{"id":13157,"date":"2026-07-24T13:32:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T20:32:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/?p=13157"},"modified":"2026-07-24T13:32:39","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T20:32:39","slug":"25-themed-calls-for-essays-journalism-and-creative-nonfiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/uncategorized\/25-themed-calls-for-essays-journalism-and-creative-nonfiction\/","title":{"rendered":"25 Themed Calls for Essays, Journalism, and Creative Nonfiction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

Here are 25 themed calls for non-fiction pitches and submissions \u2013 of journalism, essays, and creative non-fiction. Some of the themes are:healthcare and healing; artists on craft; downsizing homes; unique living arrangements; death and its intersections with life; trash, broadly considered; count your blessings; bodies of work; belonging; and the America feature. A few also accept other genres, like fiction and poetry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Independence Literary Review: Healthcare and Healing Folio
<\/strong>This literary magazine is affiliated with Baylor University; they publish online and in print. They accept unthemed non-fiction, fiction, and poetry, and art, and also works for the Healthcare and Healing folio. \u201cOur first themed folio, \u201cHealthcare and Healing,\u201d will feature your creative explorations of healthcare, illness, and healing in their manifold forms. We want work that opens new windows of understanding into the body and the mind and the ways they can rupture, be repaired, be reconfigured, and be re-understood. We want to facilitate a conversation about what it means to care for ourselves and others with compassion, and the ways in which art can be a beacon of light in the process.\u201d  Non-fiction can be flash length (up to 1,000 words) or longer (up to 7,500 words); and, \u201cin addition to personal essays, lyric essays, essays on place, and cultural criticism, we welcome graphic essays and speculative memoir.\u201d They pay $50-200. The deadline is 1 October 2026. Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.  

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The Sunlight Press: Artists on Craft series
<\/strong>The Sunlight Press accepts personal essays, short fiction, reviews, poetry, photography, and also submissions for Artists on Crafts series, which are \u201cInterviews\/Reflections by artists on their process of the art of choice (accompanying photos welcome); under 1,000 words\u201d. They pay $50 for prose, $35 and up for poetry, and $20 for photos. The deadline is 31 July 2026; they have a cap on fiction, poetry, and essay submissions but there are no caps on photography, book reviews, and Artists on Craft essays. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/strong>Deceleration: Many Worlds, Celebrate<\/strong>
Their website<\/a> says, \u201cDeceleration<\/em> is a nonprofit online journal producing original news and analysis responding to our shared ecological, political, and cultural crises.
We write at the intersection of environment and justice\u2014journalistically, academically, and creatively\u2014with emphasis on our home communities and bioregion (the watersheds of San Antonio, South Texas, and the Gulf South, broadly).\u201d \u201cOnce a quarter we also solicit creative responses (poetry, prose, visual art, sound) to specific themes or topics. \u2026 This summer, Deceleration invites flash fic and nonfic, poems, songs, & images that offer counterimaginaries to official celebrations of the U.S. 250th. In a world rent by the weight of colonial violence, how do we continue walking and working together toward another possible world\u2014\u201cun mundo donde quepan muchos mundos\u201d (a world in which many worlds fit)?\u201d
Pay ranges from $25 for creative pieces up to $0.50\/word for long-form investigative journalistic work. The submission deadline for this theme is 2nd<\/sup> August 2026. Details here<\/a>.

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Business Insider: Downsizing homes, Moving to a new state\/country, and more<\/strong>
An editor has issued a call for lifestyle pitches for Business Insider<\/a>. \u201cHello! I\u2019ve just given my Business Insider pitch form a refresh with a few new topics\/prompts. I\u2019d love to work with some new writers, especially if you have a great story about\u2026
— Downsizing homes and the unexpected perks, downsides, and trade-offs of living in a smaller space
— Moving to a new state or country for a dream job or a relationship — Navigating conversations about (and different attitudes toward) money within a romantic relationship\u201d. These, and other topics they\u2019re interested in, are listed on their pitch form<\/a>. Rates start at $240 for stories around 600 words. Details here<\/a>.

