- this literary life
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- no. 10
no. 10
Nicole Tommasulo
December 08, 2024
hey there.
There are only a few more Sundays left in the year, and I’m thinking a lot about what I want 2025 to look like. Autumn always feels more like the start of a new year than the beginning of January, but I’m still thinking big picture: what can I do with the time left in this year to keep the momentum I’ve been building going into the next?
If part of your New Year plan is to start a newsletter, Beehiiv has a special offer for subscribers to this literary life. When you sign up from this link, you’ll get a 30-day free trial and 20% off a premium membership for 3 months.
Okay, that’s it from me for this week. Thanks for signing up and scrolling through. I hope your pitches/queries land and the words flow this week.
Without further ado.
P.S. you can now find prints (+ bags, mugs, etc.) of my photographs of around Boston + from my travels on Society 6.
table of contents
tips for freelance writers + novelists
If you’re weighing going to grad school to get your MFA, Nancy Wayson Dinan is on Jane Friedman’s blog discussing the pros and cons. There are a lot of myths surrounding what an MFA can actually do for you. Spoiler: If you’re looking for a shortcut to publishing, this path is not for you.
Gothic novels are having a moment. But what separates these books from other suspense and psychological thrillers? Jess Armstrong explores the nuances of building the gothic drama beyond atmospheric settings and questionable love interests and why this genre feels so timeless right now for Crime Reads.
To keep tension high, Tiffany Yakes Martin suggests having your characters lean out instead of in. On Jane Friedman’s blog, she breaks down the best ways to keep tension simmering in otherwise safe and happy moments.
There’s so much talk about “disrupting” the publishing industry — but what actually helps shake up a marketing routine? Penny C. Sansevieri stopped by Writers in the Storm to discuss five different marketing ideas that “disrupt” marketing (in a good way).
all things book publishing
Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year is brain rot (n): “Supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as a result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration.”
This week, the LA Times owner made headlines (again) for his plan to overhaul the paper's editorial board. Part of his plan includes implementing a "bias meter" showing readers where the reporter's confirmation bias lies and will suggest reports that show the other side of the story. Naturally, newsrooms have Opinions about this.
2024 has been a big year for self-publishing. Not only are more self-published authors landing major book deals, but many authors are looking at self-publishing as their first-choice publishing path and not a last result.
Taylor Swift’s self-published Eras Tour book has been in the world for over a week, and the reviews are…. mixed. Currently, at over 800,000 copies sold, the book is the seventh-most-sold book of the year, and if the book were available at more than one retail outlet, it would’ve landed on best-seller lists. But fans have similar criticisms of Swift’s book as other self-published books: typos missed in proofreading and poor quality photos.
Internet Archive (IA) decided against appealing the copyright case against their scanning and lending of library books to the Supreme Court this week. This comes after the Second Circut Court in September unanimously upheld Judge John G. Koeltl’s March 24, 2023, summary judgment ruling, which found the scanning and lending of library books from a third party to be copyright infringement.
calls for pitches + paid creative opportunities
To receive pitch + creative opportunities a day early or right when I find them, you can sign up for a subscription.
Reminder: Vet each opportunity before submitting.
Inclusion does not equal endorsement.
reported stories + essays
Abortion, IVF, + Gender Affirming Healthcare: Natasha Roy, an editor at Rewire News Group, is looking for pitches for stories about "IVF, contraception, abortion, and trans rights for their Campus Dispatch. Rates: Reported features are $500, and the op-ed rate is $350. Send pitches to [email protected].
Food Writing: Taste Cooking is looking for a variety of topics, including recipes and food culture features. "We’re most interested in your well-reasoned idea. A story with a strong point of view that is backed by clear reporting and/or supported by proven expertise." With your pitch, please include "why you are qualified to write this story. And if we don’t know you, we’d like to see some of your work. Links are great. The pitch should outline the story in detail, with specifics. For us, the excitement comes from not just colorful copy but substance to back it up. A wise turn of phrase is not a substitute for detailed observation and reporting. If you are pitching a feature that involves recipe development or sourcing from chefs, clips of similar work are required." E-mail pitches to Matt Rodbard at [email protected].
Wellness Travel: Nicholas S. Walton, Managing Editor at Jetsetter Magazine, is looking for first-person stories with "strong thematic wellness travel stories, interesting profiles (no C-Suite or travel company employees), and destination pieces" on unconventional locations from a unique perspective. They do NOT want stories "driven by specific hotels/hotel companies, cruise lines, airlines or the like." E-mail pitches to [email protected].
Personal Essay: This American Life is looking for new pitches. Alix Spiegel asks, "Have you ever had someone say something casually, not thinking much of it, but that comment ends up having a big impact on you? Maybe it planted an insecurity? Or changed the course of your life?" E-mail pitches to [email protected]. Note: Historically, TAL has paid for rights to the story, but I'm unsure what rates are for this opportunity.
Yoga: Calin Van Paris, an editor at Yoga Magazine, is looking for yoga, wellness, meditation, and other relevant lifestyle and travel stories. Send pitches to [email protected].
Family Vacations: This week, Conz Preti is looking for family vacation pitches for Business Insider. Specifically, she wants your best or worst vacation stories (and why. "Things like a multigenerational trip and the pains of it. Traveling with little kids. Traveling with teens. A stranger helping your family out at the airport. Being separated from your kids on the plane." Email pitches: [email protected]. Rate historically has been $200 for 600 words.
Parenting: Conz is also still looking for stories about the (lack of) independence kids have today, like this example. Email pitches: [email protected]. Rate historically has been $200 for 600 words.
