These are calls for themed non-fiction; a few of the themes are: fascinating jobs, family dynamics, women’s reproductive health, visionaries in craft, digital nomad guides, consumer tech, queer holiday content, food and food systems, miracles, and hearth & home. Some have pitch deadlines listed, and some do not. – S. Kalekar
Business Insider: Fascinating jobs
Business Insider is looking for pitches for fascinating jobs. “I’m looking for stories to run in the weeks before and after Christmas – doesn’t have to be festive but that’d be a plus – I’m always very keen on as-told-tos about people with fascinating jobs that can really teach our readers about an industry or profession”. Also, “So please do pitch me as-told-tos, especially if you’ve not pitched before – they’re the best format for freelancers as it’s a single interview, rather than something logistically more complicated that we might tackle in-house” And, “Lastly: ‘Interesting’ jobs aren’t founders of companies that do interesting work. I mean people whose 9-5 is fascinating – someone whose day in the life is interesting, NOT someone whose stated mission is important/unusual”. See their editor’s Twitter thread here for requirements, and past examples of these stories.
The Sun: Family dynamics
The Outreach Coordinator for The Sun has tweeted, “I want to read essays for @thesunmagazine about the best and worst family dynamics. Tell me about the dysfunction, the healing, what you’ve learned, how you plan to survive the holidays, who you need to forgive. DM me your pitch, and I’ll let you know if I want to read more.” Also, “Just a reminder, I’m only reading completed pieces. I like essays with a lot of introspection. Create meaning. Make me care.” Here are their general guidelines, including pay rates (for general personal essays, pay starts at $300; the magazine also accepts fiction and poetry). Details about The Family theme are in the Twitter thread here.
Griffith Review: Contributor pitches for 2023
This respected Australian magazine is looking for contributor pitches for their 2023 digital editions. “Griffith Review is getting a digital reboot – and to celebrate, we’re looking for three regular online contributors in 2023. If you’ve got a strong voice and can bolster our record of offering fresh takes on big ideas, we want to hear from you.
As one of our chosen three, you’ll write us four non-fiction pieces (of 800–1,000 words each) across the year. These pieces will complement our print publishing program, but aren’t tethered to our quarterly edition themes – they can cover subjects as diverse, esoteric or topical as you like. What we want is criticism, commentary and analysis that offers new perspectives on the issues and challenges of our crisis-rich times.” Writers have to send 4 short pitches for potential 2023 pieces. Pay will be AUD500 per piece (AUD2,000 for 4 pieces through the year) for the successful candidates. The deadline is 2 December 2022. Details here.
Cutleaf: Beer
For this theme, they’ve partnered with All About Beer. “Share with us your short stories, personal essays, poems, or hybrid work in which beer is featured. While reviewing submissions, we delight in the unexpected. However, we’re going to resist sharing specific examples of what this might look like on the page because we want the interpretation of “beer,” and how it figures into your work, to be left up to you, the writer.” Pay is $100-300 for prose, and $50-200 for poetry, for the Beer-themed issue. The deadline is 31 December 2022. Their general guidelines are here and theme details, here (Submittable).
Fed: Sliced — Mind; Sugar
Fed wants pitches for its food journalism magazine, Sliced. They’re reading for two issues; Mind, and Sugar. They will commission the Mind issue first. Pay CAD0.15/word for up to 1,200 words. Details here (Twitter thread).
Fulcrum Publishing: Women’s Reproductive Health Anthology
They want creative nonfictional personal essays (open to various structures and hybrid forms) on reproductive health, of up to 2,000 words. “Women’s reproductive health is at the forefront of many issues today, whether political, cultural, or personal. The recent Supreme Court decision on abortion is top of mind for most of us. But abortion is only the tip of the iceberg. Our culture has created a system in which women’s health is treated differently than men’s health. … Our wish list: creative nonfiction personal essays on abortion, contraception, menstruation, infertility, miscarriage, IVF, perimenopause/menopause, pregnancy, fibroids, PCOS, endometriosis, and any other topic we may have missed. We are open to broad interpretations. The most important thing is that your essay be well-written. While this is a predominantly woman-centered collection, men, we know, are affected by womens’ health issues too. We are open to their submissions as well.” They also accept reprints. Pay is $150, and the deadline is 17 December 2022. Details here.
