Want to write for Bustle? We want you to write for us, too. Read on for our general pitching guidelines, as well as current needs and guidelines for each of our verticals: Books, Lifestyle, Entertainment, Fashion & Beauty, and News & Politics. Please only send pitches; do not send full drafts of stories/op-eds.
In any pitch to Bustle, please include the following:
- A sample headline for the piece.
- A 2-3 sentence description of the angle of the piece.
- Your plan for photos, if applicable.
- Sources for the piece that you know you have access to.
- Clips, if you have not written for Bustle before.
- Your standard rate.
BOOKS
We are currently accepting the following types of pitches for AUGUST 2019.
- First-person essays about literature and identity pieces.
- Reported pieces with a minimum of three sources.
- Tightly-angled interviews with authors.
- I'm So Jealous pieces, tied to books.
Coverage of new books, preferably by women and gender nonconforming authors, will be prioritized.
We are not currently accepting pitches for:
- Reading lists
- Reviews
- Q&As
Examples of past freelance stories that have appeared on Bustle:
- Why Saying My Book About Immigration Is “So Timely” Erases The Experiences Of Millions Of People
- The Sweet Valley High “Evil Twin” Books Were So Blissfully Weird & I Still Can’t Stop Thinking About Them
- Cora Harrington’s “In Intimate Detail” Is An Inclusive Guide To Lingerie That Reframes The Conversation About Intimate Apparel
- 12 Women Of Color & Native Authors Open Up About Why They Write About Mental Illness
- LGBTQ Diversity In YA Novels Is Getting Better, But Queer Girls Are Still Being Left Behind
Contact: Senior Books Editor Cristina Arreola: cristina+pitches@bustle.com
LIFESTYLE
We are currently accepting the following types of pitches for Summer/Fall 2019
- Personal essays and reported pieces (reported pieces must include at least 3 sources) about health, mental health, relationships, and identity.
We are also accepting pitches for potential inclusion in the following two series:
- Family Thread, a series that looks at the many ways our family relationships and our mental health are connected.
- Living With, a series that looks at the diverse impacts of living with chronic illness.
- Unashamed, a series about the stigma millennial women and non-binary folks still face surrounding STIs.
We are not currently accepting pitches for:
- Listicles.
- News stories pegged to new studies or viral trends; however, if it’s a unique take or first-person essay related to a news story, we will consider it.
Examples of past freelance stories that have appeared on Bustle:
- I Almost Didn't Tell My Chinese Parents I Was Going To Therapy — Here's Why I Did Anyway
- I Did A Random DNA Test To Learn About My Ancestry. Then I Found Out I Was BRCA Positive
- What I Want You To Know About The Travel Ban, As A Muslim-American Woman
- What I Learned About My Mental Health From Being My Mother’s Caretaker
- My Boyfriend & I Tried Meditating For 30 Days To Improve Our Sex Life & It Worked... Sort Of
Contact:
For sex & relationships and general lifestyle pitches, Deputy Editor Michelle Toglia: michelle+pitches@bustle.com
For health, mental health, and identity pitches, Associate Editor Melanie Mignucci: melanie.mignucci+pitches@bustle.com
ENTERTAINMENT
We are currently accepting the following pitches for Summer/Fall 2019:
- Features tracking trends and themes throughout pop culture and entertainment tied to timely news or TV/movie events.
- Reported entertainment pieces talking to experts, first-person sources, etc.
- Identity essays based on timely entertainment topics.
We are not currently accepting pitches for:
- Entertainment watch lists
- Guest columns
Examples of past freelance stories that have appeared on Bustle:
- 'Jane The Virgin' Is A Fantasy Of Kindness & A Worthy Antidote To "Grim" Prestige TV
- The Real Effect Of ‘Insatiable’s Fat-To-Thin Narrative, According to 3 Fat Activists
- Why Shows Like 'The Good Place,' 'Parks and Recreation' & 'The Office' Make You So Happy
- Why ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Matters So Much To Non-American Asians Like Myself
- 'Dating Around' Perfectly Depicts The Existential Dread Of Dating & That's What Makes It Interesting
- Amanda Palmer's New Album Is Honest About Abortion In A Way So Rarely Heard In Music
Contact:
For movies pitches, Movies Editor Sage Young: sage.young@bustle.com
For TV pitches, Senior TV Editor Samantha Rollins: samantha.rollins@bustle.com
FASHION & BEAUTY
We are currently accepting the following pitches:
- Fashion and/or beauty-related reported features or personal essays tied to the news of the day, to be filed same-day
- Reported features for our Let's Take It From The Top series, which are deep dives into the most beloved products and pop culture phenomenons of our time
- Reported features on a trend or community in the fashion/beauty space
- Exclusive fashion/beauty-related interviews with celebrities, influencers, and other interesting people in the fashion and beauty industries.
We are not currently accepting pitches for:
- Beauty or fashion experiments
- Product roundups or listicles
- Product reviews
- Tutorials
Examples of past freelance stories that have appeared on Bustle:
- Inside The Fantastical World Of Disney Fashion Bloggers
- Why The "Glass Skin" Trend Feels Problematic To Me As A Tan Asian Woman
- Meghan Markle Fashion Blogs Are Having A Major Moment — And Here's What It's Like To Run Them
- Dancehall Artist Spice's Alleged Skin Bleaching Speaks To A Larger Beauty Issue In Jamaica
- What My Morning Routine Is Like As A Trans Woman Who Wants To Be Properly Gendered
- Being Called 'Chubby' Made Me Hide By Body For Years, But Now I'm Showing It Off More Than Ever
- As A Biracial Woman With 4C Hair, Getting Braids For The First Time Was My Moment To Relish In Black Joy
Contact:
To pitch, contact Fashion & Beauty Features Editor, Kayla Greaves: kayla.greaves@bustle.com.
NEWS & POLITICS
We are currently accepting pitches for:
- Op-eds and essays (600 to 800 words) that are tied to the news of the day, to be filed same- or next-day.
- Reported pieces (must include at least 3 sources) tied to the news of the day, to be filed same- or next-day.
- Reported features in the areas of reproductive rights, gender equality, women in politics, crime, tech and business news, and more.
Examples of past freelance stories that have appeared on Bustle:
- I Can't Stop Thinking About Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's One-Piece Swimsuit
- My Iranian Family Was Helpless While My Uncle Died. Thanks To Trump, It Could Happen Again.
- I'm A Disabled Woman. Here's Why Ohio's Down Syndrome Abortion Ban Disgusts Me
- Senator Tammy Baldwin’s Mother Was Addicted To Opioids. She’s Ready To Tell You About It.
- MSU Is Trying To Pay Nassar Survivors A Fraction Of What It Paid Those Who Sued Earlier
- How This Migrant Shelter In Tijuana Supports Girls & Their Families As They Seek Asylum
Contact:
For timely news and politics op-ed pitches, Senior Editor Celia Darrough: celia+pitches@bustle.com
For timely reported pieces and news features, Deputy Editor Catherine Thompson: catherine.thompson+pitches@bustle.com.
