How to Pitch to AP Marvel!
(May 2020: Pitches are currently closed!)
AP Marvel is looking for unique perspectives from the Marvel Cinematic Universe fanbase! We would like to pay guests for written pieces and essays. If you are thinking about pitching to us, please keep the following in mind:
Who are we looking for pitches from?
This publication is focused on putting voices from marginalized communities on the forefront. We’re looking from pitches from women, queer people, people of color, disabled people, and people of various faiths.
Of course, the above point doesn’t necessarily disqualify cisgendered heterosexual white men — but you’re going to need to have a wholly original idea to pitch. We are also looking for writers of various expertises, including but not limited to STEM, the arts, filmmaking, and practically any academic field — AP Marvel stems from a college course, after all.
What are we looking for in pitches?
AP Marvel does not do traditional news coverage, and we are instead focused on thoughtful analysis and artistic expression relating to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and superhero film/television/fiction in general.
While our AP Marvel weekly podcast does deep dives on topics like queer themes and ethnic representation, for example, we want guest pieces to hone in on something more specific. We aren’t interested in a broad critical analysis on the lack of queer representation in the MCU, but perhaps a piece on a particular character or relationship instead.
What is something that you feel everyone has been missing when discussing the MCU on social media? Pitches should explore spaces in the fandom and discourse that are unfounded, or at the very least only lightly touched — don’t feel the need to only discuss marginalized communities and spaces just because you may be a part of one.
You’ll certainly catch our attention if you give us a pitch that is personal and something that could only come from yourself. Perhaps you want to describe a unique experience, phenomenon, or story you’ve had with the MCU or superhero fiction, an experience that might be relatable, yet hasn’t been told or published by mainstream outlets.
For an example of what type of piece we’d be looking for, here’s AP Marvel’s first guest piece:
Spider-Man: Far From Home is Native Advertising for United Airlines
What should a pitch look like?
Start off by introducing yourself; don’t feel you have to be overly formal! We’d like to hear who you are and why you want to write for AP Marvel in a couple of sentences, followed by a brief sentence or two of what you want to pitch to us.
Get into the depths of what you want your argument will be. This should be one or two paragraphs, but if you can effectively express your idea in a brief and concise manner, the better chance your pitch has. Be sure to emphasize what makes this piece unique and why you are are the person to create it.
Be sure to include links to any relevant clips and pieces you have; we only accept original pieces and not pre-written ones, but we’d like to get an idea of what your voice, style, and level of expertise are like. Be sure to include social media links you are comfortable sharing with us.
Email pitches to editors@apmarvel.com with the subject line “AP Marvel Pitch: [Essay] — [Title]”. We intend to respond to every pitch, whether it is an acceptance, rejection, or deferral due to a lack of funds on our end.
How will pay work?
Payments will be done through PayPal, so we ask that you make sure that is a viable option before pitching; please include any concerns about PayPal in your email and we’ll be sure to work it out.
As of this writing, guests will be paid $50 after their piece is published; if we accept a pitch that may require more work (i.e. interviews), pay may be negotiable.
Who can I contact for more questions?
Chris Compendio is the Editor-in-Chief (chris@apmarvel.com), along with co-editors Izzy Sio (izzy@apmarvel.com) and Sabrina Clarke (sabrina@apmarvel.com). You can also send questions to editors@apmarvel.com if you want to reach all three of us. We’ll be doing our darndest to respond to every inquiry.
How many pitches will you accept?
That entirely depends on how much money we raise through our Patreon campaign; the more Patrons we get, the more pitches we can accept on a monthly basis. Generally, we’ll respond to pitches by the middle of each month, but follow us on social media and check back on this page for more exact dates. Once we have enough funds, we’d also love to open up pitches to visual art, comics, and fanfiction.
We’re super excited to hear from all of you!
