{"id":12663,"date":"2025-08-08T10:20:55","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T17:20:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/?p=12663"},"modified":"2025-08-08T10:24:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T17:24:12","slug":"25-themed-calls-for-pitches-journalism-essays-etc-up-to-6000-per-article","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/uncategorized\/25-themed-calls-for-pitches-journalism-essays-etc-up-to-6000-per-article\/","title":{"rendered":"25 Themed Calls for Pitches, Journalism, Essays, Etc (Up to $6,000 Per Article)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n


By S. Kalekar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/strong>These are calls for non-fiction pitches and submissions. A few also accept other genres, like fiction and poetry. Some of the themes are: health; cruise experientials\/mistakes\/tips; drink and gathering; on the money; beginnings and endings (for cinema); working the land; rare books and ephemera; erosion of rights; AI; and when science meets culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


National Geographic: Health, credible wellness\/fitness trends, and more
<\/strong>A digital editor for National Geographic<\/a> has issued a detailed pitch call: \u201cI specialize in health, credible wellness\/fitness trends, and odd and\/or this is not the first time in history pieces. Prioritize timely, widely relevant stories over evergreen or super-niche topics \u2026 I need fleshed out story ideas. These science\/health pitches need peer reviewed scientific research, reputable data, scholarly insight…etc.\u201d See the detailed pitch call \/ thread here<\/a>.

Business Insider<\/strong>
The Lifestyle \/ Entertainment editor for Business Insider<\/a> has issued a pitch call: \u201cLooking for pitches on the following topics: –Amtrak travel<\/strong> –Cruise experientials\/mistakes\/tips<\/strong> –Traveling with grandparents<\/strong> Rates start at $200 for 600 words \/\/ no deadline to get in touch \/\/ submit via DM or the pitch form in my bio\u201d. The pitch form is here<\/a>, for Lifestyle pitches. See the call here<\/a>.

Food & Feeling Zine: Drink and Gathering
<\/strong>Food & Feeling is a Substack-based project. They\u2019re reading for their third issue, and the theme is Drink and Gathering. They have detailed guidelines, including, \u201cthe drinks that anchor our rituals, inspire our stories, and shape our connections. Drinks can celebrate beginnings and soften endings, toast successes and mend heartaches. They can be communal or solitary, comforting or chaotic. Sometimes, it\u2019s less about the drink itself and more about what it brings out\u2014the memories, the stories, the conversations.
Some potential ideas are: a personal essay on the first drink you ever had\u2014when and where, what happened to you and the people around you. A memory of sharing your first drink with your parents\u2014what kind of drink, what kind of food, and what kind of moment was it? A cultural exploration of the tea ceremony at a traditional wedding.\u201d They accept \u201cpersonal essays, cultural commentary, memoirs, poetry, short stories, flash fiction, interviews, creative recipes, and reviews\u201d as well as other formats (see guidelines). \u201cBring us something surprising\u2014something that blends the personal with the historical, the funny with the thoughtful, or the deeply intimate with the communal.\u201d The submission deadline is 31 August 2025. They pay $5 to $20. Details here<\/a>.

<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Griffith Review: On the Money<\/strong>
Griffith Review is an Australian literary magazine and they want submissions of nonfiction and fiction; the theme for this issue is, On the Money. \u201cMoney talks \u2013 but it doesn\u2019t always speak the truth. It\u2019s also far more than a medium of exchange and a store of value: money is a status symbol, a friendship destroyer, an opportunity creator, a psychological blocker, an obsession, a dream, a curse, an albatross and an elephant in the room.
And if money makes the world go round, it\u2019s spinning us faster than ever these days. Do we stand any chance of bridging the wealth gap? How does money influence our behaviour? What part does it play in the erosion of democracy and institutional trust? Should financial literacy be taught in schools? And does anyone actually understand crypto?
This edition of Griffith Review <\/em>follows the money to tally the past, present and future of our filthy lucre.\u201d They mostly accept work from writers in Australia, and some work from overseas writers. Length guidelines are up to 4,000 words. Pay is AUD0.75\/word. The deadline is 24 August 2025 (see guidelines). Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.

