Pitches wanted (Black history, archives, culture) | 30 cents per word

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: THE BLACK ORDINARY

Deadline: 30 August 2025

Calling all Black artists, archivists, historians, researchers, and writers—WE’RE MAKING A ZINE! Have an archival project you want to highlight? A collection you want to share? Research you want to platform? Submit your pitch for an opportunity to contribute to our FIRST digital magazine! 

Submission deadline: August 30, 2025 11:59pm PT

PLEASE READ!

The Black Ordinary welcomes pitches from artists, archivists, historians, researchers, and writers of all backgrounds and experience levels to pitch ideas for writing topics relevant to the preservation of Black-American* histories and culture.

*How we define "Black-American": While the histories of the entire African diaspora are closely intertwined, The Black Ordinary's work is centered on the histories and cultures of direct descendants of enslaved peoples forcibly brought to the modern-day United States from the continent of Africa via the transatlantic slave-trade. Please be mindful about whether this experience mirrors your own.

For more information about The Black Ordinary's mission, vision, and pillars, click here.

The Black Ordinary welcomes pitches that fall within the following categories:

• Poems (or a collection of poems)

• Short Stories (750 word limit)

• Archive and collection highlights, curated selection of digitized archive materials, archivists writing about Black-American archives (from organizations or projects that are not connected to large institutions, public libraries, or museums).

• Interviews (transcribed, email exchange, audio, or video)

• Essays and reviews of art exhibitions, performances, talks, screenings, conferences, public art, current ideas, artist books, or catalogs (750 word limit) - artwork discussed should reflect the thematic intentions of the zine (i.e. the artist's work should include or reference archival materials or familial archives and lineage).

• Photo essays that 1) showcase a selection of your photography, 2) documents a specific segment of Black-American communities, or 3) document an event

• We will also publish hybrids and experimental writing in any of the fields above.

All pitches should be by, for, and about Black-American communal history, Black-American cultural experiences, Black-American artists, the Black-American LGBTQIA+ community, and/or Black-Americans with disabilities. We recognize that many identities are intersectional/multi-racial. Please be thoughtful in deciding whether or not your lived experience aligns with the lived experience of the descendants of enslaved peoples forcibly brought to the modern-day United States from the continent of Africa via the transatlantic slave-trade.

**All contributors must be based in the U.S. and at least 18 years old**

PAYMENT:

The Black Ordinary is a grassroots platform. We are committed to upfront transparency and want to ensure that all contributors are paid fairly for their work. For this reason, only a select (to be determined) number of pitches will be accepted based on a pre-determined budget.

All contributors whose pitches are accepted will be granted a $250 stipend, to be paid at the time of publishing. All published contributions must adhere to a strict 750 word limit in order to stay within W.A.G.E.'s suggested stipend amount ($0.30 per word) for freelance writers.

Pitches are accepted based on the following criteria:

• Relevance to The Black Ordinary's mission, vision and three pillars: art. archives. autonomy. — Does this contribution platform Black American (oral) histories, embodied cultural traditions, and multidisciplinary archival practices within Black-American spaces?

• Creativity — Is the pitch unique in its approach to the topic and subject matter?

• Editorial Theming and Curating — Does this pitch offer a perspective or thematic response to other pitches that may be selected?

At this time, The Black Ordinary is accepting original works only. Please do not submit pitches for contributions that have already been published elsewhere. (Self-publishing on sites like a personal blog or website is okay.)

To submit your pitch, please complete this form in its entirety. If you have any additional questions, please email Kaitlyn B. Jones at conduitarts.llc@gmail.com.

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CONTACT INFORMATION:

• Submissions: Via the webform

• Website: https://www.theblackordinary.com/

TO HELP YOU CRAFT YOUR PITCH:

• Learn more about the publication: The Black Ordinary is a grassroots multimedia platform and publishing project that centers Black‑American histories and cultural archives. It publishes essays, interviews, poetry, short stories, and archive‑focused contributions by Black‑American writers, artists, archivists, and scholars. The publication advances art, oral history, and autonomy by preserving community memory and amplifying marginalized voices. More information here.

• Check out our collection of pitch excerpts on this page and find more sample pitches at The Open Notebook and at SuccessfulPitches.com.

• Do not forget to end your pitch with (1) a short introduction about yourself; (2) a few lines highlighting your writing experience, relevant credentials and publication credits; and (3) links to your strongest work or portfolio, and online profile.

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