Business Insider: Amtrack experimentals, unique living arrangements, and more
<\/strong>And there\u2019s another call from Business Insider<\/a>, from a different editor, for lifestyle pitches: \u201cWe\u2019re about halfway through the summer, so I\u2019m looking to assign some new stories! Here are some examples of what I\u2019m looking for: 
– Amtrak experientials and stories about bidding for upgrades
– Personal essays about unique living arrangements (think: living with in-laws, moving back in with parents, living on a friend\u2019s property, etc)
– Unique tips from frequent cruisers
– Cruise and flight experientials
– Dining at major chain restaurants for the first time
– Personal essays about things you\u2019ve done to land or keep a job (ie, living in your car to save on rent, supercommuting between cities, living apart from spouse, etc). Rates start at $240 for 600 words, and pitching is via a form<\/a>. See the pitch call here<\/a>.  

Business Insider: Relationship partners who have different interests\/routines\/priorities; the struggles and surprises of Gen-Z postgrad life; and more
<\/strong>And there\u2019s a third call from Business Insider<\/a>, from a different editor: \u201cSee below for some topics I\u2019m looking for right now: 
– Inside tips from industry experts like sommeliers, pastry chefs, interior designers, tour guides, etc.
– Relationship partners who have different interests\/routines\/priorities
– The struggles and surprises of Gen-Z postgrad life
– First-person experientials about Amtrak train rides, downsizing
– Hidden gems from a local or frequent traveler\u201d Pitching is via a form<\/a>. Rates start at $240 for 600 words. See the call for pitches here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Northern Woodlands Magazine
<\/strong>\u201cNorthern Woodlands<\/em>\u2019 audience consists of stewardship-minded people with an interest in all aspects of the forests of the (American) Northeast. Our articles and columns range in scope, and may include subjects such as ecology, forestry, practical how-tos and tools, nature education and access, conservation and habitat restoration, woodworking, and reflections on natural landscapes.\u201d Writers have to query before pitching (see guidelines). They have features and columns. \u201cA good way to break into our magazine is to write for “Knots and Bolts” (500-1,400 words), which cover a wide range of subjects.\u201d Knots and Bolts pays $200-450, A Place in Mind column (~800 words) pays $250, book reviews (500-600 words) pay $150, poetry pays $100, and payment for features begins at $0.25\/word for writers new to the magazine. They also say, \u201cWe don’t mind working with unpublished writers who have a grasp of their material, and we enjoy helping subject matter experts make their prose more appropriate for a general audience. However, the more time we have to spend editing a piece, the less we will be able to pay for it.\u201d  Stories are contracted by 15th<\/sup> October for the Spring issue and the copy deadline is 15th<\/sup> November. Details here<\/a>.

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GraveSite
<\/strong>Their website<\/a> says, \u201cGraveSite fills the deep reporting hole that exists around death. Because it comes for us all, it\u2019s political, and many Americans are finally ready to talk about it.\u201d To prepare for launch, they want \u201cjournalism, personal essays, and other non-fiction writing on death and all its intersections with life<\/strong>\u201d. They are specially (but not exclusively) looking for work in their five core coverage areas: Life; Power; Futures; Belief; and Culture (see guidelines). And, \u201cWe focus primarily on the U.S. (for now, at least), though are open to stories from and about elsewhere, as well as those grounded locally or regionally, if they are (or should be) relevant for an American audience. You can write for us from anywhere in the world as long as you can accept payment via BILL.com<\/a> or ACH.\u201d They pay $400-1,000 for news and features, and $200 USD for personal essays, criticism and analysis, commentary, and related opinion-based writing. Pitching is via a form. Details here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/strong>Image: Trash, Broadly Considered<\/strong>
\u201cAll the work we publish reflects what we see as a sustained engagement with Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. That engagement can include unease, grappling, or ambivalence as well as orthodoxy; the approach can be indirect or allusive, but for a piece to be a fit for us, some connection to faith must be there.
We ask those who wish to query or submit work to read the journal and get an idea of the type and range of material we publish.\u201d. They publish longer essays, interviews, work in translation, artist profiles, poetry, and fiction; they want work on the Trash, Broadly Considered theme. \u201cWe’re interested in takes on remains, remnants, relics, and apocrypha; on waste and conservation; on class, pop culture, and guilty pleasures; in writing on the things we hate to love, and the objects and beliefs we discard; and on the possibility that broken things\u2014humanity included\u2014can be redeemed.<\/strong> \u2026 We’re open to visual art, including illustration, and writing in all genres, including poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Nonfiction may include personal essays but also essays about recent books, film, music, or other art forms (that is, work that’s come out within the past 5 years), or that blend personal elements with a given subject. Work in translation is welcome.\u201d They charge a fee for general submission categories but themed work can be submitted for free. They pay $25 per published page for prose or $3 per line for poetry; the minimum payment is $100 and maximum is $400. The deadline is 2 August 2026 for themed submissions. Details here<\/a> (general guidelines) and here<\/a> (theme details \u2013 see the relevant category).<\/p>\n\n\n\n