<\/strong>Play the Game: <\/strong>Sports integrity and governance<\/strong>
Play the Game is an initiative run by the Danish Institute for Sports Studies (Idan) that promotes democratic values in world sports with an emphasis on freedom of expression, transparency, and open dialogue. You can read about them here<\/a>. With a grant from the Danish government, they have issued a pitch call. They have detailed guidelines, including, \u201cPlay the Game invites journalists, writers, and investigative reporters worldwide to submit pitches for individual articles or investigations into topics related to sports integrity and governance.\u201d The pitch deadline is 4th<\/sup> September 2025. Details here<\/a>.

<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Mood Magazine: Beginnings and Endings
<\/strong>In the Mood is \u201ca pop culture magazine about the things we like to watch. Published triannually, we delve into film, TV, music videos, and celebrity culture through essays, conversations, and unconventional forms of criticism like film diaries, poetry, and comics.\u201d Submissions are open for their next issue, and the theme is, Beginnings and Endings: \u201cWhat\u2019s more unforgettable, and unattainable, than a Hollywood ending\u2026 maybe a Hollywood beginning? From first shots to last words, from directorial debuts to late style, we\u2019re looking for experimental film and pop culture criticism on beginnings and endings.\u201d Some topics and films they\u2019d like to see pitches for include, but are not limited to: iconic opening or closing credits (Saul Bass, Enter the Void, Do The Right Thing, Good Time, Kiss Me Deadly,<\/em> James Bond); novel end credit sequences: blooper reels, mid-credits scenes, failed stunts in Jackie Chan movies\u2026; a filmmaker\u2019s debut film or final film; Hollywood endings\/happily ever afters; films that represent a cultural turning point, a beginning or end of a movement (Hayes Code, Hollywood\u2019s \u201870s Golden Era, Canada\u2019s Tax Shelter Years\u2026). They prefer completed pieces (up to 1,000 words), though they also accept pitches. They pay CAD30. The deadline is 31 August 2025. Details here<\/a> (scroll down).

Bright Wall \/ Dark Room: Teachers
<\/strong>They publish essays on film and television related topics. \u201cFor our next issue, we’re looking for essays on Teachers, in the broadest sense of the word. Movies about teachers, obviously, but also: professors, mentors, coaches, aspirational figures\u2014or: movies that taught you something you’ve held close and true ever since. \u2026 In order to be considered for the issue we will need to receive a complete first draft of your essay via Submittable by August 15, 2025.\u201d They pay $50. They\u2019re also reading unthemed submissions; there is no deadline for those. Details here<\/a>.

Novellum Magazine: Holiday
<\/strong>\u201cNovellum Magazine was founded to fill a void in the literary world by combining quality literature with pop-culture elements appealing to a broader and more modern audience. Our publication serves as a platform for unique writers and illustrators to showcase their work free from the constraints of academic elitism.\u201d You can read about them here<\/a>. Apart from articles (writing and editing tips, feature stories, op-eds, and pop-culture stories, of 1,500-3,000 words), they accept fiction (including for children and graphic novels) and poetry (see the submission form on this page<\/a>.) They\u2019re reading submissions for their fourth issue, and the theme is Holiday. Payment will be discussed on acceptance. The deadline is 15 September 2025. Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/strong>IHRAM Press Publishes: Life with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses
<\/strong>This magazine is a project of International Human Rights Art Movement (IHRAM) and they publish on a quarterly schedule, with different social justice themes. For this quarter, they are \u201cShining a light on life with disabilities and invisible illnesses, this edition raises awareness of the societal attitudes and injustices faced by the disabled community<\/strong>. It explores the impact on identity, memory, and sexuality while advocating for understanding and inclusivity. 
We are eager to publish firsthand experiences<\/strong> by those living with a disability, reflections of the author\u2019s personal experiences with societal justices towards illnesses, and the after-effects of discrimination on an author\u2019s identity and sexuality.\u201d Apart from essays (up to 2,500 words), they accept poetry, short stories, and art. They pay $50 for written work. The submission deadline is 31 August 2025. Details here<\/a>.