American Craft: Two themes
This is a magazine about American craft and its makers. “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. They’re reading on these themes:
— Collect: For Fall 2023, they’re reading on the Collect theme; “we showcase craft that is made from collections of objects or a collective spirit. We go into artists’ studios to see how they gather and preserve the materials, tools, and other resources they need; what kinds of objects and ideas they collect to have near them for inspiration; and how they keep themselves collected so they can keep making every day. And we consider what it means to collect craft now.” The issue will have special coverage on craft collections, heritage craft, and sculpture. (They’re also reading on the Winter 2024 issue, on the Light theme, and that has a later deadline).
— Visionaries in Craft: “In upcoming issues, American Craft will be recognizing individuals, organizations, collectives, projects, etc. that use craft to make a difference. Who and what do we need to know about? Where are folks responding creatively to what’s happening in the world through craft or their craft platform and making a big impact on their community as a result? Who are the visionaries and changemakers?”
Stories for American Craft are generally assigned at 400-2,000 words; pitch via the form on their guidelines page. Their pay is $0.50–$1.00/word. Pitches/submissions for the Collect theme are due 30 January 2023; for Visionaries in Craft (scroll down), they are ongoing. Details here.
just femme & dandy: Survive
This is a biannual literary & arts magazine for and by the LGBTQIA+ community on fashion. They have detailed guidelines for this theme, including, “Two years into a global pandemic, the existing stressors of domestic terrorism, gender- and race-based hate, and financial insecurity have reached a fever pitch. With basic human rights being stripped by governments at every turn, it can feel like a struggle just to survive day-to-day. Yet survive we do, and that’s an achievement deserving of recognition.
For this issue, we want to hear what survival means for you and your queer identity as it relates to all areas of fashion, including but not limited to clothing, cosmetics, skincare, hair (styles and products), shoes, perfumery/cologne, accessories, hosiery, etc. … We are open to pieces across subjects and genres, but in the spirit of queer and BIPOC celebration, we’re especially interested in pieces that demonstrate triumph and endurance.” And, “We take submissions for consideration in the glowup, sew what, triple thread(s), no scrubs, sole mates, the mane attraction, and cancel & gretel. Note that we also take submissions for afrodisiac, a column housed within the mane attraction focusing on all aspects related to the intersection of LGBTQIA+ identity & Black/African hair, fat + furious, a column housed within cancel & gretel focusing on all aspects related to LGBTQIA+ identity & fat fashion, not what it seams, a column housed within no scrubs that focuses on costuming, and (get your) thread in the game, our new sports, fitness, and physical activity section”. They pay $50 per text-based submission and $150 per multimedia submission (video, photography, image + text, fashion spread + interview, etc.). The submission deadline is 17 December 2022. Details here.
Nurall: Digital nomad neighbourhood guides, and more
Nurall is a magazine for long-term travellers/digital nomads. Currently, they want digital nomad neighbourhood guides: for Berlin, Budapest, Istanbul, and Jaipur. “But if you’ve got a great city that digital nomads need to know about, pitch it!” They’re also looking for top spots & trends, and digital nomads’ personal stories (“especially interested in stories about traveling in India, SE Asia, Turkey, and Mexico”). And, “Pay depends on the length and scope per article but starts at $100 for approx. 500 words and $400 for destination guides.” The pitch deadline is 4 December 2022. Details in their managing editor’s Twitter thread here.
No Depression: Roots music journalism – Spring 2023
No Depression is a roots music magazine. They’re looking for pitches for their Spring 2023 issue. Roots music “typically includes folk, singer-songwriters, country, alt-country, bluegrass, blues, but it also means any kind of *music of the people*”. And, “Journal stories are long-form and multi-sourced (1.5k-5k words). There’s always a few profiles, but I’m also curious about trends, as well as issues & solutions. … Also try to share exclusive visuals — photo essays, film stills, comics, etc.” The pitch deadline for their Spring 2023 issue is end-November. Pay is $0.20/word. See their managing editor’s Twitter thread here.
Rest of World: New stories for 2023
Rest of World publishes stories from outside the West to explore the impact of technology. Their features director has tweeted, “I’m commissioning now for stories to publish in 2023. What I want: deeply reported, longform narratives about technology in Asia, LatAm, Africa.” From their pitch guide: “All of our stories should have tech/business at the forefront. We’re particularly interested in stories that fall under the following topics: E-commerce (e.g. delivery platforms, retail trends, logistics, supply chains); Labor (worker treatment, labor activism, job creation and disruption); Social media (content moderation, misinformation/disinformation, accessibility); Tech’s long tail (how big US/China tech giants impact other countries)”. Features typically are 3,000 words, and according to the pitch guide, start at $1/word. See the site and guide the kind of stories they publish. See the Tweet here, and their pitch guide here.
