Hello writers
Welcome to the first edition of 2020.
It’s been just 15 days into the year and I am already tired. Our country has turned fascists, Kashmir is still cut off from the rest of the world, Australia is burning and its wildlife is disappearing at an alarming rate, and Trump seems bent on starting a war. Are you also done with 2020?
The one thing that has kept me going since I returned from a lovely vacation in Goa is work. I’ve sent off eight stories, two pitches and even squeezed in time to attend a conference on the past and future of food in India. This is not a #humblebrag (I’ve never understood this phrase), just a reminder that sometimes work can help take your mind off things. And yes, I am well aware that this is a privilege.
To help you start the new work year on a good note, this edition has a long thread of calls for pitches. This week’s interview features someone who a writer and an editor. I’ve got her to talk about both her roles, and she has some great advice for writers.
Side note: Want to do a good deed for the year? The Alternative Story, a counselling and well-being space launched by two lovely individuals has started an office in Mumbai and are looking for art and books for it. Please donate to them. Contact @wisedonkay or @mizarcle on Twitter or visit the website. (Their therapy is affordable: online rates start at ₹199/, and F2F under ₹1k in Mumbai and Bengaluru.)
Let’s begin.
HAVE IDEAS? GO PITCH!
BlackBox, hosted by the Nerve Center, is an online platform dedicated to hard-hitting journalism and pin-point analysis about global events. They are seeking writers on the following subjects: quantum physics, space and ETs, AI and tech, ancient history, and 2050 futuristic projections. Email futuresdivision@indus.news.
Business Insider’s Tech How To team is looking for freelancers to write ‘How To’ guides for popular gadgets and social media! Examples here: https://businessinsider.com/category/tech-how-to. Rate: $75-$100.
Send lifestyle - essays + conversational service pieces about sex, relationships, health, work + money; timely news pitches – to VICE. Email amyrose.spiegel@vice.com.
Input Mag wants ideas at the intersection of tech and culture. Rate: 0.33 to $1/word. Email mark.yarm@team.inputmag.com.
Business Insider wants essays and features about sex and relationships, labour, parenting, drugs and alcohol, food, travel, and more. The writing should be funny/thoughtful/weird. Email skleeman@businessinsider.com.
ArtoftheTitle is a publication focused on film/TV title sequences and opening scenes. They accept essay-style articles and interviews, 1000-2000 words. Rate: $200-$300. Email lola@artofthetitle.com.
Plate Online is looking for food and drink pitches geared towards chefs and bartenders; print and web stories. Email cram@plateonline.com.
Send fashion content ideas to NylonMag. This could include profiles, reported features, trend stories, essays, and anything that hasn’t been reported before. Email maria@nylon.com. To contribute stories on the topics of fashion, beauty, music, pop culture, and/or how they all intersect, email alyssa@nylon.com.
Autostraddle is always looking to pay lesbian, bi, and queer women of colour to write reported pieces, essays, cultural criticism — anything queer, fun, feminist, or weird! Rate: $50 to $300. Email carmen@autostraddle.com.
Okayplayer is seeking new writers for essays, reported pieces, lists, profiles, etc centered around music (mostly hip-hop, R&B), Internet culture, black culture, social justice issues. Email dimas@okayplayer.com.
Lady Science runs features, commentary, reviews, essays, etc. They want pitches on science, tech and medicine, and for a Science & Sex series. Submission guidelines here. Email leila@ladyscience.com.
Allure Magazine wants wellness stories – sex, relationships, body image, mental health, and physical health and also, money, climate change, immigration as seen from a wellness POV. Email rosemary_donahue@condenast.com.
Pitch fashion stories to The Zoe Report. Email aemilia.madden@bustle.com.
Sierra Club is looking for new contributors to write about topics they care deeply about/want to develop a beat around, whether its penguins, wetlands, or agricultural policy. Rate: $300/story. Email heather.smith@sierraclub.org.
GuardianUS is launching a new series on gender, starting with a deep dive into gender disparities in money and wealth. They are looking for reported pieces, personal essays, comics w/fresh angles and inter-sectional outlooks. Email alastair.gee@theguardian.com and maanvi.singh@guardian.co.uk.
WSJMag digital is looking for stories in Culture (TV, movies, books), Fashion, Tech, Art, Travel, and Food. Note: No essays. Email myles.tanzer@wsj.com.
NEED A JOB?
Here after Hub is looking to hire an assistant – someone young, active, good at researching and capable of creating presentations. Email culture@hasdesk.com
All things Small is looking to hire journalists/writers and anchors for news bulletins and non-fiction shows in Marathi and Gujarati. Email nupur@allthingssmall.in with CV and work samples.
