PopMatters seeks essays (1,200 to 3,000 words, usually) about any aspect of popular culture, present or past. (If you are interested in pitching a review of some specific current work or performance, please contact the appropriate reviews editor.) We prefer careful analysis of the chosen subject matter with the intention of supporting an original thesis; we aren't particularly interested in articles that merely want to promote their subject. An assessment of what ideological work a given pop culture phenomenon performs (i.e. what has allowed something to become popular, what's at stake in its popularity besides money, how it is situated in a historical or geographical context, etc.) is especially welcome. Ideally essays will draw on sophisticated interpretive strategies derived from a theoretically informed point of view but will be presented for a general reader in lively, accessible language.
For examples of the diversity of topics and range of approaches we welcome, please have a look at PopMatters features and columns archive.
Please e-mail pitches (100-250 words, including your subject, your prospective source material and the gist of your approach to it) you'd like us to consider along with a brief description of your writing background (with links to clips or published samples if possible) to Rob Horning at features at popmatters.com and Karen Zarker at features at popmatters.com.
Note: We are unable to pay you for your work at this time, but you will not go entirely uncompensated; your 'pay' is the opportunity to address our readership, currently 1 million-plus unique readers per month and counting. Some of our writers have been called upon for their opinion by such media outlets as the BBC, NPR, MSNBC, Radio Australia, and VH1. Also, USA Today.com, Alternet.org, and Movies.com have regularly picked up links to PopMatters articles and posted quotes from PopMatters writers.
