News & Pitch Calls from Scalawag

Wednesday, April 23rd 2025

Scalawag is Seeking Pitches for Dirty Energy, Dirty South Series

Scalawag is a Black-led, woman-run website and magazine dedicated to the American South. They’re seeking pitches for their “Dirty Energy, Dirty South Series on environmental (in)justice, and the green transition's + American reindustrialization's path through The South.” They pay $0.40 per word for long and short form essays, photo essays, op-eds, and reported pieces. They pay $300 per submission for poetry. If interested, send your pitches to pitches@scalawagmagazine.org. To read their post, click here. To visit their website, click here.

Tuesday, January 21st 2025

Scalawag is Accepting Pitches Related to the Super Bowl

Scalawag is a Black-led, woman-run website and magazine dedicated to the American South. With the Super Bowl fast approaching, they’re looking for “coverage of the event that contextualizes it in the legacy of previous Super Bowls and mega events in NOLA.” Submissions should “emphasize the connection between mega event tourism and gentrification and displacement in NOLA, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.” They will give priority to NOLA natives/current residents. Rates are $0.40 per word, with a maximum of 2,000 words. If interested, direct your pitches to tea@scalawagmagazine.org. To read their editor’s post, click here. To visit their website, click here.

Deadline: January 31st, 2025

Tuesday, October 15th 2024

Scalawag is Looking for Pitches for Electoral Coverage

Scalawag is a Black-led, woman-run website and magazine dedicated to the American South. They’re seeking pitches for electoral coverage: “Scalawag’s coverage of the 2024 Presidential Election seeks pitches from organizers, advocates, and activists doing influential movement work across the South to reflect on the election.” They will pay $0.40 per word for essays. If interested, send your pitches to tea@scalawagmagazine.org. To read their post, click here. To visit their website, click here.

Sunday, September 10th 2023

Scalawag is Accepting Pitches for Haints of the Black South Series

Scalawag is a Black-led, woman-run website and magazine dedicated to the American South. They’re accepting pitches for their Haints of the Black South series. They want to “explore the things that still haunt the South, both in a literal and figurative sense.” “Alongside regional stories of haints and hauntings—from Appalachian apparitions to Gullah Geechee Boo hags and other folklore—we are also seeking critical and personal essays, poetry, short fiction, photography, video, and other multimedia exploring personal, historical, and spatial hauntings connected to and within the Black South.” Pay is $500 to $1,200 depending on the type of submission. To learn more, refer to their post and form.

Deadline: September 28th, 2023

Saturday, July 29th 2023

Scalawag is Seeking Pitches about Personal Experiences on Death Row

Scalawag is a Black-led, woman-run website and magazine dedicated to the American South. They’re seeking “essays, poetry, art, songs, photography, etc. about personal experiences on Death Row and abolitionist analyses on capital punishment.” They will pay $800 to $1,000. To learn more, refer to this tweet and this page.

Deadline: August 1st, 2023

Sunday, March 19th 2023

Scalawag is Seeking Pitches from Incarcerated Folks

Scalawag is a Black-led, woman-run website and magazine dedicated to the American South. They’re looking for submissions for their fourth-annual Abolition Week, during which they exclusively publish the work of incarcerated folks. This year, they’re expanding their focus to include folks affected by open-air prisons. They will offer a base rate of $800 to $1,500. To learn more, refer to this tweet. To pitch, refer to this page.

Deadline: April 9th, 2023

Tuesday, July 19th 2022

Scalawag is Seeking Pitches about Copaganda in Pop Culture and More

Scalawag is a Black-led, woman-run website and magazine dedicated to the American South. They are commissioning reviews about Emmy-nominated shows for their new series, pop justice (the series explores copaganda in pop culture). They want reviews about:

“-Copaganda (or lack thereof) in storylines

-The sanitization of white scammers/capitalists (Inventing Anna, The Dropout, White Lotus)

-Intersection of police state and Drag Race”

They already have Abbott Elementary and Euphoria taken care of. They pay $800 for reported stories, $500 for personal essays or long media reviews (1,000 words+), and $300 for short media reviews (under 500 words). To learn more, refer to their race & place editor’s Twitter thread and their pitch/tip form and pop justice archives

Tuesday, March 22nd 2022

Scalawag is Accepting Pitches

Scalawag is a Black-led, woman-run website and magazine dedicated to the American South. They are accepting pitches. They are “interested in untold stories, fresh perspectives, and original thought covering the nuances of life, politics, and culture in the American South.” They are also accepting pitches for their “grief & other loves” series. Their base pay rate is $500 to $1,200. To learn more, refer to their Tweet. To pitch a story, refer to this page. To submit an idea to their “grief & other loves” series, refer to this page.

Sunday, November 14th 2021

Scalawag is Always Seeking Arts Writers and Poets

Scalawag is a Black-led, woman-run website and magazine dedicated to the American South. They are always seeking opinionated arts writers. They are also always seeking poets. Their base pay rate is $500 to $1,200. If interested, email your pitches to alysia@scalawagmagazine.org. For details, refer to their art & soul editor’s Twitter thread and their submissions page.

Monday, August 30th 2021

Scalawag is Looking for Pitches

Scalawag is a Black-led, woman-run website and magazine dedicated to the American South. They are “interested in untold stories, fresh perspectives, and original thought covering the nuances of life, politics, and culture in the American South.” They are particularly interested in hearing from BIPOC and queer Southerners. They pay $400 to $600 for reported stories. To learn more, refer to their Tweet and submissions page.

Sunday, March 7th 2021

Scalawag is Seeking Contributors in Alabama and Mississippi

Scalawag is a Black-led, woman-run website and magazine dedicated to the American South. Their editor is looking for contributors in Alabama and Mississippi. She has tweeted, “If you're a journalist — or wanting to do some journalism — from those states, drop your name below. Also, national media can peep this too for Jackson & Bessemer. You don't need a journalism degree (I don't have one) or experience to work, write for Scalawag. We're looking for people rooted in community: Black, brown, Indigenous, queer, trans, disabled, working class & rural writers.” Pay is $400 to $600 for reported stories. To learn more, refer to their editor’s Twitter thread and this page.

Sunday, August 16th 2020

Scalawag is Looking for Pitches about Politics in the South

Scalawag is a website and magazine dedicated to the American South. Their editor wants pitches about politics in the South. Their rates for short reported stories start at $400+ and non-reported stories start at $300. Send your pitches to kwebb@scalawagmagazine.org. For details, refer to their editor’s Twitter thread and this page.

Tuesday, June 30th 2020

Scalawag Seeks Reviews and Criticism from Black Writers/Reporters

Scalawag is a website and magazine dedicated to the American South. They are seeking “reviews and criticism from Black writers and reporters.” They want interesting stories that celebrate Southern culture, art, and creativity. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.25 per word. Send your pitches to alysia@scalawagmagazine.org. For details, refer to their Tweet and submissions page.