{"id":13259,"date":"2026-09-09T07:40:40","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T14:40:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/?p=13259"},"modified":"2026-09-09T09:04:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T16:04:09","slug":"26-themed-calls-for-pitches-submissions-for-september-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomwithwriting.com\/freedom\/uncategorized\/26-themed-calls-for-pitches-submissions-for-september-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"26 Themed Calls for Pitches & Submissions for September 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n


By S. Kalekar

<\/strong>These are calls for themed (and paying) non-fiction pitches and submissions \u2013 for essays, journalism, and creative non-fiction. Some of the themes are: manifest, fringe, sustainable development in Southeast Asia, inspiration, AI, after, obsession, sent by mistake, art jewelry, music & the brain, food-related pieces, caretaking and the giving of care, random acts of kindness, and climate litigation. A few outlets also accept other genres, like fiction and poetry.
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Ninth Letter: Manifest
<\/strong>This literary magazine wants prose and poetry on the Manifest theme for their online edition. \u201cThe theme for this issue is manifest.<\/em> How phony is the magic trick that ends with something real? Some would have us believe that to quell our helplessness in the face of persistent global uncertainty, we need not fall prey to anxiety and our other self-soothing mechanisms masquerading as control. No, we need simply to manifest<\/em>\u2014what we will, we will to become, and we will become what we will to become, which helpfully eliminates the cumbersome sorting of cause, effect, and general accountability. It all seems a bit abstract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We at Ninth Letter<\/em> value positive thinking of course, but wish, with this issue, to bring us back down to Earth. For writers, to manifest gainfully requires not just will, but expert application of our trustiest of tools\u2014concreteness, detail, specificity, and, their building block, the image. And so, for this issue, we invite you to return to our shared fundamentals: Manifest something real, out of words, using these tools. Show, don\u2019t tell: Hold the rabbit by the ears, even though the hat was empty. Make us believe, in spite of ourselves.\u201d Length guidelines are: up to 3,500 words for prose, up to 3 poems. They pay $75 for prose and $25 per poem. The deadline is 1 November 2026. Details here<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n


MIT Technology Review: Fringe
<\/strong>The editor for MIT Technology Review has issued a pitch call for their next print issue: \u201cMIT Technology Review<\/strong><\/a> is seeking pitches for an upcoming issue. The theme is Fringe. We’re looking for feature-length stories along that theme\u2014stories about disruption, taboos, what\u2019s happening at the margins, and the people and ideas driving for change from the outside in.
The initial deadline for pitches is Friday September 11. Article drafts would be due in early December.\u201d According to their general pitch guide, \u201cThe feature well of the magazine is devoted to narrative features<\/strong>, investigations<\/strong>, big profiles<\/strong>, and reported essays<\/strong> (generally between 2500-4000 words) centered around a theme.\u201d They pay $1 to $2 per word. See the pitch call here<\/a> and their general pitch guide here<\/a>.

Dialogue Earth: Two themes<\/strong>
They\u2019re accepting pitches for environmental stories on two themes:
— Sustainable development in Southeast Asia:<\/strong> They want stories on environmental and sustainable development issues across Southeast Asia. The broad topics of interest are: Critical and transition minerals in Southeast Asia; Clean energy transitions in Southeast Asia; Transboundary water; Biodiversity conservation; Pollution and plastics; and The environment in contexts of conflict and political change. \u201cWe prioritise commissioning local journalists with proven experience in environmental journalism. However, we will consider pitches from journalists based in the region with a good track record covering the above issues.\u201d They want pitches for in-depth articles, features, investigative reports, or narrative storytelling. They\u2019re paying $380 per article of 1,000-1,200 words, and more for multimedia work. They have a rolling deadline for this project. Details here<\/a>.
— Photo stories on the human side of Africa\u2019s solar boom:<\/strong> \u201cWe are inviting pitches from photojournalists or photographer & journalist pairings on the human stories behind Africa\u2019s solar boom, and China\u2019s role in this complex energy transition\u201d. They want photo-first features, and have detailed guidelines. They do not want stories from Kenya. They\u2019re paying $1,800 for this project, and the pitch deadline is 13th<\/sup> September 2026. Details here<\/a>.
The general pitch guide for Dialogue Earth is here<\/a>.

