Pitches wanted (Christmas, science) | ~75 cents to $1.20 per word

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: NEW SCIENTIST

Deadline: 21 June 2023

Helen Thomson, Head of Features at New Scientist, is looking for pitches:

CHRISTMAS ALERT! We are currently commissioning our Christmas features, so please send any brilliant ideas my way.

Christmas features are shorter (1200-1800 words) than normal features. They tend to be about stranger, funnier or more light-hearted subjects (but not always—last year we did hardcore quantum Christmas games). They can be about things you tend to associate with Christmas BUT they don't have to be. So while stories about snowflakes, reindeer and presents are welcome, so too are the strange journeys of Ancient Egyptians, cordon bleu vegan food, the secret life of truffles and that all time classic holiday subject: Roundabouts https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24432610-900-france-loves-them-the-us-hates-them-why-do-roundabouts-divide-us/

Christmas features tend to tick one of a few different boxes. These include stories about food: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25233653-900-the-secret-life-of-cheese-how-marvellous-microbes-create-its-flavour/

Stories about beverages: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24032090-800-seeking-the-perfect-cocktail-let-science-be-your-bartender/

There's often a great stunt in the mix: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22430001-400-man-vs-sherry-trifle-can-i-eat-myself-drunk/

We always provide for the physics crowd (see also last year's quantum fridges): https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634171-200-how-to-beat-your-family-at-board-games-with-quantum-tricks/

And we love a story about animals doing amusing things: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25233653-500-did-monkeys-really-sail-the-oceans-on-floating-rafts-of-vegetation/

Sometimes we can't resist putting in multiple stories about animals doing amusing things: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634171-800-some-individual-animals-are-really-lazy-how-do-they-get-away-with-it/

We try to include a nice psychology feature about things that everyone experiences during the holiday period: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23231040-700-no-more-drama-the-game-theory-guide-to-a-happy-family-holiday/

And, without fail, we provide you with a festive holiday quiz: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25634172-000-how-well-do-you-know-your-animal-poo-find-out-with-this-picture-quiz/

Ultimately what I want to get across is that Christmas features can be light-hearted, funny and bonkers, but they always centre around amazing, solid science. We welcome pitches from anyone and have recently improved our pay rates, so pitch your ideas now. Deadline: 21 June

A pitch should smack us over the head with the top line of the story, tell us a little about the narrative or journey you’ll take the reader on and—importantly—include links to (recent) research/academic papers that support your story.

CONFIDENTIAL NOTE: Reports indicate that this opportunity will pay ~75 cents to $1.20 per word. It is recommended that you discuss the rate(s) with the editor upon the acceptance of your pitch.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

• Submissions: helen.thomson@newscientist.com
• Website: https://www.newscientist.com/

TO HELP YOU CRAFT YOUR PITCH:

• Learn more about the publication: New Scientist is a science and technology magazine. Its website, app and print editions cover international news from a scientific standpoint, and ask the biggest-picture questions about life, the universe and what it means to be human. More information here.
• Read through a selection of recent feature articles/stories on its website.
• 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 paragraph 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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