Toxic Workplaces Anthology
They plan to publish anthologies by women writers, starting 2023. The theme of the first creative nonfiction anthology is Toxic Workplaces. “This series is intended to amplify women’s voices, but writers need not necessarily confront issues of gender, sexual harassment, patriarchy, etc. Essays may be politically conscious, but please avoid didactic writing and polemics. Successful pieces will include a strong, relatable voice, engaging narrative, rich sensory detail, and thoughtful reflection.” Send essays up to 5,000 words. They pay $0.02/word for original essays; no cash payment for reprints. The deadline is 1 December 2022. Details here and here.
Book XI: A Journal of Literary Philosophy – Superstitions
This is a journal dedicated to publishing personal essays, memoir, fiction, science fiction, humor, and poetry with philosophical themes. They are associated with Hamilton College’s Arthur Levitt Center for Public Affairs. They are looking for work on the ‘Superstition’ theme. Pay is $200 for essays of 2,000-7,000 words, and $50 for poetry. Submissions will close when their cap is reached, or on 31 December 2022, whichever is earlier. Details here.
Inverse.com: Big trends in consumer tech
The Deputy Editor of reviews and guides at Inverse.com has tweeted, “I am looking for features ABOUT TECH as part of @inversedotcom’s “end of the year” with stories running all December. Tell me about the big trends in consumer tech with features, essays, roundups, etc.” Also, “I want to hear IDEAS and how you plan to report on, write, and deliver. Examples of topics: EVs (cars, scooters, bikes), mobile, computers, VR/AR/XR, etc”. Pay is $0.50/word, and some have a flat rate. Details in the Twitter thread here.
C Magazine: Gossip
This is a Canadian art magazine. “Our content focuses on the activities of contemporary art practitioners residing in Canada and Canadian practitioners living abroad—with an emphasis on those from Black, Indigenous, diasporic and other equity-seeking communities—as well as on international practices and dialogues.” For the upcoming issue, the theme is Gossip. They have detailed guidelines, including, “This issue invites engagements with gossip through artistic practices and creative criticism. Gossip may encompass wishful future-making in the vein of speculative fiction. It may blur what is considered low or high art-making through the spaces that it can inhabit, such as internet/meme culture and mass media. There are the dark sides of gossip, too, and its nebulous anxieties, when it’s wielded to maintain dominance in gendered, racialized, and classed ways. Possible engagements with gossip can include: oral and counter-histories; superstition; secret languages as survival; how information is circulated; parody and humour; art practices focused on sound and listening; privacy, risk, and surveillance. What can gossip tell us about power, and can either exist without the other?” Pay is CAD0.35-0.45/word. See this page for guideline details on features and columns, including length and payment (scroll down to ‘Submission types’) and this page for theme details. The pitch deadline is 1 December 2022.
PolyesterZine: Pop culture deep dives, and more
PolyesterZine is a UK-based intersectional feminist art and culture publication. Their editor has tweeted, “Looking for end of the year pitches for @PolyesterZine!! Pop culture deep dives encouraged and original personal essays fab too.” Pitches need not be just end of the year/festive themed, they can be more general too. Pay is £40 for 800-1k words. Details in the Twitter thread here, and their general contributor guidelines are here.
Channel Magazine: Engaging with the natural world
They publish writing from an environmental perspective – “work that engages with the natural world. We have a particular interest in work which encourages reflection on human interaction with plant and animal life, landscape and the self.” For non-fiction, “We accept both completed essay submissions and proposals. Completed essays (including creative non-fiction, reportage, commentary, and criticism) should generally not exceed 6000 words.” They also welcome work for their blog. Pay is €50 per poem and €50 per page for prose, up to €150. They are open for fiction and poetry until 15 December 2022. Essays and essay pitches are accepted year-round. Details here.