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Publishers Weekly: Book publishing industry news<\/strong>
An editor has issued a pitch call for Publishers Weekly<\/a>, which covers the book publishing industry: \u201ci’ve been promoted to senior news editor at @PublishersWkly<\/a>! open as ever to tips, pitches\u201d\u2026 You can see the pitch call here<\/a>.

Poets & Writers<\/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 Writing and Technology<\/strong> and for January\/February 2027, it is Inspiration<\/strong> (see Upcoming Issues and Deadlines here<\/a>). They don\u2019t 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).

USA Today: AI<\/strong>
An editor for USA Today<\/a> has recently issued a call for pitches for AI stories in the US: \u201cHappy to say that today is my first day on the AI beat for @USATODAY<\/a>! I’m based out of NYC but covering stories all around the country. Send me tips, pitches and ideas\u201d. See the pitch call here<\/a>.

LA Times: AI and its impact
<\/strong>An editor for the Los Angeles Times<\/a> has issued a pitch call for work on AI, as well: \u201cToday is my first day with the @latimes<\/a>! I\u2019ll be covering AI and how it\u2019s changing our lives and local communities. Send me tips, pitches, hot takes, etc.\u201d See the pitch call here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 
Grain Magazine: Book reviews and essays on craft
<\/strong>Grain is a Canadian literary magazine that publishes writing from Canada (with a focus on Saskatchewan) and overseas. They\u2019re accepting pitches for book reviews: \u201cGrain is seeking pitches for short book reviews, interviews, and essays on craft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Word Limits
Book Reviews: 450 words 
Interviews: 900 words 
Essays on Craft: 900 words\u201d The pitches \/ queries have to be a maximum of 250 words. They pay CAD50\/page. Details here<\/a> (click on \u2018New! Call for Pitches\u2019).
(Grain is also open for fee-free creative writing submissions, including literary non-fiction up to 3,500 words, from marginalized\/underrepresented writers only, till 14th<\/sup> September; they pay CAD50\/page up to CAD250. They will open on 15th<\/sup> September 2026 for submissions from all writers. They charge a submission fee for non-Canadian submissions; details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.) 
 
Liminal Lit: After
<\/strong>Their tagline is, \u2018For voices that exist between cultures, languages, and belonging.\u2019 You can read more about this on their Mission<\/a> page: \u201cLiminal Lit is an advocacy focused space for writers navigating the complexities of multiple identities. We exist because the most powerful stories often live in the “in-between” \u2014 the friction of existing at the intersection of different cultures, religions, languages, or the experience of being a minority in your own community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you are first generation, third generation, or simply navigating a lack of belonging, we want your raw perspectives. \u2026 Liminality is not just about geography. It is about the experience of living across borders of heart, mind, and heritage.\u201d They\u2019re reading submissions for their second issue, and the theme is After: \u201cAfter<\/em> explores what remains, what changes, and what begins following moments that shape us. We invite poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction that interprets this theme in original and compelling ways.
We encourage broad interpretation, whether your work reflects on memory, transformation, grief, joy, migration, family, identity, love, language, resilience, or entirely unexpected places the theme may lead.\u201d They want creative non-fiction, fiction, and poetry, and pay $100. The submission deadline is 15th<\/sup> September 2026. Submission is via a form<\/a>. Details here<\/a>.

Hobbyhorse Magazine: Obsession<\/strong>
This is a new magazine. They publish work about (usually geeky) hobbies, \u201cincluding things like: computing & PC gaming, historical swordplay & fencing, tabletop gaming, Gardening, and even keeping geckos.\u201d You can read more about them here<\/a>. They\u2019re reading submissions for their first issue, and the theme is Obsession. For (creative) non-fiction:
\u201cFor any issue:<\/strong> We\u2019re into people simply geeking out about their hobbies! Please, tell us WHY you love what you love! How\u2019d you discover it? You know those stories before recipes which are really annoying when you just want the recipe? Well, here we\u2019re actually into the story part! How-to guides with plenty of voice also welcome! Come! Teach and geek!
For the OBSESSION issue:<\/strong> Send us reeling. We\u2019re looking for the personal, but less confessional and more exploratory. Purely personal obsessions are less likely to succeed than say, an obsession with someone else\u2019s obsession, or a seemingly societal obsession the writer can speak to personally.\u201d They also accept work on evergreen topics. They\u2019re accepting fiction for the Obsession issue, as well. They pay $0.02\/word up to $70 for originals, for works up to 5,000 words; they also accept reprints. The deadline for this issue is 30th<\/sup> November 2026. Details here<\/a>.

