Brain pickings
Mental Floss is a large US entertainment site which covers a wide range of topics in a light and informative way. Sections range from answering Big Questions to various aspects of history (with special sections on the UK royal family, US presidents, the Titanic and archaeology, among others), as well as general coverage of pop culture, TV, movies, books, and departments for travel, health and life hacks. Recent stories have ranged from ‘What’s the Difference Between Hard and Soft Water?’ and
‘Why Do We Gasp When We’re Surprised or Alarmed?’, to ‘A Brief History of “Auld Lang Syne”’ and a look at ‘6 Novels That Controversially Fictionalized Real Events’.
The editorial team are ‘always looking for new voices’ and suggest you spend some time reading the site before pitching to familiarize yourself with the content, tone, and scope, and to make sure that they haven’t already covered the topic you’re planning to pitch.
Your pitch should be no longer than two paragraphs, and if you have a particular expertise in the subject do mention it. If possible include a link to your online portfolio or to a couple of samples of work, but don’t send attachments or completed articles. Include a possible headline for your story as part of your pitch’s subject line, i.e: ‘Freelance Pitch: 50 Amazing Facts About Animals’.
The editorial team are always eager to receive list-based pitches covering the who, what, when, and where of a subject, plus its significance, with particular attention to quirky or little-known facts. Popular topics are people or events that have a major anniversary coming up, historical figures and events, movies and TV, popular music, literature and art, language, food and drink, helpful tips, scientific discoveries and phenomena, true crime, pop culture fads and personalities. Other features can be either 500 word shorts or 800-1,500 longer pieces.
It’s vital to follow the very extensive pitching guide at https:// www.mentalfloss.com/article/625670/how-to-pitch-mentalfloss. Payment starts at $150 US for a list, $125 for a short article and $200 for a longer feature. Send your pitch by email, as appropriate to:
Books, Literature, Words, Language: Erin McCarthy erin@ minutemedia.com; Entertainment (Movies, TV, Music), Pop Culture: Jennifer M. Wood jennifer@minutemedia.com;
Animals, Science, Environment, Exploration: Kat Long kat@ minutemedia.com; History, Art, Travel, Culture, Food, Pets: Kerry Wolfe kerry@minutemedia.com; All Other Pitches: webpitches@mentalfloss.com
Read Mental Floss before pitching at www.mentalfloss.com
and follow on Facebook @mentalflossmagazine/Twitter @ mental_floss
Open to pitches year round for articles and visual essays from around the world the online journal/newsletter aetla magazine aims to be a ‘route into the outdoors’ and is ‘passionate about environmental action, conscious well being and ethical living’. Check the website for a deadline for the biannual print magazine.
Topics to pitch ideas for include sustainable travel and adventure, conscious and slow living, wellness and spirituality and sustainable living. It is advised you familiarise yourself with the tone and style of the magazine before pitching and content can be read online.
Pieces are generally 800-2,000 words long and are stories of adventure, hope and ingenuity. You are invited to be creative with your submission and in addition to writing about the bare bones of your travel or adventure you should include the details of your experience and most importantly, how it made you feel.
When pitching say whether it is for a written story or visual essay. Suggest a title and give a one-paragraph outline of the story or the images you would include for a visual essay. Include the first paragraph of your story, introduction to a visual essay or a small portfolio or previously published written work together with 3-4 images or a link to an online gallery with the original imagery for your story. Also include 150200 words on a behind-the-scenes experience to the story. It should be noted that all submissions must not have been previously published and are written in English.
Payment for online stories is £35-£75 and for print £60-£150.
Details: Email: hello@aetla.co
Website: https://www.aetla.co/submissions
Founded online in 2004, Guernica is an award-winning non-profit magazine, with an editorial team ‘focused on the intersection of arts and politics.’ Work for Guernica should be incisive, asking the necessary questions. The team, all dedicated volunteers, seek subsmissions of ‘memoir, reporting, interviews, commentary, poetry, fiction, and multimedia journalism exploring identity, conflict, culture, justice, science, and beyond.’ They like ‘to feature singular perspectives on the critical issues facing our world today’ and are ‘always looking for new voices.’ dedicated to promoting and disseminating rigorous, incisive, and engaging writing on every aspect of literature, culture, and the arts.
Guernica publishes poetry, essays, reportage/journalism, criticism, and fiction. Guernica Global Spotlights publishes ‘work from outside the Western corridors of literary taste-making and prestige.’ The aim is to highlight global innovation and experimentation in fiction and nonfiction – ‘especially when it blurs the boundaries between genres – and to boost independent publishers and their writers.’ Works in translation are welcomed. Submit short stories, novel excerpts, and hybrid texts, especially ‘fiction that is adventurous, unapologetic, experimental.’ In non-fiction, send essays, reportage, memoir, criticism, and hybrid forms, especially work which pushes against established forms or blurs boundaries, either by building new modes or complicating old ones.’
Limit work to ‘between 3,000 and 7,000 words,’ which has been ‘published within the last year by magazines, zines, and independent publishing houses.’ Check the specific details for submissions and follow them. Non-fiction, use the correct form for journalism or reportage, essays, memoir, criticism, and argument of 2,500 words or more. Submit the completed manuscript and put Reportage in the subject line if the work is a piece of journalism or reportage. Add Timely to the subject line if the work is a timesensitive piece.
Submit poetry in the correct form on the submissions page. Submit one to five poems at one time, in one submission. For fiction, use the fiction form. Work must be between 2,000 and 7,000 words.
Payment: US$50 for poetry, US$100 for original essays, and US$150 for original fiction and for reportage/journalism.
Website: https://www.guernicamag.com