Thinking about pitching individual essays or criticism that is cultural? Listed here is exactly how.

READER is BuzzFeed News’s house for social critique, individual essays, fiction, and poetry, in addition to BuzzFeed’s Emerging Writer Fellowship. We have published new poetry from National Book Award-winning authors like Robin Coste Lewis and Mark Doty, as well as work from emerging poets such as Solmaz Sharif, Danez Smith, and Donika Kelly, whom we’re confident you will be reading for years to come since we launched in March 2016.

We now have additionally posted excerpts from a few of the most talked-about current novels, from Brit Bennet’s The moms to Michael Chabon’s Moonglow, and commissioned initial brief fiction, 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.

Do you really just 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 additionally 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 personal essays, we’re shopping for composing with a voice that is strong does not simply explain your personal experience, but develops onto it to produce one thing profoundly valuable and compelling to visitors. There’s more than one good way to accomplish that. It may be currently talking about one thing other folks have actuallyn’t skilled 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 very own life that sheds light for a news story that is current. Whatever that experience is, it will provide understanding of a continuing and appropriate conversation that is cultural visitors.

Personal essays can almost deal with any subject; some to take into account are cash, family members, meals, faith, sex, relationships, impairment, infection (psychological or real), hormones, battle, human anatomy image, medications, travel. The main point here is you need to know why you’re writing about whatever you’re writing about. just What did you study on your experience? Exactly What should we discover? Just what does it illuminate about people and also the global world we are now living in? Not all personal essay will need a clean ending. And writing doesn’t need to be unfortunate to be profound; funny is excellent! Nevertheless the piece should crystallize an obvious primary idea that seems actually fresh and significant.

2. Cultural Critique

A critical essay could be “about” almost anything — publications, technology, activities, activity, superstars, politics, fashion — or it could link the dots between examples in numerous groups. But“criticism” does translate to having n’t an opinion about whether one thing is great or bad. A critical essay should make an informed, clear-eyed argument about what a particular person or artifact or trend shows us about the way our culture functions today at its heart.

Whatever you’re currently talking about, it must be a thing that things to people at this time, or something which will make a difference for them forever, or both. If it doesn’t have actually a clear news peg, be sure it is clear why your concept is essential at this time. Your piece should both look at the discussion that is already going on all over subject and advance it in an important means.

Imagine if my essay does not obviously fit either category?

The best essays don’t autumn neatly into either among these two genres; you can easily take a moment to pitch or submit a piece that combinations the non-public and critical, or the one that involves initial reporting or maybe more considerable research, so long as it is nevertheless anchored with a thesis that is strong. We’re additionally available to comics, artistic and photo essays, or other formats that are creative.

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 only a little longer, around 2000-4000 terms. By the end of this time, quality issues significantly more than term count, and size can differ with regards to the piece.

Would you pay?

Yes! We spend competitive prices.

Just exactly How must I submit my essay or pitch?

Please e-mail reader.pitches@buzzfeed.com with a concise remember that describes the core of one’s concept, exactly exactly how you’ll help it, and exactly why it matters — or, better still (specially for individual essays), send the full very first draft of one’s piece. Please connect drafts as term files or Bing docs, instead of pasting the written text within the physical human anatomy regarding the email.

Finally, we would like one to state one thing we now haven’t heard before, and then make yes your piece has stakes that are clear. Consider: What would take place if you tell this tale? exactly What would take place if this tale does get told n’t? And also to that particular, why are you the writer that is only prepared to tell the story? Links to your work that is past that similar or appropriate are helpful, too.

As a result of the amount of submissions, we’re unable to react to all email messages separately. However, if we’re interested, we will frequently make contact with you within 14 days. If one thing is actually time-sensitive and you also require a reply sooner, please be aware that when you look at the topic line.