Pitches wanted (failure, important lessons) | $1,000+ per piece

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: NARRATIVELY

Deadline: 15 September 2022

Jesse Sposato, Deputy Editor of Client Projects at Narratively, is looking for pitches:

Excited to be commissioning stories for Narratively.

I'm assigning and editing a series about TURNING FAILURE ON ITS HEAD, i.e., times when failure in one area turned out to be positive in another, or when failure taught you an important lesson that helped shape you.

The stories Narratively publishes (personal and reported) are immersive and cinematic. They take readers inside another world, another life, through vivid scenes, colorful details, and compelling narrative arcs. We only publish nonfiction, and we pay for all stories.

Rates start at $1,000, and most Narratively stories are between 3,000-6,000 words, but we’re not prescriptive about word count. We also develop TV, film, and podcast projects inspired by the stories that run on our site, generating additional opportunities for contributors.

We’re looking for either the BIG Story: ambitious, exhaustive deep-dives that truly wow readers with the kind of in-depth, immersive storytelling Narratively has become known for; OR the One-of-a-Kind Story: glimpses into truly unique lives, worlds, or subcultures.

You can find some great examples of what makes a Narratively story here: https://narratively.com/supercollection/greatest-hits/

Please send pitches directly to me by September 15 at jsposato@narratively.com and include a headline, what the story is about, what kind of scenes will be in the story, clips of your work, etc.

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

• Submissions: jsposato@narratively.com
• Website: https://narratively.com/

TO HELP YOU CRAFT YOUR PITCH:

• Learn more about the publication: Narratively is a media platform and production company that celebrates the diversity of humanity through authentic storytelling. Its network of talented journalists and storytellers come to Narratively with the passion projects they care about most—having combed the world’s big cities and hidden corners for the characters and narratives that mainstream media aren’t finding. More information here.
• Read through a selection of recent 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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