized writers. For more information, refer to this Tweet and their call for pitches.
Deadline: June 15th, 2022