Art UK: Drawings<\/strong>
Their website<\/a> says, \u201cArt UK’s mission is to open up public (art) collections (in the UK) for enjoyment, learning and research.\u201d Their commissioning editor has issued a pitch call: \u201cOur funding for stories about DRAWINGS comes to an end in a few months \u2013 get in touch now with pitches to write for @artukdotorg.bsky.social<\/a>\u201d. According to their general pitch guide, pitches must reference some of the 600,000 artworks<\/a> in the Art UK database; and stories can be anywhere from around 800 to 1,800 words (Art UK will advise when commissioning). \u2026 we recommend building your pitch around the available artwork images. As a rough guide, we will want to show a relevant image approximately every 200 words.\u201d They pay \u00a3250. See the pitch call \/ thread (includes work they have published in the past) here<\/a>, and their general pitch guide is here<\/a>.

Orion: <\/strong>Working the Land<\/strong>
<\/strong>Their tagline is, Nature and Culture. They\u2019re accepting nonfiction  pitches for their \u201cSpring 2026 Labor Issue: Working the Land. Send us your ideas on the intersection between labor and the more-than-human world\u2014animal rights, working creatures, and models of collectivity in nature. We can offer $1000 for a full-length feature. Please keep all pitches to 500 words or less.\u201d Their features usually run at 1,000-6,000 words, \u201ccomprising and often combining a variety of genres and formats: essay, memoir, reporting, science writing, criticism, fiction, and comics. More than any particular angle or theme, we value work that expands or challenges our understanding of nature, culture, and place, reflecting thoughtful experiences with diverse surroundings.\u201d The pitch deadline is 15 August 2025. Pitching is via a form. Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.
(And, Orion will open for whale<\/strong>-themed pitches in the fall.)
<\/strong>
Type Investigations<\/strong>
They accept investigative journalism pitches from reporters in the United States; they also accept pitches from outside the US, but your pitch must have a clear and direct US tie-in. They are specially interested in pitches on the following topics:
– The erosion of rights
– <\/strong>Political influence and corporate malfeasance<\/strong>
– Climate change and environmental justice
<\/strong>\u201cWritten features generally run between 3,000 and 5,000 words \u2014 though we do publish articles that are shorter and longer. Typical budgets range from $3,000 to $6,000(including travel and other reporting expenses, as well as the reporting fee) and are based on the submission of a detailed reporting plan. \u2026 When stories are published, we expect partner outlets to pay reporters their normal article fee as well.\u201d See their guidelines here<\/a>.

Reckoning: Communication
<\/strong>Reckoning magazine publishes work on environmental justice. They\u2019re reading submissions broadly around the Communication theme, for their 10th<\/sup> issue. \u201cWhat brought us to this? How do those of us who grasp the direness of our situation\u2014as a species, as a global community\u2014convey or fail to convey that to others? These are dauntingly complex questions, and it\u2019s clear the familiar solutions fall catastrophically short. Show us new answers, new framings. Reach for the weird tools, the neglected ones. Show us how journalism should work. Tell us stories about stories. Illuminate the economic structures behind our educational institutions and the walls against understanding that dog our international borders. Interpret the data for us, then interpret the interpreters. Let\u2019s crack open the ways knowledge is produced and spread amid late-stage capitalism.
We\u2019re seeking art, poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction \u2026 in particular from Indigenous, Black, Brown, queer, trans, disabled, neurodivergent and\/or otherwise marginalized writers and artists from everywhere.\u201d Length guidelines are up to 15,000 words for prose, up to 10 pages for poetry. They pay $0.10\/word for prose, and $50\/poem. The submission deadline is 22 September 2025. Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.

