Pitches wanted (cannabis) (worldwide) | 40 cents to $1 per word

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: BROCCOLI 

Emily Dickinson described September as a combination of crickets, crows, and “Retrospects.” In the Broccoli-verse, it is also a time of beginnings, and we are starting work on Issue 14.

First, the essential details:

• Pitches for Issue 14 are due by 9:00 a.m. EST Friday, September 17.
• Send pitch emails to editors@broccolimag.com.
• All Issue 14 stories will be assigned by Friday, September 24.
• First drafts for Issue 14 will be due by Friday, October 8. Features assigned for Issue 15 will have later deadlines.
• Issue 14 will hit stands in Spring 2022.

Now, on to the fun stuff—pitch prompts:

WHERE DO YOU GET WEED? From your aunt? At a dispensary? From a vending machine? Seeking amusing anecdotes about what it is like to procure weed wherever you may be; especially interested in stories from folks outside the U.S. 200-300 words.

HISTORY LESSON: Who hasn’t gotten their due? Looking for profiles of historical women or nonbinary folks who are not well known but deserve to be. (Previous issues have featured Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Corita Kent, Pegge Hopper, Leonora Carrington, Maruja Mallo, and Qiu Jin.) If you pitch a visual artist, please include who controls rights to the work. Budgets and logistics are real, and we have to be sure we can get permissions and afford to license images to accompany the story. (All hail the public domain!) 600 to 800 words.

BIG STORIES: Thoughtful reporting on facets of cannabis community and culture with a compelling hook and clear human interest. Should center the voices and experiences of key individuals to illuminate a story that Broccoli readers may not know much about—or that may not be finding space in more traditional publications. Keep in mind that there is a three-month lead time between issues, so time-sensitive stories are not a good fit. 800-1,500 words. Particularly interested in pitches rooted in an unexpected intersection of climate and cannabis, either positive or negative.

WORLD VISIONS: Broccoli wants human-centered tales of how specific people in specific places engage with weed beyond the legal markets in the U.S. What’s happening in Sri Lanka? Are people vaping in South Africa? These should be culture and human-interest stories, not capsule histories of local legalization policies. Length and format flexible.

THEME: Theme features are a Broccoli favorite–an 600 to 1,000-word showcase for writers to explore peculiar obsessions. Past examples include seashells, mood rings, rock collecting, and field recordings. These semi-deep dives should look beyond the trend horizon and incorporate some element of history and research; communicating a sense of wondering discovery is essential.

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.

GRAB BAG: Want to pitch us something else? Please do—and it does not have to be related to weed. Original and individual stories—meaning a story that shows the writer’s singular thinking, perspective, and voice—make us sit up and take note. We’re always seeking the curious and thoughtful, the witty and strange, the delightful and fun, the deep and nuanced. Hard pass on snark, cruel humor, nihilism, and anything lazy/click-baity.

If you have many story ideas (wonderful!), please put them all in a single email. Concise pitches are preferred, and please don’t send attachments; keep it all in the body of the email. Include links to the writing that best captures your voice and perspective. Click here for our full pitch guidelines.

We pay all contributors. Rates are negotiated when a piece is commissioned. We’ll do our best to match your standard rate. Rates usually hover somewhere between $.40-$.50/word, with flat rates for shorter pieces in the $75-$100 range. We’ll go up to $1/word for the right story, but it depends on our budget capacity. Writers are asked to submit an invoice after their piece clears fact-checking.

We respond to every pitch, but you may not hear from us until the pitch window closes. We appreciate your patience.

Questions? Reach out to editors@broccolimag.com

CONTACT INFORMATION:

• 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, Broccoli’s all-women team explores everything from ambient music to screenprinting nuns to the latest CBD products with humor and style. Broccoli is published three times each year. 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.