Call for submissions
Key Dates:
Submissions open March 7
Submissions close April 6
NGALI GARIMA MALLA JUGUN
(we look after this Country)
Through a new editorial partnership, Right Now and Groundswell are platforming stories that explore the intersection of climate change and human rights, pertaining to First Nations justice. ‘NGALI GARIMA MALLA JUGUN’ is a series of pieces rolled out from May to August 2023 led by First Nations Editor Phoebe McIlwraith.
SEEKING SUBMISSIONS
For previously unpublished non-fiction, personal essays, experimental non-fiction, opinion pieces and interviews [maximum 1000 words] from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytellers.The tone should be personal; using local and lived histories to ground big conversations. See Phoebe McIlwraith on ‘Dancing with Country’ and Teila Watson on ‘Ecocide and Genocide’ to give you a sense of what we’re looking for.
SHARING BUDJARAM (story)
Climate justice is First Nations justice – our voices, guidance and governance are integral to climate-safe futures, where Country is healthy and people can thrive. Come story the journeys our Old People began for us, journeys of listening to Country and leaving behind better for all jarjum (children) to come.
WIHYA- (talk) TO US
What do you love about your Country? Are there stories or places you can share?
How do we see climate impacting these places, our places, us?
What yarns are missing from the conversation – culture/colonisation/sovereignty?
How do we talk about climate and human rights on our own terms – connecting global conversations to millennia-old environmental leadership and care?
SUBMISSION POLICY
Send submissions to phoebe@northbutsouthhh.com
Submissions must include your name, contact details, a brief cover letter, 50-100 word third-person bio and (optionally) your social media handles.
Successful submissions will work with First Nations Editor Phoebe McIlwraith and be published on Right Now and Groundswell. The fee for each piece is $500.
You must warrant that your work is original and does not breach copyright nor defame any person. Right Now will not publish material that is untrue, seeks to defame or is discriminatory in any way.
Phoebe McIlwraith is a Bundjalung and Worimi Saltwater dubay/galbaan. She has been a writer and consultant for groups such as Common Ground First Nations, Indigenous X, Groundswell, Adobe Australia and the North Face.
Right Now is a platform for independent pieces that focus on underreported human rights issues in compelling and creative ways that are relevant to our everyday lives.
Groundswell is a community made to accelerate and amplify climate action. Through engaging with their community of donors Groundswell funds strategic and high impact climate advocacy.
Want to write for Right Now Magazine?
We’re looking for pitches on human rights issues in Australia.
We focus on the coverage of current issues through a variety of forms, including:
- Opinion and analysis
- Journalism
- Interviews
- Fiction and poetry
- Reviews of events, books, music and exhibitions
- Multimedia: photography, artwork, video and audio including spoken word
Style
Right Now seeks to make the ideas and language of human rights more accessible. With that in mind, avoid legal jargon and explain any legal concepts that may not be familiar to the general reader. Avoid footnotes and endnotes. Please assume you are writing for a non-expert but interested readership.
Writing should be no longer than 1000 words. If you have an idea for a longer piece of work that is more than 1,000 words please pitch it to us first.
Can I submit an unsolicited contribution?
Yes. We’re happy to read and review work that conforms to these guidelines but you will get a quicker response if you send a brief pitch outlining your idea.
If this is the first time you have contributed to Right Now, have a look around the site to make sure we’re the right media outlet for you and your work.
How long should I wait for a response?
Between 1-2 weeks. Right Now is run by a team of volunteers and we’re not always able to respond immediately. If you haven’t heard from us in 2 weeks, please remind us you submitted something.
Payment
Right Now is a not-for-profit media organisation. We are an independent, volunteer-run organisation, without any ongoing funding at present or incoming revenue, which means, although we’d love to, we cannot pay all of our contributors at this time.
Occasionally we are successful in obtaining grants and can, therefore, offer a small monetary payment for pieces. If you are interested in writing on a particular area but need certain funds to support you to develop your piece, please send a pitch to our editors.
Copyright
Copyright remains with the author. If you are interested in republishing any of the work published on our website, get in touch with us.
How to submit
Send pitches and submissions to submissions@rightnow.org.au
Include your name, contact details, a short bio, and your Twitter account if you have one.
You must warrant that your work is original and does not breach copyright nor defame any person. Right Now will not publish material that is untrue, seeks to defame or is discriminatory in any way.
Comments policy
We welcome comments of all kinds – positive, critical, questioning or otherwise. But we reserve the right to review comments before we make them visible on the site. We will not publish comments that:
- Are defamatory, abusive, or discriminatory
- Promote hate of any kind
- Attack the writer and not the argument
- Are blatantly off-topic
- Do not constructively contribute to the discussion
- Mislead through impersonation
- Are longer than 250 words
Repeat offenders will be blocked from using the comments function on the site.
We ask readers to comment responsibly. If you see a comment that violates our comments policy, or if your comment has not been published within a reasonable time, please let us know.