Bay Area: SFGate's editor-in-chief, Grant Marek, is always looking for pitches of “stories from people who REALLY understand the Bay Area” about ideas “no one else has thought to chase, people no one has ever thought to highlight before, stories that perfectly capture the spirit and history of a California treasure, and finally, angles “that remind people it's not all Doom Loop here in the Bay Area.” Rates: $200-$400+
literary magazines
There are many literary magazines out there that pay. ChillSubs has an amazing (free) database you can dig through to find the right opportunities for you.
Reminder: Vet each opportunity before submitting.
Inclusion does not equal endorsement.
from previous issues
These pitch calls and paid writing opportunities were featured in previous issues and are still active. Reminder: Vet each opportunity before submitting. Inclusion does not equal endorsement.
reporting + essays
Travel and Food: Atlas Obscura and Gastro Obscura are open for pitches. They have a very in-depth breakdown of how to pitch them, including examples of what they’re looking for. Pay: $.50/word.
Environmental: John R. Platt at The Revelator is now taking pitches for 2025. Specifically, they're looking for stories on "what we're losing: species, ecosystems, environmental justice communities, climate battles, or other aspects of life on Earth at risk." Plus, they want reporting on "What we’re saving: How people are working to understand, stabilize, or reverse a major threat." Finally, they're hoping for stories on the Trump administration: "What damage was done the first time around that we’re just starting to understand? How did people and communities recover after the first Trump administration? What are organizations doing to defend against the second?" Pay: $300 - $500. Deadline: Dec 10.
Science and Health Features: Shannon Palus, features editor at Slate, is open to science and health features. She's looking specifically for "big, unexpected and counterintuitive ideas" like this example and this example. E-mail pitches to [email protected].
Food: Eater SF is open to "new ideas and new voices" with original insights, reporting, and analysis on the Bay Area's food scene. “We get the same press releases everyone else does, so strong preference will be given to story pitches that arise from your personal expertise, revelations, or finds over ideas proposed by media relations teams.” No rates were given, but historically have been $0.25/ word. E-mail pitches with a "clear angle" to [email protected] and include clips.
Food and beverage: Chris Hatler is seeking whisk(e)y pitches for Men's Journal. He's looking for hot takes and personal essays with unique opinions and snappy headlines like "Old Grand-Dad Bonded Is My Favorite Cheap Bourbon" and "I’ve Tried Hundreds of Bourbons. Bib & Tucker Double Char Is the Smoothest I've Tasted." No deadline. Rate: $250. E-mail pitches to [email protected].
Travel: Off Assignment seeks submissions for their "Letter to a Stranger," "Under the Influence," "No Equivalent," "What I Didn't Say," and "Witching Hour" columns. Only completed drafts are considered for publication. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Pay range: $100 (Witching Hour) - $300.
Literary Life, Culture: LitHub is always open to pitches about "literary life and culture," especially "the ways that books or their authors fit into the culture at large, and we enjoy rigorous criticism for a general audience." Send pitches (2 - 3 paragraphs outlining your idea) to [email protected].
creative opportunities
Poetry, Short Story, Photography: Split Lit Magazine will close its general submission window, including for photography, poetry, reviews, interviews, and more, on Dec 15. Rate: $75.
Essay, Short Story, Poem: Tangled Locks Journal is still seeking submissions for a special edition called “We Could Almost Touch It.” The journal asks “women [to] share their perspectives on the decline of freedom for women in America and what they are doing about it.” The deadline is Dec 15. The pay is $15.
Flash Fiction, Poetry, Visual Art, Comics, Film, Nonfiction: Exposition Review will close its general submission window on Dec 15. Rate: $50.
Literary, Essay, Photography, Interview: Southern Indiana Review closes its general submission window on Dec 15. Rate: $125 - $300.
Interviews, Short Stories, Poems, Articles: Nonprofit Quarterly seeks articles, interviews, short stories, and poems for their print magazine's 2025 racial justice issue, “How Women of Color in the South are Reclaiming Space.” Deadline to submit: December 17. Pays: $150 - 300 (short stories, poems), $300 (interviews), and $500 (articles).
remote writing + editing jobs
Since we’re all already on LinkedIn, I will do my best to find the remote writing and editing jobs that are not already being shared/applied there. These job listings are active at the time this newsletter is scheduled to be published (Dec 7).
You can sign up for a subscription to receive job opportunities a day early — or right when I find them.
Reminder: Vet each opportunity before submitting.
Inclusion does not equal endorsement.
Madden Media is seeking a full-time senior copywriter to join their team. You will need to be "curious and capable of taking insightful brand strategies and turning them into compelling campaign concepts" and be prepared to collaborate to help bring your team to "new levels of productivity." Pay range: $60k - $65k + benefits.
Launch Potato is looking to add an additional full-time editorial assistant to join the FinanceBuzz team. Their ideal candidate has a minimum of one year of experience in an editorial role, “balancing multiple projects in. a fast-paced environment.”
Outside is adding a full-time associate editor of climbing to their team. They are looking for an editor with at least two years of previous experience, working knowledge of SEO, and “robust research and interview skills.” Pay: $45k - $55k. plus benefits.
recommendations
books
Another light reading week as I get back into spark, set fire and put more into savor + roam. Still, I polished off a few this week I really enjoyed.
There’s something gritty about the way Simone St. James approaches mystery and suspense. In The Book of Cold Cases, Shea — a survivor of her would-be killer in childhood — works at a doctor’s office by day and is a true crime blogger by night. When she has the chance to interview an older woman thought to have murdered her father and other men in cold blood, she gets sucked into a dark, twisted, supernatural mystery.
podcasts
And as always, here are the podcasts I listen (and re-listen) to.
limited series
culture, news, politics, history
books, movies, TV, writing
true crime
Note: I may earn a fee from purchases made at Bookshop.org using affiliate links.
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