Dear writers,
Welcome to another edition of your friendly neighbourhood newsletter.
Now, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen and heard about the violence happening in Delhi. Don’t let the media or anyone else fool you, this is an attack on Muslims. East Delhi is burning, saffron-clad terrorists are walking around with the license to kill and we can only watch helpless from behind our screens. If you do want to help, report correct information, and go support the non-violent protesters at Mumbai Bagh or Shaheen Bagh or any others in your city. Amplify the right voices. Verify WA reports before passing them on. If we remain quiet, we might as well lump ourselves in with the ‘pro CAA protestors’. If you still need more help in understanding things, allow a white man to explain it to you (he does it very well).
I won’t apologise for talking about politics here. Politics affects all of us, even those with privilege. We privileged lot are the ones with power and its high time we did something with it.
Now back to the newsletter. January felt like it went on for a year while February seems to have gone in a blink. What is this sorcery? I haven’t worked enough this month because I was too busy attending a wedding and fighting off Delhi’s pollution. I haven’t forgotten about the newsletter, though. It is packed with the usual – job opportunities, pitch calls, fun articles to read, and a new Indian market.
To the people who recognise me by this newsletter and come up and say hello, thank you! I also want to thank everyone who supported my decision to turn this newsletter into a paid one. In a month where I’ve worked very little and that has reflected in my earnings, your kindness is appreciated.
Let’s begin.
STRAIGHT TALK
My interview this week is with Meera Ganapathi, the editor of The Soup. It’s been one of my favourite publications because they do unusual and generally feel-good stories and there’s much focus on artwork and photography. I’ve written one story for them and it was a painless experience, I got great feedback from readers, and was paid promptly. They recently completed four years and released their anniversary issue in print (follow them on social media to find out more).
What is your advice to a newbie writer pitching you for the first time?
We welcome newbie writers at Soup as the idea is to create a space for writers to find opportunities and from our perspective, to find new talent. I only wish to publish work that comes from genuine insight. I would look for a good idea and previous examples of the writer’s work that gives me an understanding of their style and craft. This work need not be published, it could be something tucked away into a forgotten folder in your laptop. As long as there’s a semblance of fresh thinking in the pitch it would be my job as an editor to help the writer make the most of a good idea.
What’s makes for a strong letter of introduction?
I’m going to break this down into ‘Dos and Dont’s’:
Do:
1: Introduce yourself succinctly- ideally with a link to your work.
2: Pitch your idea with clarity based on the submission requirements of the website/publication.
3: If there are no submission guidelines at all, your pitch should suit the tone and content of the publication/website you’re writing for. For instance, Scroll places a lot of weight in well-researched articles, Arre would be a great place for a personal essay and so on. Follow the basic tone and you’ll find yourself with a piece that works for both you and the editor.
Don’t:
1: Make grammatical errors, it doesn’t take much to check your mail for errors or use the ‘unsend’ option.
2: Choke the mail with your love for the publication’s work followed by a mediocre pitch. This won’t work. At least I hope it doesn’t.
3: Pitch without prior knowledge of the publication’s work.
4: End your mail with statements like- If you don’t like this, so and so has already expressed interest in it. It seems vaguely threatening. Please don’t.
What are the mistakes most writers make when emailing you?
While writing about a subject like mental health it is really important to research your subject. I find it very distressing that people are willing to take on daunting, powerful material as subjects without reading enough about it. That and sending a mail full of grammatical errors or one without the most basic knowledge of the website. It’s sad that many people spend hours lurking on Instagram and won’t actually visit the website before they send a passionate pitch. For instance, there are people who address Soup as ‘soupgram’. When I read that I do tend to automatically switch off.
What would make you turn down a pitch?
We aim to do only very insightful work. An insight is a truthful observation that most people tend to relate to. The more genuine and original that insight, the more likely I would be to accept the pitch. For instance, someone sent in a pitch about how our parents turn into our children in the dusk of their lives – the idea resonated with various people. Some may have been caregivers but most had also seen their grandparents follow this cycle.
The traits of freelancers you enjoy working with?
Freelancers who are efficient and dependable. You may be the most talented person but if you can’t be trusted with timelines, I wouldn’t work with you again. I also love working with people who are open to experimenting and involved with the subject. For instance, if you’re interviewing an author about their latest book it really helps if you’re interested enough to get familiar with their work. And lastly, research adds greatly to any piece of work, even an intimate personal essay – writers who devote their time to this, well...its shows in the quality of their work.
Soup pays Rs 3000 per article at present. They publish a story a month for four months and take a break for two before starting again (Meera is also a freelancer, Soup is her passion project). Email theeditor@thesoup.website
NEED A JOB?
All Things Small is hiring Delhi-based producers comfortable with writing in Hindi to handle end-to-end production of news and information-based videos. Also looking for anchors with a good command over Hindi. Email nupur@allthingssmall.in with CV and work samples.
Netflix India is looking to hire social media folk who will work closely with their creative/editorial team on creating content. If interested, they have a challenge for you: tell them in your own way why the internet deserves more of Bobby Deol. You can write an essay, poem, do a vlog, presentation or even a tik tok video. Email bobbymakesmyheartthrobby@netflix.com by March 10.
The Ken is hiring a Podcast Producer – responsible for creating compelling, high-quality podcasts and audio stories that rely on The Ken’s signature journalism, narrative techniques and analysis; and Podcast Host – to be the voice of The Ken’s audio journalism and create original and compelling audio stories.
