Pitches wanted (burning) | $100 to $300+ per article

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: NOBODY

Deadline: 31 August 2023

Nobody is an annual print magazine about people and the stories, places, and things they carry. We’ve released two issues over the last two years, which can be found in stores across Europe, the US, and Canada. Now, we’re putting together our third, to run in summer 2024. And we want your ideas!

WHAT WE’RE ALL ABOUT

Each issue of Nobody is themed, but beyond that (and sometimes even besides that), there aren’t many restrictions on what we feature. We like the personal when it’s poignant and we like our journalism best when it’s served with style. We’re into sincerity without soppiness, scrappiness without sloppiness, and curiosity without exoticization. And lastly, we revel in the unconventional, the unexpected, and the original, both in form and content. Give us your weird experiments, even if you think no other magazine would publish it.

(You can get a glimpse into what we’ve featured in previous issues on our Instagram.)

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR NOW

For Issue 3, we’re continuing to embrace our inclination toward the dark side: Our theme for this issue is “Burning.”

At its heart, Nobody is a magazine that doesn’t go for topical. But with the world perpetually on fire—both literally and figuratively—“burning” feels like a particularly ripe theme. In this vein, we are open to stories that deal with “the issues,” whether that’s wildfire or burnout or general societal chaos. But that doesn’t mean we want a hot take; we definitely don’t. Instead, as always, we want the deep take—stories that go beyond the headlines to reveal something far more nuanced and emotional.

Like our previous issues this issue will still prioritize pieces that take broad and abstract interpretations of the theme. Think: Fire, blazes, and heat, yes, but unbound from their literal form. What ideas, concepts, or tales burn through you, your community, or the world? What consumes, and what is consumed? We burn through money, burn through relationships, burn through places. “Burn” is a dig, an insult. “Burn” is pain, but also the anticipation of pleasure. Think, as well: intensity, power, force. How does strength show up in the world or the self in unexpected ways? Enthusiasm, zeal, fanaticism, rage. And of course, what burns eventually also sizzles, smolders, and goes out.

Though “burning” may be rooted in darkness, it is a source of light, too: What is being illuminated? What glows? What shines, literally or figuratively? Things that burn also regenerate. What is being revived? What needs to be (or is being) reborn? Reincarnation, renaissance, renewal. “Burning” begs for sexy stories, too: How does desire manifest? Give us your stories of passion.

A non-comprehensive list of topics we think fit the theme includes: disasters and loss (whether personal, natural, societal, or cultural), obsessions and collections, love and relationships, space and nature, authority and groupthink, machines and inventions, hurt and healing, spirituality and mysticism, and so much more.

We are looking for essays, longform reported features, photo series, interviews (especially ones that feel more like conversations), and experiments of all kinds. To give you a better idea of what we mean by this last bit: Our first issue included a crowd-sourced collage series that first appeared on Instagram and a project centered around a collection of found 80-year-old letters. Issue 2 included AI-generated poetry and an oral – and visual – history of Syria's golden age of music.

Meanwhile: Each issue features a conversation between two friends (or friends-to-be) about creativity and ideas. Each issue also feature a confession series (last issue, our anonymous respondents answered the question, “Do you have plans for what happens to you or your stuff after you die?”). And each issue features a look inside someone's closet. So please pitch us for these sections too!

For even more inspiration, think: Stories about strange new realities forged from the ashes of old ones, the chronic fever of addiction or obsession, visual chronicles of a unifying element across cultures, unexpected stories from the frontlines of the climate crisis, artistic visions baked hard under the relentless desert sun, or the fear and exhilaration of new avenues of passion.

WHAT WE’RE (PROBABLY) NOT LOOKING FOR

Well-trodden territory in the arena of climate reporting; personal essays about fascinations with fire (talking to you, pyros); hot takes (🙂); and finally, as always, anything too topical (our lead time is too long, for one, but that’s also just not what we’re about!).

How to pitch: Please send us a few lines or paragraphs explaining your story/project/idea, and how it fits into the theme (if it isn’t obvious). While we like the idea of crafting the direction of the piece along with you, we’re not opposed to seeing full drafts of already completed work. Got an essay that hasn’t found a home? A reported feature that was killed? A photo series you shot just for fun? Send them our way! As long as you’re willing to work with us to reshape it, we’re happy to work with what you’ve already got.

A note on compensation: We believe in paying creators for their work and are committed to compensating all of our contributors. As we work with very different styles of pieces/projects, our rates vary and are negotiated individually, to find a fee that feels fair. To give you a rough idea, we might do $100 for interviews and upwards of $300 for longer features. However, we are still a small indie pub, funding this project out of pocket and with little more than love. That means our rates are very much indie mag rates. What we hope is that in addition to this modest compensation, what we give in return is a positive experience in collaboration, a printed artifact of your and others’ hard work, and a chance to pursue the stories that the news media often disregards.

Pitch Deadline: August 31

Content Deadline: October 2

Please send your pitches to hello@nobodyzine.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

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

• Questions/submissions: hello@nobodyzine.com
• Website: https://www.nobodyzine.com/

TO HELP YOU CRAFT YOUR PITCH:

• Learn more about the publication: Nobody is an indie print magazine about people, and the stories, places, and things they carry. It is interested in looking beyond the headlines, into the lives of strangers, and at the everyday experiences that teach us about ourselves. Nobody publishes reported longform writing, photo series, illustrated memoir, and other experiments in voice. 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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