IHRAM Publishes: Stories of Women of Colour, Culture & Becoming
<\/strong>This is a project of International Human Rights Art Movement.
They want essays (up to 2,500 words), fiction, and poetry for this issue. \u201cWe are opening submissions for an issue dedicated to amplifying the voices of women of colour, including transgender women and women living across cultures as expats, migrants, or in diasporic communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This issue will explore stories of hope, resistance, and resilience\u2014shining a light on the struggles, strengths, and creativity of women of colour worldwide.\u201d They want:
\u201c– Experiences of discrimination and inequality (health, social, political, economic)
— Intersectional feminism: recognizing that inequalities are lived differently across identities and contexts;
— Cultural and generational stories\u2014memories, traditions, and the legacies women carry;
— Creative expressions of solidarity, empowerment, and collective care.\u201d They pay $50, and the submission deadline is 1 August 2026. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Chicken Soup for the Soul: Three themes
<\/strong>They publish themed non-fiction prose and non-fiction poetry. Three upcoming themes are:
— Star Wars 50th<\/sup> Anniversary Book:<\/strong> They have detailed guidelines and some of the possible themes are: How has Star Wars been a part of your life and your family\u2019s life?; What are your favorite memories of seeing the films, the TV shows, reading the books, playing with the toys?; What have you learned from the Star Wars films?; Did you ever take a class where a teacher used Star Wars for lessons?; Do you or someone you know have a Star Wars obsession, a collection, a fan club?; Who\u2019s your favorite Star Wars character?; Did you introduce your own children or grandchildren to Star Wars? And more. The deadline for Star Wars submissions is 15th<\/sup> August 2026.
— Count your blessings: \u201c<\/strong>One of the most important keys to contentment and happiness is the ability to count your blessings. Even during the toughest times, if we can find gratitude and count our blessings we feel better.\u201d Some suggested topics are: How do you count your blessings?; How do you express your gratitude for your blessings?; How does doing good for others become a blessing in your own life?; What made you realize that your life is good and that you are grateful for it?; And more. The submission deadline for Count Your Blessings is 15th<\/sup> August 2026.  
— Humorous Stories: <\/strong>\u201cWe are looking for true stories about something that happened to you in your life – in your relationship with a partner or spouse, a parent or child, a family member or friend, a pet, at work or at home – that made you and the people around you laugh out loud.\u201d Some suggested topics are: Stop laughing. That’s not funny!; Good intentions gone wrong; A slip of the tongue – Oh no, I didn’t mean to say that!; I thought I heard you say… but you really said…!; Pranks that worked (or backfired); And more. The submission deadline for Humorous Stories is 31 August 2026.
Chicken Soup for the Soul pays $250 for works up to 1,200 words. They have other themes listed too, with later deadlines. Details here<\/a> and here<\/a> (also see other tabs on this page, including FAQ).<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Griffith Review: Bodies of Work<\/strong>
Griffith Review is an Australian literary magazine and they want fiction and nonfiction submissions for issue 95; the theme is Bodies of Work. \u201cModern life can be a curiously disembodied experience: we swipe and scroll, crop and click, zoom and control+z; our interactions are often mediated by screens or filters; we no longer look one another in the eye as we once did (or we\u2019re forced to do it on Teams).
Are our flesh-and-blood selves becoming attenuated and atomised by the increasingly digital texture of our days? What\u2019s the fate of the human body in this age of looksmaxxing and biohacking? How do our historic perceptions and misconceptions of bodily states and identities, including disability and gender, inform our present and shape our future?\u201d
They mostly accept work from writers in Australia, and some work from overseas writers. Do not send poetry. They pay AUD0.75\/word for prose up to 4,000 words. The submission deadline is 23 August 2026 (11:59 pm AEST). Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>