Modest: <\/strong>Connection to nature and with each other<\/strong>
<\/strong>This is a \u201cpublication and platform aims to be inclusive to everyone who takes part in modest fashion.\u201d You can read about them here<\/a>. Their third issue \u201cwill focus on the connection we have to nature and each other. As part of Earth what are the collective dreams we imagine for the future? For a better world?\u201d Apart from garment\/fashion design\/craftsmanship pieces (articles about garment making, styling, mending, upcycling, or waste-led\/zero-waste design) they publish fiction and non-fiction on the theme, as well as generational poetry, art, comics, photo essays, recipes, other visual media. Accepted submissions will be paid. The deadline is 1 September 2025. Details here<\/a>.

Fine Books & Collections<\/strong>
\u201cFine Books & Collections<\/em> covers a broad range of topics and subjects of interest to book collectors, dealers, librarians, curators, and bibliophiles, from early manuscripts to modern first editions and everything in between. The core of each article is an engaging narrative.\u201d Their editor has issued a pitch call: \u201cI\u2019m always looking for new writers & ideas \u2026 Tell me your timely tales about rare books and ephemera<\/strong>\u201d. Rates are $200-600, depending on length\/reporting needs. See the pitch call \/ thread here<\/a>. Their writers\u2019 guidelines are here<\/a>.

Prism: US imperialism and Palestine<\/strong>
Prism<\/a> is \u201cAn independent and nonprofit newsroom led by journalists of color.\u201d They have issued a pitch call: \u201c@prismreports.org<\/a> revised our guidelines to allow writers & reporters to send pitches centering U.S. imperialism and Palestine, regardless of a direct U.S. angle, because the consequences of U.S. policy and imperialism are global.\u201d Rates are $0.50-0.60\/word. See the pitch call \/ thread here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Mother Jones
<\/strong>An editor has issued a pitch call for Mother Jones: \u201cI don’t normally edit @motherjones.com<\/a>‘s culture writing, but please pitch me a good essay that makes coherent sense of the political discourse around<\/strong> Caitlin Clark, Sydney Sweeney, and Taylor Swift<\/strong>\u201d. For online, rates start at $0.75 a word, and for print, rates start at $1.75 per word.\u00a0See the pitch call here<\/a> and Mother Jones\u2019 guidelines for web and print here<\/a>.
Green European Journal: What Culture and Democracy can do for each other
<\/strong>\u201cThe\u00a0Green European Journal<\/em>\u00a0looks to two dimensions to guide its content: political ecology and Europe.\u201d Their current pitch call says, \u201cOur next edition will explore what Culture and Democracy can do for each other.\u201d They have detailed guidelines for this call, including, \u201cPitches can revolve around (but don\u2019t have to be limited to) four thematic pillars: Culture and the ecosocial transformation<\/strong> \u2026 Arts & culture and the European project<\/strong> \u2026 Facing the far right<\/strong> \u2026 AI, creativity, and imagination<\/strong>\u201d. And, \u201cWe are open to any kind of format that works well on a printed page, from\u00a0essays to interviews, photo essays, fiction, creative nonfiction, comics\/graphic journalism, visual art, and more.\u201d The pitch deadline is 5 September 2025. See their pitch call here<\/a>. Their pitch guide for this theme is here<\/a> and their general pitch guidelines are here<\/a>.

Toronto Journal: Stories from the City
<\/strong>This is a journal in print and sound. They publish Stories from the City<\/a>: non-fiction pieces that are set in and around the Greater Toronto Area<\/strong>. The fiction they publish is unthemed. They pay $50 for prose submissions up to 7,500 words. The deadline is 1st<\/sup> September 2025 for the Winter 2026 issue. Details here<\/a>.

