Enthusiastic about pitching individual essays or criticism that is cultural? Listed here is exactly just how.
READER is BuzzFeed News’s house for social critique, individual essays, fiction, and poetry, in addition to BuzzFeed’s Emerging Writer Fellowship. Since we established in March 2016, we now have posted brand new poetry from National Book Award-winning authors like Robin Coste Lewis and Mark Doty, along with work from rising poets such as for example Solmaz Sharif, Danez Smith, and Donika Kelly, who we’re confident you will end up reading for a long time in the future.
We now have additionally posted excerpts from a few of the most talked-about present novels, from Brit Bennet’s The Mothers to Michael Chabon’s Moonglow, and commissioned initial fiction that is short including stories by Etgar Keret, Alice Sola Kim and Lindsay Hunter. Alongside essays and features from READER’s staff writers, we’ve published nonfiction from contributors including Jesmyn Ward, Mira Jacob, Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah and Eileen Myles.
Can you take pitches from freelance article writers?
Yes! We’re thrilled to do business with and publish celebrated writers, but that is only an element of the tale. READER’s editors also eagerly welcome incisive, beautiful essays — both individual and critical — from freelance contributors. If you’re a author thinking about submitting or pitching yours, right here’s just what we’re interested to see:
1. Private Essays
With individual essays, we’re interested in composing with a voice that is strong does not simply explain your own personal experience, but develops about it to produce one thing deeply valuable and compelling to visitors. There’s more than one method to do that. It could be currently talking about one thing other individuals have actuallyn’t experienced and will also be fascinated to know better, or even a conversation of one thing tough or taboo that isn’t mentioned sufficient, or an element of your personal life that sheds light on a news story that is current. Whatever that experience is, it will provide insight into a continuing and appropriate conversation that is cultural visitors.
Personal essays can cope with very nearly any subject; some to think about are money, household, meals, faith, sex, relationships, impairment, disease (mental or real), hormones, battle, human body image, medications, travel. The main point here is you have to know why you’re writing about whatever you’re writing about. Exactly just exactly What do you study from your experience? Just just What should we discover? Just what does it illuminate about people therefore the global globe we reside in? its not all individual essay will need an ending that is tidy. And writing doesn’t need to be unfortunate to be profound; funny is excellent! But the piece should crystallize an obvious primary idea that seems actually fresh and meaningful.
2. Cultural Critique
A critical essay could be “about” almost anything — books, technology, activities, activity, superstars, politics, fashion — or it could link the dots between examples in numerous groups. But “criticism” does not convert to using a viewpoint about whether one thing is great or bad. At its heart, a crucial essay should make the best, clear-eyed argument in what a person or artifact or trend shows us in regards to the method
culture functions today.
Whatever you’re currently talking about, it must be a thing that issues to individuals at this time, or something which will make a difference in their mind forever, or both. It’s clear why your idea is important right now if it doesn’t have an obvious news peg, make sure. Your piece should both consider the discussion that is currently taking place round the subject and advance it in an important method.
Let’s say my essay does not plainly fit either category?
The best essays don’t autumn neatly into either of the two genres; you’ll go ahead and pitch or submit a piece that combinations the non-public and critical, or the one that involves initial reporting or even more substantial research, provided that it is nevertheless anchored by a strong thesis. We’re additionally available to comics, artistic and photo essays, or other innovative platforms.
Just how long should my essay be?
For individual essays, 1500-2500 terms is really a range that is good aim for; cultural criticism pieces have a tendency to run just a little longer, around 2000-4000 words. At the conclusion regarding the day, quality issues significantly more than term count, and size can differ according to the piece.
Can you pay?
Yes! We pay competitive prices.
Exactly just How can I submit my pitch or essay?
Please e-mail reader.pitches@buzzfeed.com having a concise remember that describes the core of the concept, exactly just how support that is you’ll, and just why it matters — or, better yet (specially for individual essays), deliver a complete very first draft of the piece. Please connect drafts as term files or Bing docs, in place of pasting the writing in the physical human body for the e-mail.
Finally, we would like you to definitely state something we now haven’t heard before, while making yes your piece has clear stakes. Consider: What would take place if this story is told by you? Exactly exactly just What would happen if this story does get told n’t? And to that particular, exactly why are you the only author uniquely equipped to share with the story? Links to your work that is best essay writing service past that comparable or appropriate are helpful, too.
As a result of number of submissions, we’re unable to react to all email messages separately. However, if we’re interested, we will often return to you within two weeks. If one thing is really time-sensitive and also you require a reply sooner, take note that when you look at the line that is subject.