Dear gentle reader,
It has been a long time, hasn’t it?
I had big plans for this newsletter, even tried using a new platform, but life got in the way. Through these years, I have been touched by the number of people who’ve come up and told me how much they liked the newsletter. I am really glad it was beneficial, and I am hoping to carry on that legacy.
Here, I am essentially picking up from where I left off. I figured my birthday week is a good time to restart…a gift, of sorts, to myself.
Life has been tough lately and writing is one of the things that makes it a little less so.
I know the freelancing world has become tougher: there are fewer publications, greater restrictions on the kind of stories we get to write, and rates are abysmal. I am grateful each day for editors who believe in me, but I do struggle with self doubt and imposter syndrome. Yes, even after 16 years as a journalist!
This newsletter is going to be free (for the moment, at least), and I will try and send it out monthly. As per usual, it will contain pitch calls, reading material, resources and when possible, interviews.
FYI, I also share pitch calls on Twitter.
This edition has Pitch Calls, a reading list, and a bunch of resources.
Happy reading!
PITCH CALLS
International publications and magazines open to pitches
Eater is looking for pitches for their is taking pitches for their specialty newsletters/columns, specifically for Travel and The Move! Details, here.
- Rate: $300
- Email jesse@eater.comMother Jones wants pitches for a column called Mother Tongue that tries to denaturalize a phrase that’s been ubiquitous—and then give a strong take through that process.
- Rate: $1000 (600 to 800 words)
- Email: jrosenberg@motherjones.comThe Emerging Writer's Contest is open to writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have yet to publish or self-publish a book. Guidelines, here.
- Award: $2,000, review from Aevitas Creative Management, and a 1-year subscription for one winner in each of the three genres.
- Deadline: May 15 at noon EST.
- Submit: submission manager.Mashable wants pitches about tech and its intersection with relationships (romantic and otherwise), dating, s3x, etc.
- Email: anna.iovine@mashable.com
- Pay: $400-500 per 1,200-1,500 wordsGoing is looking to expand their stable of fantastic points, credit card, and loyalty program writers. Fill out this form.
Culture writers, Shelfy is looking for honest, insightful criticism,
- Rate: $0.50/word
- Pitch, hereWired is looking to commission exclusive, interesting and weird stories! Pitch guidelines, here.
- Email: natasha_bernal@wired.comCenter for Humans and Nature will be taking submissions for their digital press. They will accept essays, poetry, and artwork focused on food — growing, harvesting, seed saving, reconnection, systems, sovereignty, justice, and climate adaptation—and the myriad ways of considering food. Details, here.
- Submission period: June 24 – July 15
- Honorarium: $500 upon publicationFor an upcoming Marie Claire issue about female and nonbinary athletes, they are looking for pitches that tackle the intersection of money and sports.
- Email: jenny.hollander@futurenet.comShandy Pockets is looking for fun stories on U.S. destinations for their next issue (rants, funny incidents, weird stuff). DM Paul Oswell.
The National News is commissioning destination stories for summer travel and beyond. Open to original ideas with a strong narrative.
- Email: hskirka@thenationalnews.comThe International Policy Journal is seeking foreign policy pitches on an ongoing basis. Details, here.
- Rate: $400 for articles (750-1000 words), $1500 for features (3000 words)Sex tech Guide is seeking pitches on the topic of *technology & sex*,
- Email oli@sextechguide.com
- Rate: £150 (device & service reviews, features and reviews, 1000-1500 words).CNBC wants pitches on stories covering careers, success, personal finance, life and more.
- Email: Sawdah.Bhaimiya@nbcuni.comBusiness Insider is looking for pitches from people who have renovated part of their home + have a few regrets or mistakes. They need before + after photos.
- Rate: Starts $230 for 600 words
- DM Paige
- Deadline: April 30Business Insider also wants pitches from travel experts who have: Been to dozens of all-inclusive resorts OR travelled to every region in Italy OR been to every Greek Island OR travelled on 20+ cruises. DM Stephanie
- Rate: Starts at $200I News UK wants pitches on money/consumer story? Get in touch! grace.gausden@inews.co.uk
Wired is looking to commission exclusive, interesting and weird stories. Pitch guidelines, here.
- Email natasha_bernal@wired.comTimeout UK is looking to commission a few features/ original reporting across culture/lifestyle/city-related issues, ideally with appeal for Apple News / Google Discover audiences.
- Email chiara.wilkinson@timeout.comThrillist is seeking freelance pitches about travel, experiences, and local culture. Pitch guidelines, here.
- Email: pitches@thrillist.com
- Rate: Start at $350Mashable is accepting pitches about tech and its intersection with relationships (romantic and otherwise), dating, s3x.
- Email anna.iovine@mashable.com
- Rate: $400-500 per 1,200-1,500 wordsCurrent Affairs is open to pitches. Check writer's guide.
- Pitch, here
- Rate: Online articles are $200; print, $300Men’s Journal wants stories: inspiring as-told-to adventures, pricey whiskey or luxury watch true crime capers, in-depth reported health stories, or compelling narratives.
