Pitches wanted (garbage) | ~50 cents per word

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: GOSSAMER 

Deadline: 21 September 2020

As the common refrain these days goes, we hope you’re safe and healthy and doing well.

The theme for Volume Six is Garbage. We’ve been planning this topic for quite some time, but as luck (or misfortune) would have it, Garbage is also about as appropriate a theme for 2020 as we could think of.

We're looking for a mix of contributions (long, short, reported, personal, playful, serious, photographic, illustrative, visual), none of which have to be literal, but all of which should be able to somehow tie back to the theme.

We chose Garbage for a few reasons. First, we wanted something to counterbalance the natural beauty and grace of our last theme, “Flower.” That’s not to say that Garbage can’t be these things, but it would certainly take a bit more thinking or work or research to prove that out. We also wanted to give you, our contributors, something a bit different to explore. Despite garbage being, well, exactly that, we think it’s an incredibly flexible topic with tons of different entry points and paths to take. Finally, we wanted something that speaks to the national—and international—mood, which this certainly does.

To our minds, Garbage allows for endless interpretation. In its literal form, Garbage can be the cornerstone of diverse narratives about anything from the negative sides of waste (of which there are many) to the hopeful future of sustainability (think the products, people, and places making a difference). In more metaphorical terms, Garbage can be applied to just about any negative emotion, experience, moment, or, especially in the case of 2020, time. We’d love to see a few positive or playful or downright funny twists on Garbage, too. We have to find joy somewhere, right? Garbage can even be a medium or material for non-writers.

Feel free to think very broadly, but just give us some kind of reasoning as to why the piece works, if it's not abundantly clear in the pitch itself (a story about fatbergs, for instance, needs no further explanation, but one about How to Break Up with Someone might).

The bottom line is: we're very flexible on interpretation. And if you have something that you think has nothing to do with the theme, well, hit us with it anyway.

We're continuing both our "How To" and "High Minded" series in Volume Six. How Tos can be as short as ~100 words or as long as 500. While they should be about a very specific thing, their format can be as literal or as fluid as you like. We’ve run everything from How To Fold Socks to How To Solve A Murder Like Jessica Fletcher to How To Make A Grilled Cheese to How To Interpret Your Dreams.

High Minded pieces, on the other hand, are a little more abstract and are meant to be in the vein of the epiphanies we often have while high (or, for those who don't smoke, in the shower). Again, it’s more about quality (and hopefully a little humor and/or information) than the subject itself. You can find a few past examples of High Mindeds and How Tos here.

Contact: hi@gossamer.co

Timeline: All pitches must be received by Monday, 9/21. Written assignments will be made by Friday, 9/25. Individual fees and deadlines will vary (although the earlier, the better) but we will need all final (edited + fact-checked) copy in for Volume Six by Friday, November 6.

Lastly, please feel free to send this to any friends or colleagues you think might be interested in contributing. Consider this an open call!

Thanks and excited to hear your ideas,

David + Verena + Kristina + Verena M.

hi@gossamer.co

CONTACT INFORMATION:

• Questions / submissions: hi@gossamer.co
• Website: https://www.gossamer.co/

TO HELP YOU CRAFT YOUR PITCH:

• Learn more about the publication: Gossamer is a media brand for new cannabis culture that looks at the world—travel, design, art, culture, and food—through a green lens. More information here.
• Read through a selection of recent articles/stories on its website.
• 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.