Art Düsseldorf Magazine: Sustainability
They want pitches on the sustainability theme, in English or German. “For the first edition of our new essay series at Art Düsseldorf Magazine, we want to take a closer look at contemporary art in relation to the topic of sustainability. What role does sustainability play in producing and distributing art? Where are the gaps, problems, and innovative ideas here?” They want proposals for essays of 800-1,000 words from journalists, art historians, scientists, artists, and curators, voices that critically reflect on questions of sustainability (see guidelines). The pitch deadline is 5 December 2022. You can see the pitch guide here and the Twitter thread of their online editor here.
Tagg Magazine: Queer holiday content
Tagg is a US-based queer women’s publication. Their website has several themes they accept articles on, including personal essays, listicles, dating advice and fashion-related content. Articles are 350-1,000 words long and pay $75-175. They have tweeted, “We’re accepting pitches on a rolling basis for queer holiday content. Please check our website for what we’ve already covered to be sure not to pitch repeats!” See the pitch guide for contributors here.
Asana’s new publication for executive leaders: Pitch guide
They want business, science, and innovation writers for Asana’s new publication aimed at executive leaders, and which will go live in 2023. Their pitch guide says, “Asana is launching a new publication of narrative features, interviews, science reporting, and practical guides aimed at executive leaders. Shifting cultural attitudes, macroeconomic forces, and new business models are reshaping work. This new publication will offer insight into how to make the most of this moment. Currently, they’re looking at a few topics: large-scale leadership; digital transformation in business; future-of-work concepts for today’s workers; organizations that are leading through change; and how-to examples for courageous team decision-making. They want trend stories (1,200 words), scientific studies (1,000 words), narrative leadership features (1,800-2,100 words), as well as leadership interviews (1,000 words) and profiles (1,500 words). They have detailed guidelines on each section. Pay is $0.40-0.75/word. Details here.
The Dance Current: Community
This is a Canadian online and print publication on dance forms and they want pitches from writers and dance artists either from Canada or living in Canada. They are reading on the ‘Community’ them, for their 25th anniversary print issue. They typically publish reviews (shows can be digital or in person), personal essays, and tips columns (all 500-750 words), body columns (750 words), timely Q&As (1,000-1,200 words), feature profiles (1,800-2,000 words), feature stories, and in conversation features (both 3,000-3,300 words), and photo essays – some of the above columns are online-only and some are published in print and online. Rates are CAD125-400. The pitch deadline is 9 December 2022. Details in the Tweet here and guidelines here.
The Blacklight: Impact of COVID-19 and gun violence on Black and brown communities
Their website says, “The Blacklight, the NY Amsterdam News’ investigative unit, is looking for experienced freelance journalists. Currently we are accepting pitches for stories about the impact of COVID-19 as well as gun violence on Black and brown communities, esp. in NYC.
We primarily work with journalists based in the NYC area but we are also open to pitches from journalists based outside the region. However, we require all our freelance journalists to have a connection to, understanding of, or experience reporting on Black and brown communities in the United States and/or New York City.” Rates are $250 for Fact Checks (500-1,000 words), $1/word for medium-length articles of 800-1,500 words, and $2/word or flat commission fee for long-form articles of 1,500 + words. For data visualization, they pay $250-500 per piece. Details here.
Modern Farmer: Food and food systems, and more
The interim editor in chief of Modern Farmer has tweeted, “I’m looking for stories from across the US (and globally, but my main focus is the US) that dive into food and food systems, agriculture, labor, climate, food insecurity, sustainability…” Pay is $350-750. See the Twitter thread here.
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Four themes
They publish true stories and poetry (up to 1,200 words). Excerpts from their submission calls are below – see the guidelines for their suggested topics on each theme. Please see the end of the Chicken Soup section for links to the guidelines and submission portal. They pay $250, and 10 contributor copies. Please note, sometimes they change their deadlines, so double-check just before submitting.
– How stepping outside my comfort zone changed me: “Tell us your own stories about stepping outside your comfort zone and how that changed your life. We know you’ll think of many more topics, but here are some suggestions to get your creative juices flowing: Meeting new people; Wearing different kinds of clothing; Traveling to new places …; Doing something that you were afraid of”. Deadline 15 December 2022.
– The power of positive thinking: “We know that using the power of positive thinking helps you to achieve your goals and lead a happy, purposeful, and productive life. Almost anything is possible if you think you can. You can dream big, overcome challenges, create the best life possible for yourself, and turn adversity into opportunity. How did you “think positive” and how did it change your life? Tell us your success story about using the power of positive thinking!” Deadline 15 December 2022.