Buzzfeed India is looking for a video editor to join their social team in Mumbai. Candidates need to be proficient in Adobe Media Pro and other Adobe applications, and have knowledge of social platforms and the ability to interpret data. Email milloni.merchant@buzzfeed.com
Architecture Foundation is looking for architects (0 to 2 years of experience) to work as a research assistant. Email resume and portfolio to info@architecturefoundationindia.org
HAVE AN IDEA? GO PITCH!
Forbes is seeking people who can be healthcare contributors. They want scientists who can write for the general public, freelance journalists interested in writing about health. DM Leah Rosenbaum or email lrosenbaum@forbes.com
@RedBullMusicUK is commissioning stories and wants to hear from writers and radio producers with bright ideas. Email will.pritchard@redbull.com
Hello Giggles is looking for writers and freelancers for their monthly spending column "How I Bought That" that explores how you made a major purchase. Email kristin.magaldi@meredith.com
Culture Trip wants stories around MEA and Oceania (especially interested in stories from Oman and Morocco). Email lou.boyd@theculturetrip.com
Elite Daily is looking for millennial travel bloggers/ writers who have recently gone on a unique trip anywhere in the world to contribute to their Wander or Bust series. Email amellardo@elitedaily.com
Pop Up Mag wants environment stories that take advantage of the stage, like nature restoring itself, an idea using audio recordings of animals, a deep-sea dispatch, etc. Email charley@popupmagazine.com
Mic is always looking for reported features and commentary around culture (music, movies, films) politics and social justice, climate change, and health. Email shante.cosme@mic.com
Send personal essays and narrative nonfiction pitches that use a hobby or fascination as a frame for writing about identity or making a broader cultural point, to Catapult. Email thisisnicoleaclark@gmail.com
Ozy is seeking pitches on the following subjects: Modern Day Slavery – how mass displacement and stricter borders are actually aiding human trafficking and how people and organizations are fighting back + Tomorrow's Tattoos – the latest trends in the tattoo world, the personalities shaping its future, going beyond just the art to also see new ways in which tattoos are now being used — as signs of protest, political statements and more + Future of Flight – what’s new and next in the aviation sector, and how the experience of flying will change in coming years + Water, Water...No Longer Everywhere – the surprising and potentially pathbreaking fixes that individuals, communities and nations are devising to prepare us from the increasing water shortage. Email charu.kasturi@ozy.com
Your Teen Mag accepts personal essays about the experience of raising teens. Email sholbrook@yourteenmag.com.
Wired UK’s Work Smarter is looking for stories on big issues in the workplace/workplace hacks/tips and tricks to make people more productive. Email natasha.bernal@condenast.co.uk
Send tech pitches – ideas across the range of tech, from A.I. to V.R. and all the acronyms in between to Fortune. Email john.patrick.pullen@fortunedotcom
If you have a story about digital entrepreneurship/remote teamwork/biz dev tips for freelancers, building teams with diverse perspectives, Gen Z and digital entrepreneurship, the future of agencies and workplaces, pitch it to WeThos Co. Rates: $50-$500 per piece, depending on length, complexity, relevance. Pitch here.
If you have a story about parenting, and/or spirituality, write for Spiritual Parent. Email julianne@spiritualparent.org
MISCELLANY
If you’ve been hooked to those short viral videos about cooking hacks and easy bakes, here’s a guy who actually went and tried them out. Spoiler alert: they didn’t work.
Read this absolutely stunning (it made me tear up) profile/tribute to Wendell Rodricks in Sunday’s Indian Express.
Do a good deed.
- Journalist Awanthi Vardaraj has been rescuing cats and dogs from the streets for over 20 years. She takes care of their food/medical expenses. She currently has 23 cats and 6 dogs and needs help feeding them. Please visit her Amazon wishlist and donate some food.
- Karishma is a friend of mine from social media. She has been sick for 16 years and has been battling various illnesses on a daily basis. She had to give up her job and needs money to pay her growing medical expenses. It’s also her birthday today so you will really make her day if you can donate and help her.
Read Assamese author Aruni Kashyap’s tips on how to write about the North East. It’s a satirical piece but damn, it’s informative. Am bookmarking this.
Subscribe to a channel dedicated to natural, poison-free farming by Sankalp Sharma.
Apply to be a UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism Food Fellow. They offer ten $10,000 postgraduate Food and Farming Journalism Fellowships to report to report ambitious long form print and audio stories on subjects under the rubric of food systems (eg: agricultural and nutritional policy, the food industry, food science, technology and culture). Online applications are due March 15.
Bookmark travel blogger Kaushal Karkhanis’ map of the best places to get vada pav in Mumbai.
Follow this fascinating story about how Baba Bulleh Shah's poem ‘Tere Ishq Nachaiya’ served as inspiration for the song Chaiyya Chaiyya – it deals with Bullah and his lower caste Pīr, Shah Inayat.
Read this absolutely important piece in NYT, an adults guide to social skills. I only wish it was more comprehensive!
As mentioned in the last edition, I will be creating a paid version of this newsletter. Am still figuring out the logistics (Substack’s payment gateway doesn’t support Indian banks). Expect updates within the next month.
Lent is beginning tomorrow. It’s a good time for me to reflect on what I can give up this year: hiding behind my privilege and using it as a safety blanket while people fight for their lives (and identity) around me.
My humble appeal: Take a stand, please. Show your support. Highlight the correct voices. Support independent journalism. Don’t engage with trolls.
Until next time then, adiós.