Scientific American: Psychology and Neuroscience
<\/strong>Scientific American \u201cwelcomes ideas for news, features, opinion and analysis articles on recent scientific discoveries, social and policy issues, technical innovations and overviews of impactful research.\u201d\u00a0An editor has issued a pitch call: \u201cI edit mind & brain news at @sciam.bsky.social<\/a> and I’m looking for psychology and neuroscience stories. I’m especially interested in consciousness science and linguistics.\u201d See the pitch call here<\/a> and their general pitch guidelines are here<\/a>.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Black Ordinary
<\/strong>This is a new magazine and they will soon publish their first issue. \u201cThe Black Ordinary <\/em>welcomes pitches from artists, archivists, historians, researchers, and writers of all backgrounds and experience levels to pitch ideas for writing topics relevant to the preservation of Black-American* histories and culture.
<\/strong>*How we define “Black-American”: While the histories of the entire African diaspora are closely intertwined, The Black Ordinary’s work is centered on the histories and cultures of direct descendants of enslaved peoples forcibly brought to the modern-day United States from the continent of Africa via the transatlantic slave-trade. Please be mindful about whether this experience mirrors your own.<\/em>\u201d They will publish archive and collection highlights (curated selection of digitized archive materials, archivists writing about Black-American archives), essays and reviews of art exhibitions, performances, talks, screenings, conferences, public art, current ideas, artist books, or catalogs (see the guidelines in the pitch form<\/a> for details), interviews, as well as poems, fiction, photo essays, hybrid and experimental writing. They pay $250. The deadline is 30 August 2025. Details here<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>.  

BrainFacts.Org<\/strong>
They want pitches on stories around the brain and nervous system. They have detailed guidelines. BrainFacts.org \u201ctells the story of scientific discoveries, the people behind them, and how it relates to our everyday lives. Knowing about the brain\u2019s inner workings helps paint a better picture of the human experience that explores the universe between our ears. We\u2019re looking for freelance science writers, journalists, and multimedia creators with a strong portfolio in science communication to pitch us story ideas about the brain and nervous system.\u201d They are interested in these themes currently, and are also open to all neuro-related pitches.
— The Creative Brain
— Infection & Inflammation & The Brain
— Prediction & Decision Making
— The Brain & Interpersonal Connections<\/strong>
They assign stories of 500-1,200 words. \u201cWe pay a flat rate for assignments based on roughly a dollar (USD) per word. The fee per assignment depends on experience as demonstrated by your published bylines (your clips), format, anticipated word count, and the timeline for completion.\u201d Details here<\/a>.

Transformer: AI<\/strong>
Transformer<\/a> is a Substack-based newsletter — \u201cTransformer is your weekly briefing of what matters in AI, specifically targeted at policymakers and people interested in AI policy.\u201d You can read about them here<\/a>. Their editor is looking for pitches. \u201cHello, reporters, writers and commentators covering AI. I’m commissioning pieces for Transformer and I would love to hear from you!\u201d And, \u201cThe key driving principle is what’s on our about page: “That AI is a very big deal, that we need to regulate it, and that we need more scrutiny on the powers at play.” We’ll be updating that soon but the central thrust will be the same. No other philosophies affect our commissioning.\u201d See the pitch call here<\/a>.

Betches: Trending news, internet culture, and more<\/strong>
\u201cBetches is a multimedia brand developed and run for women, by women.\u201d You can read about them here<\/a>. An editor has issued a pitch call; they want \u201cpitches on thought-provoking, conversation-starting stories about trending news, internet culture, friendship, and sharp social commentary. Rate dependent on angle\/details ($250-$500 range).\u201d See the pitch call here<\/a>.

Scientific Inquirer: Exploring the Nexus \u2013 When Science Meets Culture
<\/strong>Their pitch call says, \u201cScientific Inquirer is seeking cultural critics to explore where science meets society. Got sharp insights and fresh ideas?\u201d They pay $50. See the pitch call here<\/a> and their brief general pitch guide here<\/a>.

Bio:<\/strong> S. Kalekar is the pseudonym of a regular contributor to this magazine. She can be reached here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By S. Kalekar These are calls for non-fiction pitches and submissions. A few also accept other genres, like fiction and poetry. Some of the themes are: health; cruise experientials\/mistakes\/tips; drink and gathering; on the money; beginnings and endings (for cinema); working the land; rare books and ephemera; erosion of rights; AI; and when science meets…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12663"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12663\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12670,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12663\/revisions\/12670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}