Pitches wanted (cannabis, culture, etc.) (worldwide) | 40 cents to $1 per word

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: BROCCOLI MAG 

Deadline: 2 February 2023

Greetings from the Broccoli-verse! As usual, we are looking for an eclectic array of captivating stories to commission for our upcoming projects. Yep, that’s right—projects, plural. We’ve got two magazines in the works right now—a bulkier Broccoli, with a new, twice-a-year print schedule that will allow us to venture into longer commissions (HOORAY), and Catnip, a 190-page maximalist love letter to (you guessed it) cats.

We’re looking to fill the pages of this new, supersized Broccoli, and there are still a few (catty) corners to fill in Catnip.

FIRST, THE ESSENTIALS:

• All pitches in response to this call are due by 9:00 p.m. EST Thursday, February 2, 2023. Send pitch emails to editors@broccolimag.com. All Broccoli Issue 18 stories will be assigned by Wednesday, February 8. Catnip stories will be assigned on a rolling basis.
• First drafts for Broccoli Issue 18 will be due starting March 10, 2023. Catnip stories will be due March 1.
• Rates: $.40-$.50/word, with flat rates for shorter pieces (under 300 words) around $100. Depending on budget capacity, we’ll go up to $1/word for the right story.
• Both Catnip and Broccoli Issue 18 will go to print later this spring and hit stands in Fall 2023. All commissioned writers will receive a free copy of the magazine where their work appears.

NEXT, SOME USEFUL INTEL:

• Pitch stories, not content. We prioritize pitches that convey a specific writer’s singular perspective, voice, and thinking in addition to a fascinating topic. Make sure your pitch shows what specialness you’re bringing to the story.
• If you have more than one story idea (wonderful!), please spare our inbox and put them all in a single email. No attachments, please. Make sure you’ve got the goods. If you pitch an interview, know you can get access. If you pitch an artist, understand who holds the rights. Budgets and logistics are real. For pieces focused on the visual arts, we have to be able to get permissions and afford print-friendly files.
• Think evergreen. Our production cycle is too long for of-the-moment trend pieces.
• No poetry, fiction, or already written work, please.

More questions? Click here for our full pitch guidelines. If you are a brand or PR agency interested in being featured in the magazine, please contact hi@broccolimag.com to learn more about partnership opportunities.

NOW, TO THE PITCHES:

• Fresh-faced: Broccoli loves to highlight folks doing interesting and unexpected things. Previous issues have featured glam wrestlers, computer programmers, gelatin sculptors, sonic installation designers, poets, yogis, and intimacy experts. Pitch us who you find compelling, and tell us why. We’re not interested in folks notable for massive social media followings—we’re looking to shine a light on folks who aren’t already spotlit. If someone has had a ton of press, they are probably not a good candidate. 300 to 1000 words.
• Embodied experiences: Profiles or interviews with individuals who use cannabis as a tool for physical expression–think dancers, athletes, or other creative movers. 400-800 words.
• Grow your own: Interested in first-person essays from first-time growers on what they learned about the plant when they tried to grow it. 250-500 words.
• The Weedy World: We love stories that explore or illuminate little-known corners of cannabis culture. We prioritize pitches from folks with deep ties to place and community, and stories that are not being covered elsewhere. Can be based anywhere in the world, but should have an engaging angle that can connect to a diverse global readership.
• CATNIP: Why did my cat do that? Looking for an interviewer with a cat to interview a cat behaviorist on why cats are the way they are. $500/1,000 words.
• CATNIP: Cat costumes: What does it mean to dress up like a cat for Halloween? Interested in an evocative first-person essay on why you’ve dressed up as a cat and how it makes you feel, good or bad. Length TBD.
• WILD CARDS: Stories—weedy or not—that feature intriguing people, places, objects, ideas, etc., and show compelling thinking, perspective, and voice are our faves. We welcome the curious and thoughtful, the witty and strange, the delightful and fun, the deep and nuanced, so if you’ve got an idea that fits the bill, pitch it! Hard pass on snark, cruel humor, nihilism, and anything lazy/click-baity.

Questions? Reach out to editors@broccolimag.com.

ABOUT BROCCOLI

Broccoli is a publisher of unusual delights. We create artful magazines, art books, and an array of creative products designed to spark curiosity within niche interest communities. We are an independent, women-led company known internationally for creating best-selling, collectible publications like Broccoli magazine, Mushroom People, Snail World, and more.

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

• Submissions: editors@broccolimag.com
• Website: https://broccolimag.com/

TO HELP YOU CRAFT YOUR PITCH:

• Learn more about the publication: Broccoli explores and shapes modern stoner culture by looking at cannabis through an art, culture, and fashion lens, giving the plant a dedicated space to be discussed in a fresh, stylish, and approachable new way. In each issue, it explores everything from ambient music to screenprinting nuns to the latest CBD products with humor and style. More information here.
• Review the submission guidelines here.
• 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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