Best Pitching Practices
Friday Nonfiction Submissions: Literary magazines that pay. Plus, read about a new feature for paid subscribers!
This week I presented a Pitching Articles for Pay seminar for fellow alums at Antioch University. Thank you, Andromeda Romano-Lax, for inviting me to speak. Based on the impressive turnout, it’s clear this is a popular subject. I’ve decided that my monthly Zoom for paid subscribers will be on pitching and submissions. It’s a place where we can share resources, bring questions, and practice the art of pitching for only $48 a year. The first workshop will be Saturday, May 16th, 10-11 am PST. It is through the support and the collaboration of other writers that I’ve had success in publishing in mainstream magazines for pay. This monthly meeting will give writers a chance to share their pitches and get feedback.
Best Pitching Practices
Read the publication to get a sense of their style
Pitch a headline that matches the types of headlines they use
Your email pitch should be around 250 words. Be concise and cover the basics in your pitch that writer/teacher Susan Shapiro recommends–Why me? Why you? Why now?
Start your pitch by referencing a piece and a writer you read in their column, and offer compliments.
Be sure your piece has intrigue where an editor or a reader will say, “Oh wow, I have to read this to find out more.”
If your piece is timely pegged with something in the news, start your email with the word TIMELY followed by your title.
Don't be afraid to write controversial pieces, but do be ready for the backlash. The more controversial something is, the better its chances of going viral. Remember my two pieces a year apart that had over a million views?
Pitching Resources
Nonfiction Submissions-Literary Magazines that Pay Too
Southern Indiana Review– 1K+Followers
Deadline: May 15th
Theme: NA
Fee: $4
Pay: $125 and $250
Genre: Nonfiction
Word Count: NA
Medium: Digital and Print
Guidelines/Submission: Submittable
Black Lawrence Press– 10K+ followers
Deadline: June 1st-June 30th
Theme: Prose Chapbook Prize
Fee: $500
Pay: $0-$20
Genre: Nonfiction
Word Count: 16-36 Pages
Medium: Digital and Print
Guidelines/Submission: Submittable
Wallstrait–500+Followers
Deadline: June 1st
Theme: NA
Fee: $0-$3
Pay: $100
Genre: Nonfiction
Word Count: 500-3000
Medium: Digital
Guidelines/Submission: Submittable
Hopkins Review–1K+Followers
Deadline: Open
Theme: NA
Fee: $0-$4
Pay: $100
Genre: Nonfiction
Word Count: NA
Medium: Online
Guidelines/Submission: Email: thehopkinsreview@gmail.com
CRAFT Literary– 15K+Followers
Deadline: Open
Theme: NA
Fee: No
Pay: $50-$200
Genre: Nonfiction
Word Count: 1000-6000
Medium: Digital
Guidelines/Submission: Submittable
Insider Notes
Southern Indiana Review (SIR) is a literary magazine produced at the University of Southern Indiana since 1994. The journal is known for its Mary C. Mohr Awards in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. SIR presents a cross-section of emerging and established artists and writers whose work is both regional and national in scope and degree of recognition. With the support of the Indiana Arts Commission and National Endowment for the Arts, SIR is published by the University of Southern Indiana and sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts. The editors invite submissions of poetry, fiction, interviews, artwork, photography, critical essays, and reviews. The magazine is published biannually, with issues released in the fall/winter and spring/summer. Manuscripts are considered from September 15 to December 15 and February 15 to May 15. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but authors are asked to inform the editors immediately if their work is accepted elsewhere. Contributors are compensated with $125 for five layout pages or fewer and $250 for six layout pages or more. Featured visual artists receive a stipend of $300. Contributors also receive two complimentary copies of their issue and a year’s subscription to the magazine.
Black Lawrence Press is an independent publisher of contemporary poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. We also publish the occasional translation from German. Founded in 2004 by Colleen Ryor, Black Lawrence became an imprint of Dzanc Books in 2008. In January 2014, we spread our wings and became an independent company in the state of New York. Our books are distributed nationally through Independent Publishers Group to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and various brick and mortar retailers. We also make our titles available through our website and at various conferences and book fairs. Black Lawrence Press publishes three periodicals: Sapling is a weekly newsletter for writers, specifically those actively publishing and trying to get published by literary journals, small presses, and independent publishers. tr. is an international literary journal that celebrates and highlights the cultural power and vital contributions of literature in translation to the English-speaking world. Fair Copy is a journal of prose and process. Where does the name “Black Lawrence” come from? Black Lawrence Press was founded in upstate New York in the land between two rivers, the Black River and the beautiful St. Lawrence River, hence the name Black Lawrence Press.
Wallstrait is all about publishing quality, hard-to-define prose and treating writers right. We love discovering and championing great prose across all genres, especially bold stories that don’t quite fit the aesthetic of other journals. We don’t have any demands on style or genre. If we love it, we’ll publish it. We publish triweekly and pay $100 per story.
The Hopkins Review is a quarterly literary journal that publishes fiction, poetry, memoirs, essays on literature, drama, film, the visual arts, music, and dance, as well as reviews of books, performances, and exhibits. Established in 1947 by Professor Elliott Coleman, it was the first university literary journal published by a degree-granting creative writing department. The journal ceased production in 1953 due to funding and staffing challenges. In 2007, Professor John T. Irwin revived The Hopkins Review as a joint venture between the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University and the Johns Hopkins University Press.
CRAFT expanded in 2020 to include creative nonfiction. The magazine delves into the art of prose, emphasizing the elements of craft in writing. It features previously unpublished creative works, along with critical pieces such as craft essays and interviews. Each published creative piece is accompanied by an author’s note and an editorial introduction that discuss stylistic aspects of the work. CRAFT does not charge submission fees for fiction, creative nonfiction, or craft categories and is a paying market. General submissions are open year-round without capacity limits. The magazine values accessibility, ensuring it remains free to read and submit to. It collaborates with both established and emerging writers, with all creative work published through submissions; fiction and creative nonfiction are not solicited. CRAFT offers editorial feedback on short prose and provides free fast-response submissions for writers from historically marginalized groups. The magazine upholds a safe and welcoming environment for all voices, actively seeking work from underrepresented groups, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, or otherwise historically marginalized writers. CRAFT is open year-round to all writers, accepting flash fiction and flash creative nonfiction (up to 1,000 words) and short fiction and creative nonfiction (up to 6,000 words). The magazine does not consider or review AI-generated work; submissions utilizing AI tools are automatically declined.
PAID SUBSCRIBERS ARE INVITED TO MONTHLY PITCH PRACTICE.
NEXT PITCH PRACTICE IS MAY 16TH 10-11AM PST. ZOOM LINK SENT PRIOR .