Pitches wanted (abolition, incarceration) | ~$500 to $1,200 per article

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: SCALAWAG

Deadline: 7 July 2024 

Scalawag is now seeking pitches for our 5th annual Abolition Week! This year, we focus on the wretchedness of Empire: its endless expansion and the carceral technologies invented to make this possible.

We invite contributors to explore how the combined forces of Western imperialism and plantation legacies create conditions fueling genocidal arrangements in the US South, Palestine, Sudan, Congo, Haiti, El Salvador, and other underdeveloped/exploited spaces across the world’s "Souths".

This is an opportunity to get creative: drawing connections between the realities of prison, the expansion of the carceral state, and the imperialist system that depends on these forces in the US, and beyond.

With Abolition Week 2024, we invite critical political engagement with the ongoing genocides, slavery, and exploitation that have produced, and continue to reproduce, the global status quo.

As always, essayists, artists, and poets are also welcome to submit work detailing and exploring the conditions of their incarceration.

We'll prioritize pitches from current and formerly incarcerated writers. That said, folks who have a deep understanding of the prison system, and/or who work closely with/are related to/in community with incarcerated folks (current or former) are welcome to submit.

How to pitch us: In a few paragraphs, tell us about the story, how you plan on telling it, and why you'd be great to write it. Let us know the primary outline and goals of the story, as well as any reporting you've already done on the topic.

The deadline for pitches is 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, July 7th. Please email pitches to team@scalawagmagazine.org.

Currently incarcerated folks in particular (for whom this pitch process is clunky or impossible) may also submit pitches to us via snail mail:

Scalawag Magazine
PO Box 129
Durham, NC, 27702 

CONFIDENTIAL NOTE: Reports indicate that Scalawag pays $500-$1,200 per piece. It is recommended that you discuss the rate(s) with the editor upon the acceptance of your pitch.

--------------------

CONTACT INFORMATION (please do not share the email address publicly):

• Questions/submissions: team@scalawagmagazine.org

• Website: https://scalawagmagazine.org

TO HELP YOU CRAFT YOUR PITCH:

• Learn more about the publication: Scalawag aims to spark critical conversations about the many Souths where we live, love, and struggle. It amplifies voices of activists, artists, and writers to reckon with Southern realities as they are, rather than as they seem to be. More information here.

• Read through its selection of recent articles/stories, categorized into: Southern Politics, Race & Place, Arts & Soul

• Review the submission guidelines here. Note that these are the publication's general guidelines to help you refine your pitch. You must still follow the editor's specific instructions above.

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

--------------------

LOOKING FOR MORE OPPORTUNITIES? Find additional jobs on Extra. Check out the upcoming deadlines on our PLUS+ Calendar. Filter the listings by category (worldwide opportunities, high-paying leads, paying publications, and non-pitching jobs). Use the search form on the homepage to find opportunities relevant to your interests.

WANT OUR DIGEST delivered to your inbox on a daily basis? Go to your email settings and make sure the notifications for Write Jobs PLUS+ are turned on. Want more tips? Read the welcome notes here.