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

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: BROCCOLI 

Deadline: 26 August 2022

The time has come for Broccoli’s Issue 17 pitch call!

FIRST, THE ESSENTIALS:

• Pitches for Issue 17 are due by 9:00 a.m. EST Friday, August 26.
• Send pitch emails to editors@broccolimag.com.
• All Issue 17 stories will be assigned by Friday, September 2. You will get a response to your pitch by 2:30 EST Friday, September 2, so please spare our inbox and hold off on sending follow-up emails. We appreciate your patience.
• First drafts for Issue 17 will be due starting September 23.
• 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.

NEXT, SOME FINER POINTS:

• Pitch stories, not content. Because we only publish three print issues of Broccoli each year, we aren’t under pressure to fill pages or drive pageviews. That gives us the freedom to 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, the writer, will bring to the story.
• There is no benefit to being fast or first. We review every pitch, then decide what stories to assign. If a story is not a fit, we will try to get you a response ASAP.
• If you have more than one story idea (wonderful!), put them all in a single email. No attachments, please.
• If you pitch a visual artist, include who controls rights to the work. Budgets and logistics are real, and we have to be able to get permissions and afford print-friendly files.
• Timely stories are a tough sell. Our publication cycle is four months, so hot takes and trends are old news by the time the issue hits the stands.
• We are not accepting poetry, fiction, or already written work right now.

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:

• Hop to it: Fascinated by frogs? Entranced by toads? Open to beguiling and unexpected pitches pertaining to our herptile friends. (No toad-induced psychedelic trip reports, though, please.) 250-500 words.
• Laced up: “On some islands the women make lace, punti in aria - stitches in air - / Materializing the spaces between things.” (Beverly Bie, “The Lacemakers.”) Lace is an object knotted with luxury and toil, artistry and mechanization, order and mystery. Looking for a clever, crafty writer to pull these loose threads into an unexpected pattern. 800-1000 words.
• Hearts on a string: A recent visit to the delightful Bob Baker Marionette Theater in Los Angeles enchanted us. Do you have memories of visiting as a child? Seeking a LA-based writer (or writer who grew up in LA) to explore the charming (and uncanny) world of puppetry as it is preserved and practiced in this special spot. 500 to 750 words.
• Drawn by the spirit: Broccoli has an ongoing interest in artists inspired by spiritual encounters, either with the unknowable, the internal, or the natural world. Open to thoughtful pitches in this realm that go beyond the marginalizing trope of “outsider” art and consider these creators’ full humanity and vision. 500 to 1000 words.
• Language skills: Fluent Vietnamese-speaking arts writer wanted to interview a Vietnamese ceramicist. 800 words, $500.
• The wide world of weed: Stories that explore or illuminate little-known corners of cannabis culture are always welcome. 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.
• Wild cards: Stories—weedy or not—that feature intriguing people, places, objects, ideas, etc., and show compelling thinking, perspective, and voice make us sit up and take note. 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.

Issue 17 will go to print in mid-November and hit stands in Spring 2023. All commissioned writers will receive a free copy of the magazine where their work appears.

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

• Questions / 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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