Pitches wanted (horror films) | $200+ per article

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: FOOD FOR THE WORM

Elizabeth Lepro, Creator of Food for the Worm, is looking for pitches:

FOOD FOR THE WORM, a Substack essay series about horror films and humanity, is open to pitches for its next guest writer. Paid.

FFTW explores U.S. horror films and their intersection with society, culture, history, etc. The newsletter started as a passion project for me but I love working with other writers. Here's a recent guest essay on M3GAN from the fantastic Kellina Moore: https://foodfortheworm.substack.com/p/all-dolls-go-to-h3aven

I'm looking for two guest essays to schedule out in August and October. Writers are paid baseline $200 per essay. Send your pitch to mailfortheworm@gmail.com. Keep reading for what I'm looking for.

The basic idea of FFTW is: Why do we like to be afraid? What might have been going on when a certain horror film was released that influenced its production and reception? How does horror reflect society? Please read FFTW to get a feel for the writing. Please send previous work.

I run the Substack myself and it's just got a small following right now but I'm hoping to evolve. The open and engagement rate is very good. I won't pretend this will get you a ton of exposure, but it does give writers room to experiment and grow portfolio.

FFTW is exploratory. I'm open to pitches that are more like ideas so long as you can show that you're a strong writer who can handle something open-ended. Contextual research/knowledge is required. Eg. this essay from a culture journalist. https://foodfortheworm.substack.com/p/straight-outta-haddonfield

The essay doesn't have to answer its own questions but it should ponder some possibilities, like, How can millennials relate to Dr. Loomis? https://foodfortheworm.substack.com/p/halloween

Or, What does Signs tell us about belief? https://foodfortheworm.substack.com/p/on-signs-2002-a-reason-to-believe

I'm not interested in the super trendy. I'm not interested in straight criticism. You don't have to have a news tie-in. You don't have to be a horror buff. You DO have to be a good writer and a creative thinker.

Really, this is for creative writers who love horror movies (or a horror movie). Your pitch should show that. Let's make something.

P.S. if you send a pitch and I don't accept it and you want to know why, I'm happy to share some feedback if you ask. Maybe I can help you land it elsewhere.

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

• Questions/submissions: mailfortheworm@gmail.com
• Website: https://foodfortheworm.substack.com/

TO HELP YOU CRAFT YOUR PITCH:

• Learn more about the publication: Food for the Worm is an essay series that uses horror films to explore Americans' fears, cultural anxieties, and the ways we learn to cope in a country haunted by its own history. More information here.
• Read through a selection of recent articles/stories on its website.
• 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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