Pitches wanted (mystery) (worldwide) | $150 per article

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: CONTINGENT 

Deadline: 18 November 2022

Who done it? What was the motive? Where’s the one clue that will finally crack the case? What happens if we look over the evidence one more time? We're now accepting pitches for our December series History and Mystery. Click here/read on to learn more: https://contingentmagazine.org/history-mystery/

More than one historian has likened their work to that of a detective, though the historian’s work seldom reaches a tidy solution — and no one is gathered in the parlor listening with bated breath!

We’re now accepting pitches for short essays (500–800 words) that explore mystery fiction (novels, short stories, film, television, comics, etc.) through a historical lens. We are especially interested in questions like.

How does mystery fiction reflect or depict specific historical moments or trends? How does mystery fiction depict or inspire the actual work of history? How has the mystery genre changed over time?

Each author will be paid $150. As always, Contingent will prioritize pitches from people who have completed postgraduate work in history (or a history-adjacent field) but are working outside of tenure-track employment.

Email a short pitch and a brief bio to pitches@contingentmag.org with “MYSTERY” in the subject line. Pitches are due by Friday 11/18. You’ll hear back from us by Monday 11/21. Drafts will be due by Wednesday 11/30.

Please note the quick turnaround time for this series.

Open to international writers? Absolutely! We publish historians from all over the world.

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

• Submissions: pitches@contingentmag.org
• Website: https://contingentmagazine.org/

TO HELP YOU CRAFT YOUR PITCH:

• Learn more about the publication: Contingent is a non-profit history magazine that is rooted in a principle that history is for everyone. While a lot of publishers and magazines think the audience for history is pretty narrow (an assumption that shapes the kinds of history they’re willing to publish), Contingent thinks everyone can understand and find meaning in stories about the past. More information here.
• Read through a selection of recent mystery stories/articles 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 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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