What we publish
We publish profiles, interviews, reported features, essays, and — most often — analyses and explainers, all viewed through the lens of technology's effect on human experience, culture, the arts and how we work. Every piece should hold up as a historical record: something a reader could pick up in two or three years and still find true, not just accurate as of publication.
Pieces run at least 3,000 words. Beyond that, write as long as the story needs.
What we don't publish
We don't run news. If a piece depends on this week's news cycle to make sense, it isn't a fit here. We also don't publish listicles or anything promotional. If you're pitching on behalf of a brand or have a commercial interest in the subject, that's a conversation for partnerships@secondchapter.to, not an editorial pitch.
How to pitch
Send your pitch to submissions@secondchapter.to. We accept query pitches only — we don't take unsolicited full drafts.
Keep the pitch itself to 300 words or fewer, structured as follows:
Include writing samples with your pitch — links or attached PDFs, your choice. Pick pieces that show you can write at the length and depth we publish at. If you've pitched this idea elsewhere, tell us. It won't disqualify you — we just want to know.
What happens next
We aim to respond within a few days. If your pitch is a fit, we'll follow up to discuss it further; if it isn't, we'll let you know instead of leaving you waiting.
Once a piece is commissioned, expect as many rounds of editing as it takes to meet our standard — this isn't a one-pass process. We'll also need everything required to fact-check the piece thoroughly before it runs, so have your notes, recordings and sources ready to share.
Compensation, rights and expenses
For writers whose primary income is from their writing, we pay a freelance fee. For all others, we pay an honorarium. We pay competitive rates, agreed per piece before you start writing. If a commissioned piece requires travel — an in-person interview, for example — we cover reasonable expenses; agree these with us in advance. Rights and kill-fee terms are confirmed individually per commission.
Opinion
Opinion pieces sit alongside our reported and analytical work, but they're a different kind of writing: not a reported piece with a viewpoint attached, but an argument, built on expertise and clearly stated, about where technology is taking us. The same standard applies — it should hold up as more than a reaction to the moment, and it should show you know what Second Chapter is.