The following is a list of seven publishers that have recently called for writing on the topic of the coronavirus outbreak.
Keep in mind that most publications will likely be interested in stories on the topic. This is just a list of publishers and editors that have specifically requested writing on the topic.
Also – be sure to carefully craft a high-quality pitch before contacting any of these publishers. If you’re not sure how to do this, I highly recommend watching this free webinar.
– Jacob Jans
PS: Thank you to Fatima Saif for her research on this article.
The Bold Italic is seeking personal essays from Bay Area residents on how the coronavirus has affected them. They pay $200 to $300 per story. For details, refer to this Twitter post and this page.
HuffPost Life is a section in HuffPost, a news and opinion website. This section covers food, drink, wellness, beauty, style, relationships, home, and more. They are looking for health/wellness freelancers for reported, service-focused COVID-19 stories. They pay at least $350 per story. Interested freelancers should contact their senior wellness editor at lindsay.holmes@huffpost.com. To learn more, read this Twitter post. To contact them, refer to this page.
Shondaland is seeking ‘quarantine life’ stories. They are looking for innovative or very fun ways to pass the time while being asked to stay indoors. These pieces will be short (500 to 800 words) and will pay $250. Writers should send pitches to britni@shondaland.com. For details, read their culture editor’s Twitter post. To contact them, visit this page.
SFGate features news and entertainment from the Bay Area and beyond. According to their culture editor: “we’re currently looking for creative ways to cover the pandemic with focus on Bay Area life and entertainment, but feel-good SF stories always feel good.” Note, that the Bay Area is currently under strict lockdown. (Did I really just write that!?) They pay $100 to $300 per story. For details, read this Twitter post. To contact their editors, refer to this page.
The Fuller Project is a non-partisan, non-profit news organization reporting globally and in the US on the issues that most impact women. According to this Tweet, they are currently financially and editorially supporting key reporting on the current situation. Refer to their website here. Get their contact information in this Tweet.
The River publishes independent news stories about the Hudson Valley. According to their managing editor, they are publishing daily news roundups on COVID-19. They are “also looking for stories about how this is or will affect life in myriad ways—reporting that is less focused on the numbers and breaking news.” Writers should send their ideas or pitches to phillip.pantuso@chronogram.com. Their rates start at $0.25 per word. For details, read their managing editor’s Twitter thread. To learn more about them and to contact them, visit this page.
Mic is seeking pitches on anything related to sustainability/technology/environment. They are “particularly looking for timely pieces on how coronavirus intersects with those things.” According to one payment report, they paid $0.13 per word. Writers can DM the editor or email him at jonathan.smith@team.mic.com. Learn more about how to contact them here. Read their editor’s Twitter post here.
Rooted in Rights Blog is calling for blog pitches. They “want to cover what’s missing from mainstream media coverage related to COVID-19. Where are the perspectives from disabled and chronically ill people?” They pay on a sliding scale, with the minimum payment being $100. For details, visit this page.
The senior editor of Vice is accepting coronavirus/economy pitches. According to payment reports, they pay an average of $0.25 per word. The pitches should be sent to maxwell.strachan@vice.com. To read their senior editor’s Twitter post, visit this link. To contact them and to learn how to pitch them, visit this link.
Mother Earth News is a bimonthly magazine that promotes more self-sufficient, financially independent and environmentally aware lifestyles. Readers range in age from the early teens to 90-plus. They pay $25-100 for Country Lore; freelancers should enquire for features. No pay for website content. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Backwoods Home is a country and self-reliance-oriented magazine specializing in showing people how to build their own home, produce independent energy, grow their own food, and how to make a living without being tied to a city. They also cover related subjects like health, home schooling, recipes, and book reviews. They are not looking at opinion or entertainment, but hard facts about how to do things better. They like straightforward, clear writing and concise writing, like you would find in good newspapers. They pay $40-200. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
