Saturday, October 31st 2026
The Break Down is “dedicated to examining how capitalism has both shaped, and is being reshaped by, accelerating climate and ecological crisis.” They’re open for pitches for ISSUE #5: REPAIR:
“For The BREAK–DOWN Issue #5 we are looking for pitches that examine climate adaptation, intervention and repair.”
“We are interested in argumentative essays, geopolitical or political-economic analysis, reportage, photojournalism and dispatches from around the world. We look for work that troubles the received wisdom and that tells us something new and unexpected about the future we face. We especially welcome pitches from writers based outside the centres of the Global North.”
They pay £650 for written pieces of around 3,000 words. In certain circumstances, they may offer higher rates for on-the-ground reporting where costs are greater. To learn more, refer to this post and this page.
Deadline: November 12th, 2026
Tuesday, April 14th 2026
The BREAK—DOWN explores “the political economy of climate and ecological crisis.” They’re accepting pitches for Issue #4: China.
“For Issue #4 of our print journal, we are looking for pitches that examine the complexity of China’s role in climate and ecological crisis. How has the Chinese state managed to hold apparently contradictory positions together? What role has the rise of Chinese renewable technology had in decentering hubristic assumptions about Western leadership or in accelerating the rise of a new Cold War? How does China’s current role in global environmental politics relate to its historical and developmental trajectory? And how does Chinese environmental politics and power play out on the ground, whether in China itself, or through its extended network of debt and investment?”
Rate is £650 for pieces of around 3,000 words. If interested, send your pitches to pitching@break-down.org. To learn more, refer to their post and this page.
Deadline: April 27th, 2026
Sunday, November 16th 2025
The BREAK—DOWN explores “the political economy of climate and ecological crisis.” They’re open for pitches for their third print issue, Airborne, on “the importance of air in the climate crises, its role in environmental history + activism, and its future on a transformed planet.” They’re interested in “diverse interpretations of the theme, from carbon removal and mobility to struggles over urban pollution and the fate of the world’s forests.” They’re seeking “argumentative essays, memoir, original translations, photojournalism, reportage and dispatches from around the world.” Rate is £650 for pieces of around 3,000 words. For more details refer to their editor’s post and this page.
Deadline: December 5th, 2025
Tuesday, September 16th 2025
The BREAK—DOWN explores “the political economy of climate and ecological crisis.” They welcome submissions for digital-only pieces, published on their website and in their bi-weekly newsletter, at any time. Payment is 20p/word, to a maximum of £400 for online essays. If interested, email your pitches to pitching@break-down.org and include 'ONLINE' in the subject line. For more information, refer to this page.
Tuesday, June 3rd 2025
The BREAK—DOWN explores “the political economy of climate and ecological crisis.” They’re open for pitches for Issue # 2 (Climate Frontiers), which explores the physical frontiers of the climate crisis. They pay £600 per piece (about 3,000 words). The deadline for Issue # 2 is 10 June. In addition to commissioning essays for Issue # 2, they’re also accepting submissions for online-only pieces. They pay 20p/word, to a maximum of £400 for online essays. There’s no deadline for submission of these essays. If interested, send your pitches to pitching@break-down.org. For more information, refer to their post and this page.
Deadline: June 10th, 2025