Freelance

Broccoli is looking for writers

April 7, 2022

Posted by Margarita Sanabria

It seems like only yesterday we sent our little magazine toddling out into the world, holding a pot of pot ikebana and a lot of hopes and dreams, and now she’s a world traveler with snail and mushroom siblings and 15 issues to her name. Now it’s on to sweet sixteen, and we’re looking for contributors to make this issue the best one yet.

Deadline: 15 April 2022

ABOUT THE COMPANY

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.

ABOUT THE ROLE

  • Pitches for Issue 16 are due by 9:00 a.m. EST Friday, April 15.
  • Send pitch emails to editors@broccolimag.com.
  • All Issue 16 stories will be assigned by Wednesday, April 20.
  • First drafts for Issue 16 will be due before May 13. Features assigned for Issue 17/Spring 2023 will have later deadlines.
  • If you have many story ideas (wonderful!), please put them all in a single email. Please don’t send attachments. Click here for our full pitch guidelines.
  • If you pitch a visual artist, please include who controls rights to the work—budgets and logistics are real, and we have to be able to get permissions and print-friendly files.
  • We pay writers. Rates are between $.40-$.50/word, with flat rates for shorter pieces (350 words or less) between $75 and $100. Depending on budget capacity, we’ll go up to $1/word for the right story.
  • You will get a response to your pitch by April 20. We appreciate your patience!

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

  • FRESH FACES: Broccoli loves to highlight folks doing interesting and unexpected things. Previous issues have featured glam wrestlers, computer programmers, gelatin sculptors, sonic installation designers, poets, yogis, and intimacy experts. Pitch us who you find compelling and tell us why. We’re particularly interested in folks doing notable things in the fashion and beauty realms, and less interested in folks mostly notable for their massive social media followings. Remember—we’re looking to shine a light on folks who aren’t already spotlit. If someone has had a ton of press, they are probably not a good candidate. 300 to 1000 words.
  • THEMES: Theme features are a Broccoli favorite–a showcase for writers to explore peculiar obsessions. Past examples include seashells, mood rings, rock collecting, sonic caverns, sea slugs, and field recordings. These dips into the tidepools of curiosity should look beyond the trend horizon and incorporate some element of history and research; communicating a sense of wondering discovery is essential. 500 words.
  • POLICY WONKS: Do you have a contact to a politician, policymaker, or advocate active in crafting cannabis legalization? We are interested in Q & As with the folks writing the actual laws shaping modern cannabis culture. We want to hear how the sausage gets made—and what ingredients are missing from the mix. 800+ words.
  • EXTRA, EXTRA: Always on Broccoli’s editorial wishlist: Thoughtful reporting on facets of cannabis community and culture, particularly touching on climate change, culture clashes, and/or equity. We look for stories that may not be getting much press with a compelling hook and clear human interest and ask reporters to illuminate what’s happening by centering the voices and experiences of key individuals. (This is not an op-ed.) Two things to keep in mind: 1.) The story must be interesting to readers around the world, and 2.) Our production timeline is three months, so any story with a time-sensitive angle won’t work. 800-1,500 words.
  • GRAB BAG: Stories—weedy or not—that show singular thinking, perspective, and voice make us sit up and take note. (First-person experience essays/memoir-ish writing is a tough sell, though.) We’re always seeking 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.

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN SUBMISSION

  • Write a short introduction about yourself
  • Include a paragraph highlighting your writing experience, relevant credentials and publication credits
  • Attach links to your strongest work or portfolio, and online profile.

COMPENSATION

  • $.40-$.50/word- Rates are between $.40-$.50/word, with flat rates for shorter pieces (350 words or less) between $75 and $100. Depending on budget capacity, we’ll go up to $1/word for the right story.

CONTACT

For more information, visit their website.

Before applying, review submission guidelines. Email all questions and submissions to editors@broccolimag.com

 

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