SUSPECT: Crip Time
<\/strong>They accept submissions of nonfiction (1,500 to 6,500 words or flash, minimum 1,500 words \u2013 see guidelines), fiction, poetry, and translations from Asian writers. They want submissions on the Crip Time theme. They have detailed guidelines, including, \u201cRejecting the mind\/body binary, we invite writing on all stripes of disability: physical, cognitive, and psychological, invisible and visible. Bring us your writing from beyond fearmongering pity and supercrip inspiration porn. Bring us your writing from (un)expected places of becoming \u2014 from the daybed to the highway, from mountains to menus of braille. Give us stim and sensory overload, ramp and rattling pills. Give us obstinance and gloss, access intimacy and mess. Come as you are, in joy or with steel. Let’s see what good shit we can make with crip time.\u201d Submissions might address (but not be limited to): Crip time and futures; Ableism and accessibility; Mad studies and neurodiversity; Disability culture and materiality; Interdependence and independence; The double edges of diagnosis and cure; and Intersecting struggles. They pay $100. The deadline is 1 August 2026. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Dialogue Earth: Two themes
<\/strong>Dialogue Earth has issued two pitch calls.
— Heat solutions in the Global South: <\/strong>Dialogue Earth is looking for photos and socials-first stories on heat solutions in the Global South. They have detailed guidelines, including: \u201cWe are inviting pitches from visual storytellers and social-media-savvy journalists with a connection to a frontline urban community anywhere in the Global South that experiences dangerous levels of heat. They want \u201cVisual-led, from-the-ground stories about the experiences of specific (not generalised) frontline urban communities in the Global South living with extreme heat and its impact on health, and their interesting, under-reported solutions or adaptations to the problems extreme heat brings.
The solutions should be sustainable, affordable and accessible. They should also be already implemented and working on the ground.\u201d Journalists will need to deliver 30-40 images, an 800-word article, and at least one socials-first video. They pay $1,500, and the pitch deadline is 31 July 2026. Pitching is via a form. Details here<\/a>.
— Green steel and industry decarbonisation: <\/strong>Dialogue Earth also wants pitches for in-depth news reports, features, analysis, and exclusive interviews for this call: \u201cThe steel industry must undergo a substantial transformation by 2050 to cut carbon emissions and meet climate targets. While this transition has started, it is also stalling, facing significant technological, policy and financial uncertainty. Our accessible journalism on industrial decarbonisation seeks to shine a light on the opportunities and first movers in this transition, as well as the challenges and barriers to its progress. 
We are particularly welcoming of pitches covering developments in China, India, Brazil and South Africa, from new projects and policies, to the impacts of transitions and the inputs underpinning them. Given Dialogue Earth\u2019s wider focus on the role of China as an actor in global environmental issues, we also welcome pitches on relevant Chinese projects, partnerships, trade and investments in iron and steel around the world. We are also open to pitches on international trends influencing steel decarbonisation, and tech innovations with the potential to support global green steelmaking.\u201d They also say, \u201cWe prioritise commissioning local journalists with proven experience in environmental journalism, and previous reporting relevant to the issues above. However, we also consider pitches from international journalists based in or covering our focus countries, and industry-focused journalists from around the world.\u201d They pay $540 for works of 1,200 words, and have a rolling deadline. Details here<\/a>.

Poets & Writers: Independent Publishing
<\/strong>They publish 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 of 2,000-3,000 words \u2013 articles, essays, profiles, and interviews regarding American literature. According to their section for advertisers, for November\/December 2026, the issue theme is Independent Publishing (see Upcoming Issues and Deadlines here<\/a>). They do not publish fiction, poetry, or reviews. They accept pitches as well as articles on spec (see guidelines), and take 4-6 weeks to respond to queries or manuscripts. Details here<\/a> (themes) and here<\/a> (writers\u2019 guidelines).


