If You’ve Published a Story and Would Like Us to Consider It for an Editor’s Pick
To submit an already published story for Editor’s Picks consideration, the best way to share it with us is via @Longreads on Twitter, or tagging a tweet with the #longreads hashtag.
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If You’d Like to Pitch Us an Original Story for Publication
Longreads accepts pitches for original work and pays competitive rates. We’re not accepting any fiction at this time.
We are a very small team and receive many pitches and submissions each day. We only respond if we are interested in publishing your piece, so we strongly recommend submitting simultaneously to other publications. Please email story pitches, essay submissions, and other queries to [email protected]. Adding a bit of detail and context in your subject line helps to make your message stand out.
Essays and Features
Our pieces typically run between 2,000 and 6,000 words, but can be longer or broken up into a series depending on the length and subject matter.
Personal essays should be submitted on spec, and we pay $500 per essay. We look for smart, original angles and fresh, unique voices. Here are some of our favorites:
- Out There: On Not Finishing
- How to Learn Everything: The MasterClass Diaries
- “Do You Get Shit for Your Name?”
We accept pitches for critical essays and columns. Rates start at $500, with the rate varying depending on the level of reporting and research required. Here are a few examples:
Longreads features that require original reporting should also be submitted as pitches. These features are edited and fact-checked. We are interested in collaborating with artists and photographers on stories, and are open to working with partners you may have in mind. Tell us what makes your story incredible and urgent, why you have the goods to write it, and why Longreads is the place to tell it.
We pay competitive rates for features depending on the degree of reporting required and the complication of your proposal. Base payment begins at $1,500, and we will work with you to pay you a solid fee and also cover expenses. Here are examples of this type of work:
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Some Tips
It can take us a considerable amount of time to review pitches and read submissions, which means we are unable to respond to everyone. For this reason, we think it’s a great idea for you to pitch your stories to other publications in addition to Longreads — but please include a note to us if you are doing so.
If you do decide to pitch something exclusively to Longreads, give us a deadline to consider your idea before taking your pitch to other outlets.
If we don’t accept your initial pitch, pitch us again! We reject stories for a variety of reasons: a story may not be quite right for us, and sometimes it’s all about timing.
