Thank you for your interest in submitting to The Conversationalist! We’re glad you’ve found us and look forward to reviewing your pitch. Please read through to the end of this page to learn more about who we are, what we’re looking for, and how to submit.
About Us
The Conversationalist is an independent nonprofit publication fostering hope, empathy, and community through global feminist journalism. We want to change the way people feel after reading the news by prioritizing empathy in our storytelling, interrogating policy’s impact on marginalized communities, and uplifting underamplified voices through firsthand lived experiences. To learn more about us, please visit our About page.
What We Publish
Our focus and approach is political, opinionated, feminist, global, solutions-centered, and intergenerational. We don’t do traditional news coverage, yet our stories still aim to reflect the state of the world, with an emphasis outside the US. We strive for geographic diversity, and are always eager to hear from writers in places we haven’t yet been able to publish from. And while we love beautiful literary writing, we do not accept essays—or any other pieces—on spec. We pay $1/word.
Here’s a great example of reportage, an opinion piece, and a personal essay.
What We Don’t Publish
- News
- AI-generated writing
- Marketing and other sponsored content
- Agitprop
- Hot takes
- “Feel good” solutions stories that lack nuance and depth
Soapbox Submissions
We accept submissions on a rolling basis for Soapbox, our op-ed series where people make the case for the sometimes surprising things they feel strongly about.
The topics can be all over the place—from food and protest to gender and technology—but the thing that makes it a Soapbox is that it’s short and sweet; personal and political; laser-focused; and something that you want to shout from the rooftops. (We highly recommend you read a couple to get a sense of the column’s tone and the kinds of pitches we’re looking for!)
1,000 words max. Publishes once a month.
Old Friends Submissions
We also accept submissions on a rolling basis for Old Friends, our ongoing series exploring how friendship changes shape (and shapes us) in adulthood. Once a year, we also run a week of friendship-focused personal essays for Friendship Week.
1,500 words max. Publishes once a month.
How to Reach Us
We are a small team, and do our best to respond to every pitch. If you don’t hear back from us within three weeks, feel free to check in. If you don’t hear back from us after that, your piece is most likely not the right fit at this time.
You can submit your pitches directly to submissions@conversationalist.org. If you have additional questions, please direct them to hello@conversationalist.org.
Thank you again for your interest in submitting to The Conversationalist. We look forward to hearing from you!