25 Themed Nonfiction Calls for March 2025

If you're a writer looking for new submission opportunities, March 2025 brings a variety of calls for essays, articles, and creative nonfiction. From deeply personal reflections to thought-provoking analyses, these outlets cover a wide range of themes and offer competitive pay. Here's a look at 25 themed nonfiction calls to consider submitting to this month.

1. Cake Zine: Forbidden Fruit

Theme: Essays, personal stories, or creative pieces centered around the concept of "forbidden fruit." This could explore temptation, indulgence, vice, or even taboo. Both literal and metaphorical interpretations of forbidden fruit are welcome.

Payment: $125-$300

Pitch Deadline: March 24, 2025

Link: Cake Zine

2. Betches: Late Bloomers

Theme: This call seeks essays about milestones or experiences that happened later in life—whether that’s late first kisses, late career changes, or personal breakthroughs that didn’t fit the typical timeline. Celebrate the beauty of doing things in your own time.

Payment: $250-$400

Link: Betches

3. Rooted in Rights: Disability Survival Strategies

Theme: Rooted in Rights is looking for 500-word blog submissions that highlight survival strategies used by disabled individuals. They are particularly interested in experiences, tips, and solutions that promote resilience in the face of challenges.

Payment: $400

Link: Rooted in Rights

4. Business Insider: Personal Essays

Theme: Business Insider is accepting personal essays on a variety of topics, such as older parenthood, the relationship dynamics of millionaires, Tesla drivers’ experiences, and stories of name changes. If you’ve lived through a compelling personal experience tied to any of these themes, this could be the right fit.

Payment: From $250-$500 for 600 words

Link: Business Insider

5. Business Insider: Big Career Changes

Theme: This submission call focuses on the huge transformations people go through after quitting, losing, or changing careers. If you’ve made a significant life or career change and have a personal story to share, this is an opportunity to pitch your experience.

Payment: $240+

Link: Business Insider

6. Motley Bloom: Beauty

Theme: Motley Bloom is looking for articles that discuss beauty from the perspective of neurodivergent individuals. Submissions can explore topics like makeup, self-love, neurodiversity in the beauty industry, and the impact of nature on beauty.

Payment: $300-$500

Link: Motley Bloom

7. Military.com: War Movie Analyses

Theme: Military.com seeks thoughtful analyses of war movies. Writers can delve into how these films portray military experiences, the complexities of war, and their cultural impact.

Payment: $400

Link: Military.com

8. Bright Wall/Dark Room: Community

Theme: This film-focused publication is looking for essays on how films portray community dynamics. Whether it's exploring the ties that bind or the fractures within communities, they want in-depth reflections on community as depicted on screen.

Payment: $100

Pitch Deadline: March 31, 2025

Link: Bright Wall/Dark Room

9. Kitchen Work: Cities

Theme: Kitchen Work is seeking essays that explore cities through the lens of food. Whether it’s about urban markets, local cuisine, or cooking experiences within a specific city, they want creative and vibrant takes on how cities influence food culture.

Payment: $0.20/word

Pitch Deadline: March 15, 2025

Link: Kitchen Work

10. The New York Times: Modern Love

Theme: Modern Love continues to look for personal essays that touch on love, relationships, and the evolving complexities of romance in the modern world. They accept essays on all aspects of love, including romantic, familial, and platonic.

Payment: For accepted work (negotiated based on the story’s length)

Submission Period: March-June 2025

Link: Modern Love

11. The Atavist: Endings

Theme: The Atavist is looking for long-form narrative nonfiction that explores how different cultures, individuals, or institutions deal with endings—whether that’s the end of a relationship, a life, or a particular phase of life.

Payment: $1 per word

Link: The Atavist

12. Electric Literature: What Are You Reading?

Theme: Electric Literature is asking for essays on the books, authors, or genres that have shaped your reading habits. Writers are encouraged to explore the personal connection they have with the books they love.

Payment: $100-$150

Link: Electric Literature

13. Lenny Letter: Feminism and Popular Culture

Theme: Lenny Letter is seeking essays that analyze the intersection of feminism with contemporary pop culture. Writers can examine current events, films, books, or trends through a feminist lens.

Payment: Negotiated upon acceptance

Link: Lenny Letter

14. The Rumpus: Craft Essays

Theme: The Rumpus accepts craft essays about writing and literature. They’re looking for personal stories, reflections, and advice about the craft of writing.

Payment: $150

Link: The Rumpus

15. The Manifest-Station: Personal Narratives

Theme: The Manifest-Station invites essays that focus on personal narratives. Whether you’ve overcome an obstacle, navigated a significant life change, or learned something new, they want your personal story told through a narrative lens.

Payment: $100

Link: The Manifest-Station

These 25 calls for submissions are an exciting mix of themes and genres that offer writers a chance to get their work published and paid for in March 2025. Whether you have a personal story to share, a film analysis to offer, or an exploration of beauty from a unique perspective, there’s an opportunity here for you. Be sure to follow each outlet's guidelines, as they may have specific pitch or submission requirements.

Don’t miss out on these opportunities—start drafting your submissions today!