Writers' Guidelines

Polite Magazine is a cultural journal that doesn't conform to any theme/format other than "good writing." Here's what we're about: offbeat political coverage, articles about escaping from hippos in Tanzania, stories and comics profiling brilliant, fascinating (but ignored) people, dispatches from the ends of the earth (Antarctica!) and the gutter (prison!), eccentric columnists, non-publicist-driven cultural pieces, passionate and serious music writing, approachable, cutting-edge fiction, and a new generation of shoestring travel writing (= younger writers + less money + stranger destinations), all tied together by comics and an off-kilter, deadpan sensibility.

Polite publishes 3 regular issues and per year, in addition to a regularly updated, content-independent website at www.politemag.com. Feature stories (profiles, travel pieces, investigative pieces, fiction) run from 1500-4000 words. Front-of-the-book pieces (shorter takes on a range of topics) run from 300-1000 words. Web features can run from 100-1200 words. We rely on freelancers for much of our content generation, and are always happy to work with writers who are willing to put in the time and effort to craft a compelling story. We are also willing to work with writers who are shifty and lazy-eyed, with no visible means of support. There are times -- usually near what we writing types call "deadline" -- when we're short of content and will print anything that comes in. However, you've got a much better chance of being published if you follow these guidelines:

Tell a story, with someone other than yourself as the protagonist or primary actor. This is crucial. Your own experiences should not be the primary focus of the piece. They can relate tangentially, but, despite what your mother says, you are not the most interesting person in the room. Get out there and report on/write about something other than yourself.

Please think through your pitch before you send it to us. Don't just dash off two lines and ask if we're interested. If we see you've taken care in preparing your query, we'll be all the more likely to respond. Don't just send us a letter of introduction, either. We appreciate the support and we're sure you're talented, but, really, we get hundreds of these things, and if we've never heard of you before, odds are we're not just going to assign you a story. Unless you've got a really awesome name, like "Ulysses J. Superman," or "Johnny Wonder."

We are not interested in poetry, reviews, advice columns, stories on alternative healing, Q/A interviews, band profiles, rants, music reviews, charming tales about domestic life and growing old, or Lester Bangs/Hunter S. Thompson style ripoffs. That being said, there are exceptions to every rule – but you'd better make damn sure that you've got the goods. We are interested in articles debunking Mensa or picking fights with Marilyn vos Savant, stories from far-off distant lands, historical arcana, pieces about travel and spelunking, profiles of scientists and typographers, and free money. These are not the only things we are interested in, but you get the idea (and if you don't, then, frankly, Polite is not the place for you).

Correcting our grammar is not a way to curry our favor.

Please allow 2-4 weeks for a response, although sometimes we will be quicker and sometimes we will take much, much longer. Address all submissions to Features Editor James Linx. We can pay you nothing, although there may be T-shirts in the offing. All freelance pieces are submitted on spec; we pay no kill fee.