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 generally accept the following pitches:
- 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 do not accept pitches for:
- Reading lists
- Reviews
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, for books pitches *only*: cristina+pitches@bustle.com
LIFESTYLE
We generally accept the following types of pitches:
- Personal essays and reported pieces (reported pieces must include at least 3 sources) about health, mental health, relationships, and identity.
We also accept pitches for potential inclusion in Living With, a series that looks at the diverse impacts of living with chronic illness.
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
ENTERTAINMENT
We generally accept the following pitches:
- 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
FASHION & BEAUTY
Bustle is not currently accepting fashion or beauty freelance pitches.