- Email chris.hatler@thearenagroup.net with PITCH: [Your headline here] in the subject line.DND Beyond is looking for freelance writers who are highly knowledgeable of the fifth edition D&D ruleset, and regularly turn in relatively clean copy. Reply, here
- Rate: $350 for 1,200 - 2,000 words
MISCELLANY
Source calls, jobs, grants, awards and more
GIG: Journalist Adrija Bose is looking for independent reporters to work on a misinformation project with her. You need to connect with politicians in your state. 2. You need to speak the local language there. Email adrija@boomlive.in
JOB: Juggernaut Books is looking for a publicist to join their team. They need five years of experience and should be based in Delhi. Email publicist@juggernaut.in
JOB: Rest of World wants to connect with Hindi-speaking fact-checkers. Email darya@restofworld.org
JOB: Maed in India is looking for a Junior Podcast Producer to ideate, develop, assist and execute audio shows. Email jobs@maed.in
JOB: Smitten Worldwide is hiring a graphic designer with a minimum 1-2 yrs experience. All you need is a penchant for design thinking & good command of design software. Salary starts from 25K+. Remote. Preferably based in Chennai or Bangalore. Email careers@smittenworldwide.com
AWARD: The Kurt Schork Memorial Fund is accepting submissions for its 2024 awards in international journalism — in reporting conflict, corruption, injustice and human rights issues — and in three categories, freelance journalists, local reporters and news fixers. Details, here.
- Deadline: May 31
- Prize: $5,000
SOURCE CALL: Juggernaut is looking to speak to fans of Coke Studio, or people who have thoughts on the program? Separately, if you identify as South Asian and have gotten a skin fade or have thoughts on the haircut, get in touch. Email ayesha@thejuggernaut.com
SOURCE CALL: Journalist Minreet Kaur is looking to speak to Asian single dads who are facing challenges or stigma in being a single parent. This could be things like meeting a partner, or juggling everything on your own, finding there is a lack of support or that you simply feel alone or isolated. Can be anonymous too. Email: minreet@hotmail.com
APPLICATIONS: Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), Delhi invites applications for the position of Research Associate, Research Assistant and Field Investigator for the project ‘An Intermedia Digital Archive of Folk Culture in North India, C. 1930-2020’. Details, here. Deadline: May 5.
FELLOWSHIP: Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships is a the competition is open to both Canadian and international researchers who have recently completed a PhD, PhD-equivalent, or health professional degree.
- Deadline: July 8, 2024
- Value: $70,000 per year for 2 years
- More details, here.
SOURCES: WorkLife has a ‘Day in the Life’ editorial series and wants to widen their net of sources. They are on the lookout for anyone who has a unique workday or even a newly created role that they are willing to talk about, in detail.
- Submit, here.
WORKSHOP: Trivarna Hariharan is holding a food writing workshop, May 18-June 22, on Zoom.
- Details, here.
- Cost: Rs20,119
GRANT: Earth Journalism Network is offering reporting grants to support the production of in-depth stories that highlight previously untold threats to global biodiversity or explore new conservation-based solutions. Details, here.
- Award: Range of 1,000-2,000 EUR
- Deadline: May 5
PROPOSALS: Apply To Join the Ocean Reporting Network (ORN) by the Pulitzer Center. Details, here.
- Deadline: May 26
CONTEST: Imagine 2200 has a climate fiction short story contest, celebrating the futures we want to see. Details, here.
- Deadline: June 24
- Award: Winning writer- $3,000. The second- and third-place winners - $2,000 and $1,000.
TRANSLATION PRIZE: The seventh Jawad Memorial Prize for Urdu-English translation, 2024, is accepting entries. Translators residing anywhere in the world are invited to submit (unpublished) translations into English of an already published Urdu poem. Details, here.
- Submission deadline: August 31
- Reward: ₹25,000 (USD $350, approximately) and a certificate; runner-up gets ₹10,000 (USD $150) and a certificate.
RESIDENCY: @AntlerIndia is opening up 20 slots in May and June for women looking to launch (venture scale) companies (apply to join their Residency). DM Neha Redy
GUIDANCE: Writer Arman Chowdhury is offering mentorship to aspiring MFA or PhD candidates in Creative Writing on their application. Deadline: May 30. Apply here.
RESOURCE
A list of fellowships and residencies.
Want to report on an environmental issue but lack the in-depth knowledge to cover it effectively? Earth Journalism has free e-learning courses on topics from greenwashing to green recovery, renewable energy, etc.
PS: I will be curating all resources into another post. Check the IAW home page.
WHAT TO READ
Some articles worth spending time on
Rest of World has launched an AI Elections Tracker to track incidents of AI being used around elections globally — for campaigning, misinformation, and memes. Warning: the landing page is bright blue!
In Scroll, Mohamed Shafeeq Karinkurayil writes about the silent migrants (from Kerala) to the Gulf, and their stories of survival and lost treasures.
Dimitri Selibas writes on how clothing giants H&M and Zara have been linked to large-scale illegal deforestation, land-grabbing, violence and corruption in the Brazilian Cerrado, according to an investigation by Earthsight. In Mongabay.
Knowing, Studying, Writing: A Conversation on History, Practice, and Other Doings with Technics, is an attempt to disentangle technology and tools, talk media theory keywords aka Media in the Digital Age.
Jonathan Swift writes on how ‘travel is being robbed of its ability to teach us to think and act differently than we would at home’.
Priya Ramani explores the last generation of old-school restaurateurs in Mumbai’s Irani cafes.
Aatreyee Dhar writes on how fermented fish business not only sustains indigenous livelihoods but also plays a vital role in meeting the high demand for fish products in Tripura.
A career update: I am now consultant editor with Goya Journal, and we are always looking for good food stories. Pay is ₹3000-₹5000, 30 days post publication. Pitch guidelines, here.
Before signing off, a reminder for this election season:
Thank you, again, for being such wonderful subscribers and an engaging audience. I hope to continue sharing my freelancing journey with you.
If you enjoyed this newsletter, do share it with your friends and subscribe to stay updated.
If you have any queries, feedback, comments, or want to share your freelancing wins, email me: itsallwrite@outlook.in
Cheers,
Joanna