Personal essays wanted (joy, wonder) | $300 per piece

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: THE GOOD TRADE

Deadline: 15 July 2023

Until July 15, 2023, The Good Trade will be accepting original reader essays for a summer series on themes of joy, bliss, lightheartedness, and wonder. We’re most excited to read stories anchored in transformative experiences that then expand into reflection and invitation for readers to ponder.

Our editors are eager to be surprised and captivated, and we’re specifically looking for writing that takes a fresh and even critical approach to the topics at hand. Send us something that we can’t stop thinking about for days! We love a good essay that challenges us to re-evaluate our own lives and convictions.

Before sending us your piece, please re-familiarize yourself with our personal essays to ensure your subject is a good fit. We also encourage you to send us only your very best, most polished draft as we received hundreds of submissions from writers and can only publish a handful.

Thank you and we look forward to reading your work!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where can I submit my piece?

Submit your essay via our Typeform link. Please do not email us. We will not open or read essays sent via email.

How many essays can I submit?

Please only send us one essay for this series.

How long should my essay be?

Selected essays will go through one round of revisions with our editors and the final piece will run at 800-1000 words. Feel free to be verbose in your first submission, but please do not send us more than 1500 words.

Are there any special formatting requirements?

No requirements, but please make it easy on our editors! Serif typefaces and 12 pt font is preferred. We also encourage reviewing our editorial guidelines.

How much will I be paid if my submission is accepted?

Writers will receive $300 for original essays.

How long will it take to hear back from your team? Should I follow up if I don't hear anything?

We are a small editorial team, so please be patient with us as we read your work. Due to the volume of essays we receive, we will only be able to respond to those we’d like to publish. If your essay is selected, you should hear from us within 6-8 weeks of your submission.

Can I submit my essay somewhere else while waiting?

Yes! We’re writers too, and so we encourage simultaneous submissions. Please just send a quick note to editorial@thegoodtrade.com if your piece is accepted elsewhere.

**All submitted work must be original and unpublished, including on personal websites or blogs. The Good Trade will hold exclusive digital rights to published pieces for 6 months from the publication date, after which the author will retain all rights and the piece will remain archived on The Good Trade’s website.

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

Questions/submissions: editorial@thegoodtrade.com

Website: https://www.thegoodtrade.com

* * * * * * * * * *

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.