Thank you for considering Longreads for your work! Please read these guidelines on submitting and pitching to us.

Nominate a story as an editor’s pick

To recommend an already published story at another publication for our editors’ picks section, the quickest way to reach us is on Twitter/X (DM us or share the story in a tweet and tag us @longreads). You may also email a link to hello@longreads.com.

Pitch us an original story for publication

Longreads accepts submissions and pitches for original work from writers and journalists around the world. We currently do not accept fiction, and are not considering investigative or deeply reported features at this time.

We are a small team and receive many submissions and pitches each day. We generally only respond if we are interested in publishing your piece, so we strongly recommend submitting simultaneously to other publications. We will not accept any submission or pitch written or edited using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT.

Please email essay submissions, story pitches, reading list ideas, and other queries to our main editorial inbox at hello@longreads.com.

Essays (Personal, Researched, Reported, Critical) and Columns

Essays and columns typically run between 2,000 and 6,000 words. Pieces may be longer or broken up into a series depending on the length and subject matter. We work with established, emerging, and unpublished writers and journalists.

Personal essays should be submitted on spec. We look for smart, unexpected angles and compelling voices across a wide range of topics. Our personal essay rate is $500.

We accept pitches for researched and reported essays, critical essays, and columns. Rates start at $500, with the fee depending on the reporting and research required, as well as the total word count. Essays and columns, including some personal essays, are fact-checked as necessary.

Reading Lists

Longreads seeks writers who are eager to explore topics through curated reading lists. A reading list typically includes an essay-style introduction, followed by a collection of links to longform stories related to the theme that are freely available to read on the web. Note: while reading lists will occasionally highlight a book as a side note for further reading, we don’t accept reading lists that feature books exclusively. We pay $350 per reading list. Please email hello@longreads.com and include “Reading List” and the proposed topic/theme in your email subject line. Timely topics, but also offbeat and unique angles, are especially welcome, as is a diverse mix of featured publications and writers. Not sure what to pitch? Browse our reading lists to see what we’ve published, or read a few that we love:

What we look for

Before emailing us at hello@longreads.com, please browse these collections of our favorite stories below to get a sense of what each of us likes to work on.

Carolyn Wells

Carolyn is interested in both reported and personal essays. She loves stories that look at different subcultures and unique characters or commentary on current cultural trends. Quirky or humorous always piques her interest. She is particularly drawn to adventure stories or pieces that explore the natural world. Please submit full drafts for personal essays and detailed pitches for reported stories.

Cheri Lucas Rowlands

Cheri is drawn to quirky topics and distinct voices. She reads stories about anything, and especially enjoys pieces on the internet and technology that remind us of our shared humanity, portraits of offbeat communities, unexpected takes on identity and place, deep dives into your obsessions, and reported essays that have strong personal narratives at their core. Put forward your very best: submit polished first drafts for personal essays and detailed, targeted pitches for reported stories that show a specific angle into your subject.

Krista Stevens

Krista appreciates deeply human essays, reported pieces, and reading lists on science, outdoor adventure, pop culture, food, music, and more. She looks for essays with unexpected angles and a strong emotional arc. Please submit polished essay drafts. For reported essays, please frame your story clearly, elucidate why you’re the best person to tell the story, and include links to previously published work.

Peter Rubin

Peter assigns and edits all types of stories—reading lists, essays, and reported work—but he’s always looking for smart, timeless culture writing (pop, digital, and otherwise) and reported subculture pieces. Essays should be submitted in draft form, and pitches for reported and critical work should be 2-3 paragraphs, along with examples of previous writing.

Some general tips

It can take us a considerable amount of time to review pitches and read submissions, which means we are unable to respond to everyone. We recommend that you pitch your stories to other publications in addition to Longreads—but please include a note if you are doing so.

If you do decide to pitch something exclusively to Longreads, give us a deadline to consider your idea before taking your pitch to other outlets.

Because we receive so many emails each day, adding detail and context in your subject line will make your message stand out in a sea of emails simply titled “Submission.”

If you send your submission or pitch to hello@longreads.com, you may address a specific editor if you feel your piece aligns with their interests, although any editor may read and consider a draft or pitch that lands in our main inbox.

If we don’t accept your initial pitch, try again. We reject stories for a variety of reasons: a story may not be quite right for us, and sometimes it’s all about timing.