STRAIGHT TALK
This week’s interview is with a friend, Neeti Mehra. She is a Mumbai-based content strategist and freelance editor. She has 17 years of experience in the industry: was the Launch Editor of FICCI’s India Travel, a sustainability expert for actress Twinkle Khanna’s lifestyle website, Tweak India, she writes a column on slow food for Zee TV’s Living Foodz website and has written for over 60 global publications. I particular love her dedication to sustainability and slow living (check out more on Beej Living).
Her interview is divided into two sections.
I: A writer’s perspective
What goes in the LOI you send out?
I usually send out a very short LOI, and that too when a call for a pitch is sent out. It contains a reference of where I got that contact (that is supremely important - editors usually don't entertain writers whose work they're unfamiliar with). I also speak about the magazines I’ve written in the past which would be of interest to them and share links of articles which will build my case. I also add in my Contently portfolio, if they need more details.
Where do you find inspiration for stories?
After a point you need to specialise. It is important to be updated on your subject of choice, meet people, socialise, network, read obscure publications and be completely sure of your vertical. But don’t narrow your scope of work too much that you run out of ideas. You need to be able to generate at least 4-6 great ideas that are accepted as pitches per month by good publications.
Is it important to have a beat/ expertise in one subject?
Yes of course. If you want to compete on a global platform, then it is imperative to have at least 2-3 topics that you can write about with sufficient authority.
Your top three pitching tips?
1. Keep an eye out for call to pitches on various writers’ groups and twitter.
2. Make it a point to attend at least 4-6 events per month, it keeps you in circulation and people remember who you are in the market, especially if you write for local publications and need to deal with PRs. This will also keep you updated with trends and ideas to pitch.
3. Something topical is more likely to be picked up than something general.
What are some good habits writers need to have?
- I am an ace procrastinator and spend many nights burning the midnight oil. Thus, every day, spend at least a few hours prepping for stories sending out questionnaires and planning interviews, as most of my stories revolve around people and speaking to people.
- It takes me anything from a few hours to a day to write a story, (excluding prep, research, interviewing, etc) so I need to plan accordingly, especially if multiple deadlines loom.
- Always double check facts - designations, quotes, figures, etc. When in doubt cross check or eliminate.
- Research and put in ample information, quotes, etc to give a story legs. I’d rather work with an average writer who has the right content in the piece, than a brilliant writer whose story is flimsy on facts or information.
Do you think writers need to diversify - seek work outside of writing - to make money, or stay fulfilled?
Of course. As one evolves, so do their interests. I design stationery. I consult with brands. I promote slow living. I study Vedanta. Work can give you satisfaction, even vis-a-vis money to a certain extent, beyond that you need to cultivate some interests which give you joy and a sense of purpose.
I do a couple of things, apart from freelancing. I work on Beej Living, try and balance social media updates and content on the blog, work on workshops and content creation, and freelance. I make sure I am working on one major project a month. I don’t actively cold call now as I am taking time to focus on my health and personal life too. I think a healthy work life balance is essential, because it is so easy to lose track of time when freelancing. Keep all avenues juggling, when one slows down, the other will tide you through.
II. An editor’s perspective
What should writers include in a pitch/brief?
- A sense of expertise about the subject, through their years of writing, familiarity, etc. - Something relevant to the pub in terms of tonality, voice, subject, sections etc.
- A clear idea of whom they will speak to and what angle they will take.
The mistakes most writers make when emailing you?
They ramble; send convoluted pitches; have no idea of the magazine content; have a sense of entitlement; write in bad English/ grammar
The traits of freelance writers you've worked with/ built a good relationship with?
As an editor of trade publications, the pool of people who are comfortable with writing business and luxury features is very small, and it’s important to have writers who are impeccable with facts, designations, research etc. It’s sad, but true, the industry works with people whom they know and are comfortable with. Operating on both sides of the fence, I do face the same barrier, but once you have written for someone and they have liked your work, rest assured, you will get regular commissions.
There is no substitute for hard work. It is easy to enter the industry, but to thrive in it and survive over the years, you need to enjoy being a people’s person, a writer of integrity and a reliable writer who makes submissions in time.
If you would like to get in touch with Neeti, email beejliving@gmail.com
I’ve met a few subscribers in the past month and I have to apologise if I got tongue-tied when you came up and said hello. It is tough getting used to people walking up to me and thanking for for doing this newsletter – I really don’t know how to react! Please accept my thanks for appreciating my work.
An update: from this edition onwards, the newsletters aren’t going to be on the Substack site. So, please subscribe.
Keep sending in suggestions, criticism, hate mail, memes, and anything that makes you laugh. Be kind to people around you. And, keep fighting fascism.
Adiós.