Asimov Press: Three themes
<\/strong>\u201cAsimov Press is a publisher focused on the science and technologies that promote flourishing.\u201d They have a detailed pitch guide, including, \u201cWe always welcome pitches from writers who can make sense of scientific progress, especially regarding biology\u2019s impacts on climate, energy, security, agriculture, materials, and medicine, or in metascience. Our authors are typically researchers or policy experts with extensive knowledge in their field or journalists with a deep background in a scientific discipline.
On occasion, we reach out to writers with specific assignments.\u201d 
Their editor is looking for pitches on these themes:
\u201cI’m looking to pay someone to write the following pieces ($1\/word): – Why don’t we have a universal antivenom?
– What are the bottlenecks with nanopore-based protein sequencing?
– What happened to paper-based diagnostics (and on-demand vaccine manufacturing)?\u201d There is no deadline listed. See the pitch call here<\/a> and their general pitch guide here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rough Cut Press: rant
<\/strong>They publish work from the LGBTQIA community, and have occasional themed submission calls. Send short poetry or prose of up to 650 words on the \u2018rant\u2019 theme. They pay $25 for works up to 650 words. The deadline is 27 September 2026. Details here<\/a> (see \u2018what we look for\u2019) and here<\/a>.

Play the Game: Critical issues in international sport
<\/strong>\u201cPlay 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.\u201d You can read more about them here<\/a>. They have a journalism fund<\/a>, which is open to freelance journalists and researchers worldwide. \u201cThrough public support, the fund enables Play the Game to commission freelance journalists and researchers to produce independent, investigative, and analytical journalism on the most pressing issues in international sport. These include governance failures, corruption, abuse of power, human rights violations, and integrity risks that too often remain hidden or insufficiently scrutinised.\u201d According to their pitch guidelines: \u201cThe Play the Game Journalism Fund welcomes pitches from freelance journalists who want to investigate critical issues in international sport.
We are particularly interested in journalism that sheds light on power, governance, integrity, human rights, and accountability in sport \u2013 and that aligns with Play the Game\u2019s mission and editorial standards.\u201d Details here<\/a>.

Business Insider: Overachievers who opted out<\/strong>
An editor for Business Insider<\/a> has issued a pitch call: \u201c”Lean In” told a generation to want the corner office. But more and more I’ve been hearing and reading about the same generation wanting to be unreachable. What happened?
I’m looking for pitches for Business Insider<\/strong><\/a> on the overachievers who didn’t burn out so much as opt out. The VP turned farm-stand owner. The partner-track lawyer who went to four-day weeks and never looked back. The person who got the promotion and immediately started plotting the exit.
If that’s you, I want to know: What did you use to want? What changed it? What’s the version of “success” you have now that your 25-year-old self would not recognize?\u201d See the pitch call here<\/a>.

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Business Insider: Lifestyle pitches \u2013 Writers ages 70+<\/strong>
Another editor has issued a call for Business Insider<\/a>, as well: \u201cI\u2019m always looking to work with #freelancewriters<\/strong><\/a> of all ages, but right now, I\u2019m especially eager to hear from writers 70+!
How are you staying active in retirement? Have you started a side hustle? Are you crossing exciting things off your bucket list? Moving in with friends or relatives to make life more cost-effective?
OR maybe you\u2019re helping a grandparent do some of these things! Either way, I\u2019d love to hear from you!
Rates for these kinds of pieces usually start at about $240 for 600 words.\u201d Pitching is via a form<\/a>.  See the pitch call here<\/a>.