— Miracles: “Everyone has experienced events in their lives that cause wonder and astonishment. These miraculous happenings are completely and totally unexplainable. Why did these amazing things happen? How did these surprising and bewildering things occur? We want your true stories, both religious and non-religious, that will awe us with examples of amazing events.” Deadline 28 February 2023.
– Angels: “Angels and miracles are all around us if we keep our eyes open. Have you experienced a divine intervention, answered prayer, or other miraculous occurrence courtesy of someone you think just might have been an angel. …We are looking for true personal stories about how an angel has touched your life – stories of true wonder and awe from people who have directly encountered or received help from angels…. Please note that we are not looking for stories about people who are “angels” because they do nice things, and also please do not submit eulogies about a loved one who has died and is now an “angel.”” They want stories from writers of all faiths, including those that do not have a religion. Deadline 28 February 2023.
Details here (themes), here (general guidelines), and here (submission portal). Also see their FAQ about submissions.
Poets & Writers: Writing Communities
This US-based magazine publishes articles of interest to emerging and established literary writers. They publish News & Trends, The Literary Life Essays (on the more contemplative aspects of writing, ranging from creative process to the art of reading), The Practical Writer (advice and how-to articles that offer nuts and bolts information about the business of creative writing), and features – articles, essays, profiles, and interviews regarding American literature. According to their Media Kit for advertisers, for March/April 2023, the issue theme is Writing Communities. They do not publish fiction or poetry, or reviews. They take both, story proposals, and articles on spec, and take 4-6 weeks to respond to queries or manuscripts. Details here (Media Kit/themes) and here (writers’ guidelines).
Ploughshares: Look2 essays
Apart from work for the literary magazine, Ploughshares is also accepting submissions for the Look2 essay series. “This series seeks to publish essays about underappreciated or overlooked writers. The Look2 essay should take stock of a writer’s entire oeuvre with the goal of bringing critical attention to the neglected writer and his or her relevance to a contemporary audience. … The writer can be living or dead and from anywhere in the world (if there are good English translations available). Essays should make note of biographical details that are pertinent to the writer’s work.” They accept only pitches, not completed work, for this series. Pay is $45/page, up to $450. There is no fee to submit to Look2 essays. The pitch deadline is 15 January 2023. Details here.
Foyer Magazine: Hearth & Home
Foyer is an independent magazine exploring cultural identity from people of mixed, third culture and second-generation cultural heritage. “This issue of FOYER explores where and what home is and how it is formed, what the concept of home means, and how this forms our cultural identity. We are only looking for recipes (accompanied by a short ‘cultural’ story), food memoirs and short (fiction) stories”. They’re accepting both pitches and completed works on the ‘Hearth & Home’ theme. And, “Please tell us what cultural fusion you are representing e.g. are you second-generation, Third-culture-individual, first-generation migrant, or a displaced individual, and the countries that make up your cultural background.” Length is 600-800 words, and pay is £75 per piece; photo-essays and art pay £100. The deadline is 30 November 2022. Details here.
Tasavvur: On South Asian speculative fiction
This is a new speculative fiction magazine for South Asian and BIPOC writers, and they accept fiction submission, and pitches (not unsolicited submissions) for non-fiction. Their non-fiction guidelines say, “While we are welcome to any pitches you may have that pertain to South Asian spec fic in any manner, we are particularly interested in publishing the following type of work:
Critical essays of South Asian speculative fiction, such as through a feminist, queer, and/or post-colonial lens
Translations of non-English spec fic stories from South Asia (both traditional and contemporary)
Deep dives into the speculative fiction traditions of different regions of South Asia, particular under-represented regions”. Pay is $100 for commissioned non-fiction, and for fiction, it is 2.5c/word, up to 5,000 words. The submission deadline for fiction is 19 December 2022; for non-fiction, pitches are accepted on an ongoing basis. Details here.
Bright Wall/Dark Room: The Best of 2022
They want writing on cinema, and they publish themed issues. For ‘The Best of 2022’ (on films and TV), they have extensive guidelines – see Submittable for theme details, and their general guidelines page; “we look for essays not just from critics and film scholars but from poets, playwrights, novelists, comedians, and creative types of all stripes interested in experimenting with what film analysis can be.” Longer, creative essays are 2,500-4,000 words. Pay is $50-200. The deadline is 16 December 2022. Details here (Submittable) and here (general guidelines).
Bio: S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here.
