What we’re after

Overland is always looking for nonfiction pieces, especially for its online magazine. We update the pitch page with 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 600 and 1000 words) to us via our submissions page. We pay $120 for published online pieces.

Politics

What’s the deal? 

Trump infamously tweeted this month that the agreement between Australia and the US to ‘swap’ refugees was a ‘dumb deal’. Under the (vaguely known) terms of this agreement, people in Australian offshore detention camps will be taken to the US and, in return, Australia will receive Central American refugees from Costa Rican camps.

Not to give the nod to one of Trump’s racism-fuelled twitter bombs, but this sounds like a dumb deal. What is the purpose, and human cost, of playing a chess game with refugees’ lives?

The New Far Right? 

The political right is on the march globally and Australia is no exception. Local phenomena including Pauline Hanson and One Nation’s rise from the political ashes, and even ‘rogue’ SA Senator Cory Bernardi’s defection from the Liberal Party to his own ‘New Australian Conservatives’ party, are cause for both alarm and mockery.

But are we really going further right? Or just dressing up and renaming time-worn Australian trends?

Culture

No more faking it

‘Rogue’ Queensland MP Bob Katter introduced a Private Members Bill to Parliament this month, the Competition and Consumer Amendment (Exploitation of Indigenous Culture) Bill 2017. Its aim is to penalise companies for selling or importing fake Indigenous art and craft. This was off the back of a campaign launched by The Arts Law Centre at the Darwin Art Fair last year, Fake Art Harms Culture.

Can Indigenous art knock offs be policed? What is the impact of their proliferation in the market on Indigenous artists and communities?

There’s something up with music festival culture

But what is it? That some festivals reduce ‘drop-out’ culture to an aesthetic object that costs $450 and lasts for three days? That bush doofs breed conspiracy politics? That some dudes at ConFest just need to get their gear back on? Or are we just uptight?

Tell us.

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.

How to pitch 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!