Overland is always looking for nonfiction pieces, especially for its online magazine. Each week, we will list particular subjects that seem interesting – though we consider pitches on any topics. Most of all, we’re looking for thoughtful, provocative and argumentative articles, pieces that will provoke discussion and debate. You can pitch to us on one of the topics below, or submit completed articles (of between 500 and 1000 words) to us via our submissions page. We pay $70 for online articles.

At the moment, these topics seem worth investigating:

Journalism
Fairfax have just announced they are cutting ‘the equivalent of 120 full-time jobs’ in news and business editorial at The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. What does this say about the current state of the news business?

In response to the announcements, journalists at multiple Fairfax papers have now gone on strike and many have called for an electronic picket on Fairfax sites – action which is unprotected by the Fair Work Act. How does this reflect on industrial relations laws in Australia?

Food
Talk about a ‘sugar tax’ has bubbled up again thanks to new laws passed in the UK imposing a new levy on soft drink. What do you think about the idea? 

Migration
New laws in the UK will mean any foreign workers from outside the EU will need to earn at least £35,000 a year to settle permanently in the UK. This will disproportionately affect arts workers, itinerant workers, migrants and refugees. Are you living and working in the UK? What does this mean for the cultural industry there? What might it mean for migration and asylum policies in general? 

Television
Fans of the TV show The 100 were so angry when a queer character was killed off earlier this year that they started a fundraising campaign. Was her fate part of a broader pattern of queer character trajectories in television?

The law
New South Wales has just increased penalties for protesting, aimed at stifling the anti-coal-seam-gas movement, to $5,500 for trespass and up to seven years’ jail. Why?

Note, though: we are open to pitches on any subject.

If you have a completed article, follow the links on the submission page to send it to us.

If you want to pitch an article, we ask you to do so through our online submission system. Overland relies on its subscribers for support: subscribers should use this link to pitch; non-subscribers should use this one.

The submission system will ask you to explain your proposed article in around 100 words and should address the following: What will your piece be about and why are you the person to write it? How will your article be different from other writing on the subject? When will you be able to send the finished piece?

Make sure that your deadline is realistic – if we accept your pitch, we are committing to publishing the article only so long as we receive publishable copy by the specified time and date.

If you can provide links to examples of your writing (whether in other publications or on your own site), please do so.

We look forward to hearing from you!