Call for Pitches: My Secret Obsession
We’re looking for stories about the weirdest things you or someone you know has gotten into and how it turned your life upside down, brought unexpected joy or changed the path of their career forever.
Hello subscribers! We’re issuing a new call for pitches, My Secret Obsession, in which we’re searching for compelling stories about real people with secret obsessions or unconventional infatuations. Preferably these people will have taken their obsessions to a degree that disrupts their life in some way, affecting themselves, their families, their jobs, their living situations, etc. People who belong to or have taken part in subcultures that are little-known, taboo or unheard of, and as a result, have had their world upended or received unfathomable joy they never foresaw.
Stories will offer an eye-opening look at the human side of obsession — exploring the how and why of what makes these quirky characters and communities tick, plus the lengths people are willing to go to to keep their obsessions under wraps and/or how their obsessions have lasting effects, positive or negative.
Ever know someone who got so obsessed with a stranger’s cold case that they lost all their friends as a result? Have you had a neighbor who started rescuing stray cats at an unhealthy level, causing your whole block to turn against him and resulting in an ugly lawsuit? Was it you who rescued hundreds of cats and had your whole neighborhood confront you publicly?
Some examples of the types of stories we’re looking for:
My Unhealthy Obsession with My Dead Middle School Crush: We barely knew each other as kids, but years later I was still so fixated about his death that I got a tattoo of his name. At 30, I decided it was finally time to figure out why.
Meet the People Who Believe They’ve Traveled to a Past Life: Christopher was an ancient Egyptian prisoner. Stephanie's dating the man who had her murdered. They and many others swear by the controversial benefits of past-life regression.
What It’s Like to Have a Hypnosis Fetish: When I first realized the idea of mind control turned me on, I was shocked and embarrassed. But then I found the hypnokink community.
The Revival of a Bloodthirsty Obsession: Leeches were once a popular medical treatment for everything from headaches to hemorrhages. Now a subculture of true believers is reclaiming this ancient practice.
The more unique and unheard of the better, with bonus points for finding the comedy and joy in unlikely circumstances. And as always, we’re particularly interested in pitches about people from underrepresented groups.
These can be first-person pieces about your own experience or reported stories. Pay starts at $750 with room to go up for more ambitious stories.
Word Count: We’re looking for stories around the same length as our typical features, between 3,000 and 6,000 words, but we’re not prescriptive and it can absolutely vary if a piece calls for something longer or shorter.
Pitches due: Thursday, February 13, 2025
Wondering how to write a pitch that gets our editors’ attention? Don’t miss longtime editorial director Brendan’s story, “The 3 Best Pitches I Ever Received,” where he shares the full text of three very successful Narratively pitches, along with some insider tips about how to pitch your own story.
Hi there, I have a really great pitch idea, but I only saw your call after the deadline. Are you still open to taking pitches? It seems that the Submittable form has expired, but I'd love to share you my pitch, should there be interest. Thank you.
Oh hey! Happy to see you’re on Substack. (I’ve only been on for 3 weeks, still finding magazines & presses I follow in other formats) ❤️