Thema: Sent by Mistake<\/strong>
They accept essays, short stories, poetry, and art, and publish three themed issues a year. Their upcoming theme is \u2018Sent by Mistake\u2019. They also accept reprints. Only writers outside of the US can submit by email, US-based writers have to post their submissions. They pay $10-25 and the submission deadline is 1 November 2026 (see guidelines). Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Echo: Exploration
<\/strong>Echo publishes work by teenagers only (writers ages 13 to 19). They are seeking submissions on the Exploration theme, including inward exploration — coming of age, gender or sexuality, and sense of self, as well as outward exploration \u2013 adventure, jungle, space, and historical\/period pieces. The deadline for themed submissions is 30th<\/sup> September 2026; unthemed work is accepted on an ongoing basis. They accept non-fiction, fiction, comics, graphic stories, and scripts, for which they pay $30, and also poetry, which pays $15. They also pay for artwork. They have helpful write-ups on topics like What is a Lit Mag, a Guide to Lit Mags, How to Submit to a Teen Lit Mag, and Dealing With Rejection. Details here<\/a>.

Contingent Magazine: Mailbag and Postcards columns
<\/strong>Contingent is a non-profit history magazine. \u201cOur writers are adjuncts, museum workers, independent scholars\u2014all people who work outside the tenure-track professoriate.\u201d They are accepting pitches for the Mailbag<\/a> and Postcards<\/a> columns.
\u201cMAILBAG <\/strong><\/a>columns, roughly 400 to 500 words. Is there a question you\u2019re often asked about the work of doing history? Do you wish there were a short, accessible answer to that question you could just point them to? Write it for us. The base pay is $150.
POSTCARDS<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>(see examples here<\/a>). We are accepting pitches for both research and conference postcards. The base pay for a postcard is $50.\u201d
Other sections are currently closed. They also say, \u201cBefore you pitch us<\/strong>, please read our About Us<\/a> page and a few of our articles<\/a> to familiarize yourself with the magazine\u2019s mission and style. Check out our\u201chow to pitch us\u201d<\/strong><\/a> guide<\/strong> to learn more about what we are looking for.\u201d Details here<\/a>.

Art Jewelry Forum: Contemporary jewelry
<\/strong>\u201cArt Jewelry Forum, the world\u2019s leading platform for critical thinking about contemporary jewelry, is now accepting original unpublished content proposals for articles and reviews to be published on our website.\u201d They have detailed guidelines, and pay $375 for interviews, $500 for reviews, and $500 for researched articles. The pitch deadline is 7th<\/sup> September 2026. Pitching is via a form. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


BrainFacts.Org<\/strong>
They want pitches on stories around the brain and nervous system. They tell \u201cthe 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.\u201d They are interested in these themes for 2026:
Music & The Brain
Vaccines & The Brain
The Aging Brain
Psychedelics & The Brain
<\/strong>Apart from these, they are open to all neuro-related pitches. They assign long (1,000-1,200 words), medium (700-900 words), and short-form (500-800 words) written and multimedia stories. They do consider profiles of experts in neuroscience if you weave the science throughout the story. Pay is approximately $1\/word. Details here<\/a>.

Orion<\/strong>
Orion is an environmental magazine and they are open for digital article pitches till 15th<\/sup> September 2026. \u201cIn addition to our quarterly themed calls for specific print issues, we now open twice a year for digital pitch submissions. These pitches are not tied to a particular theme; rather, they are an open call for story ideas that feel consistent with Orion<\/em>\u2019s digital identity and will appear exclusively online.
We are looking for pitches in the following categories: 
Short essays on general topics, food-related pieces<\/a>, enumerations<\/a>, conversations<\/a>, graphic stories, and art portfolios<\/a>. Before pitching, please spend some time familiarizing yourself with the stories on our website to get a strong sense of our categories and the work that fits in them.
In general, we prefer to read pitches (of up to 400 words), but if it is a short piece (<1000 words) we are also open to reading full drafts. Please note that we prefer to consider one story idea at a time. Length is flexible, but please bear in mind that we are unlikely to publish anything over 2,000 words.\u201d Details here<\/a> and here<\/a>.Kenyon Review<\/strong>
This prestigious literary magazine is accepting unthemed submissions, as well as submissions on two themes.
\u201cIn 2027, our magazine will feature folios on the following themes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n