Oregon Humanities: Winter 2027 \u2013 Passage<\/strong>
They publish non-fiction from Oregon residents. \u201cThe theme for the Winter 2027 issue of Oregon Humanities<\/em> magazine is \u201cPassage.\u201d We\u2019re looking for stories about transitions, journeys, and motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many kinds of passages, and we\u2019re open to writing about any of them: voyages past, present, and future; changes both physical and mental; even transformative texts. Explain how a transformational law or an unforgettable melody came to be. Explore the movement of people, traditions, and languages. Write about physical routes, such as rivers, roads, and trails, and how they\u2019ve evolved or shaped communities over time. Consider rites of passage and how we mark milestones. Tell us about the experience of being at the threshold of a new place or state of being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We welcome all forms of nonfiction writing from Oregon residents, including essays, journalism, criticism, and excerpts from forthcoming or recently published books. \u2026 We encourage stories created with or by communities\u2014classrooms, neighborhoods, congregations, or any other group with shared interests and experiences.\u201d They also say, \u201cPlease send drafts of personal essays, which should push beyond simple narrative and consider larger thematic questions. If you\u2019re pitching a journalistic or researched piece, please send a proposal and links to any prior published work, and tell us why you\u2019re the person to write this story.
Features generally range between 1,500 and 4,000 words. All contributors are paid between $750 and $1,500, depending on the length and complexity of the piece.\u201d The deadline for is 17th<\/sup> August 2026. Details here<\/a>.

NatGeo: Health pitches<\/strong>
A digital editor for National Geographic<\/a> is in search of healthcare stories: \u201cISO health pitches:
\u2022 New or emerging science
\u2022 Health, wellness, exercise, nutrition, sleep, aging, recovery, and the brain
\u2022 Surprising findings that change how we think about everyday health\u201d See the pitch call here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


The Food Section<\/strong>
The Food Section has recently raised their pay rates. They publish food journalism<\/strong> (in-depth features, short features, as well as book reviews) based in the American South<\/strong>: \u201cJust about every story has a food angle, but for The Food Section<\/em>\u2019s purposes, that story must unfold in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia (or the northernmost reaches of Florida, which The Food Section<\/em> claimed because of its sunshine laws\u2014which ought to tip you off that The Food Section<\/em> is fond of stories with hard news hooks and corroborating data.)\u201d They pay  $1,114.98 for a feature story of 1,200 words, $200 for a short feature of 500-700 words, and $150 for book reviews. Pitching is via a form; there are different pitch forms for features and for book reviews. Details here<\/a>. 

Scrawl Place: Places in Chicago<\/strong>
\u201cScrawl Place is a literary journal disguised as a visitor\u2019s guide.
The audience for this online publication is the guest, the visitor, the traveler, the day-tripper, the out-of-towner, and the in-towners eager to wander.
I\u2019m looking for submissions about \u201cplaces in the places\u201d where you live or where you\u2019ve visited. My aspiration is that readers will visit the places you write about and be inspired to write about those places themselves.\u201d Currently, they are open for general submissions and also want writing on Chicago. \u201cSend your writing about places anchored in a real, visitable place in Chicago.\u201d They\u2019ll pay $35 for general submissions and $40 for Chicago-themed submissions. The deadline for the Chicago call is now 31st<\/sup> July 2026. Details here<\/a> (general guidelines) and here<\/a> (theme details \u2013 see the relevant category).

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

MIT Technology Review: News and analysis about tech<\/strong>
The news editor at MIT Technology Review has issued a pitch call: \u201cI’m seeking news and analysis pitches for MIT Technology Review<\/strong><\/a>! If you’ve got a compelling, original story idea that tells us something new and interesting about the latest technologies, please send it my way\u201d. They pay $1-2. See the pitch call here<\/a> and their general pitch guide is here<\/a>.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n


Splinter Journal
<\/strong>They want submissions from writers across Australia and the world. \u201cWhile we don’t want writers to feel limited by the below list, these are some topics and voices we are particularly interested in for issue six:<\/p>\n\n\n\n