Pitches wanted for World AIDS Day (worldwide) | $350 to $600 per article

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: The Body

Deadline: 28 November 2022

Juan Michael Porter II, Contributing Editor at The Body, is looking for pitches:

Writers: I'm looking for World AIDS Day pitches for TheBody.Com and BodyPROHIV.  The theme is "We Know The Way Forward" because we've been here before.

So what does that mean?

I'm looking for pitches that address prior solutions, lessons, and historical moments that have helped uplift the lives of people living with HIV and communities vulnerable to the virus. Examples:

• History of Racism and Poor Health Outcomes: https://www.thebodypro.com/article/health-disparities-black-community-history-racism
• We also publish op-eds such as Ekemini Ekpo's powerful essay on the fact that Rage isn't Sustainable: https://www.thebody.com/article/rage-burnout-black-women-activists-united-states
• Or Theodore Kerr's blistering confrontation of how anytimes' infamous "gay cancer" story continues to distort AIDS history: https://www.thebody.com/article/new-york-times-1981-gay-cancer-story-distorts-aids-history
• Or this feature on community focused interventions against COVID-19 in First Nations communities that was informed by HIV and harm reduction strategies: https://www.thebody.com/article/indigenous-communities-covid-19-vaccine-access
• Or this deep dive into the lessons we haven't learned from HIV: https://www.thebody.com/article/monkeypox-response-failed-to-use-lessons-learned-from-hiv-covid
• There's also space for theatre, film, and book reviews. It's not the theme, but here's Alexi Chacon's gorgeous analysis of "To My Girls" as a reference: https://www.thebody.com/article/to-my-girls-theatre-review-queer-racism
• Or my coverage of Phil Chan's and Georgina Pazcoguin's Asian American dance festival: https://www.thebody.com/article/dancing-towards-the-dream-of-asian-representation
• This says nothing of looking into how the Drug war failed Breonna Taylor: https://www.thebody.com/article/breonna-taylor-war-on-drugs
• Or how rethinking government drug treatment guidelines  can stop/reduce hepatitis C transmissions: https://www.thebodypro.com/article/plan-to-end-hepatitis-c-in-michigan

If interested―write me at jmporterii-ctr@thebody.com.

• Tell me who you are
• Share your idea
• Follow that up with how it goes beyond basic mountain book reporting
• Include why you're the one to write it
• Finish with possible sources, estimated word count, 1st draft deadline, and writing samples

And take heart. Your pitch doesn't have to be perfect.

If there is something there but it doesn't quite fit the theme, I'll shape it up w/you into something we'd publish.

So shoot your shot and join us at TheBody.Com and BodyPROHIV as we try to stop HIV/AIDS before 2030.

Final note: You don't have to be based in the US to write for TheBody.Com or BodyPROHIV―we have contributors all over the world.

If you have questions, ask (I'm not a monster).

And here's a summary of ideas that I think are interesting from NAM AIDSmap:

• Long history of Black bodies being used for testing & experiments in Africa, then seeing those refined results used for the benefits of others in Europe/America leads to mistrust.
• What's stopping people from testing? Instead of sitting behind the doors and waiting for people to come to us, we should be going to them.
• White leadership dictating to Black and Brown faces in this epidemic is not a good look.
• If you talk to people about their HIV, they're actually okay but their external life factors get in the way of prioritizing the virus.
• If you can't eat or pay rent―managing your virus takes a back seat.

Rates: $350 for interviews up to $600 for deep dives.

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

• Submissions: jmporterii-ctr@thebody.com
• Website: https://www.thebody.com/

TO HELP YOU CRAFT YOUR PITCH:

• Learn more about the publication: TheBody aims to educate the public and serve the HIV community by publishing vital HIV-related information, news, personal stories and perspectives. It also partners with experts and organizations to support people in need of HIV/AIDS information and related resources. More information here.
• Read through its selection of recent articles/stories, categorized into: Curing HIV, Relationships and Sex, HIV Stigma and Discrimination, News, Personal Stories, Other Categories
• Check out our collection of pitch excerpts on this page and find more sample pitches at The Open Notebook and at SuccessfulPitches.com.
• 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.
• 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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