Publication: Leaves (by Raazi Tea)
Topic(s): Tea culture, first flush tea, spring renewal, ritual, food writing, personal essays, poetry, tea farming, tea recipes
Rate: $100–$140 USD per piece
Deadline: 30 December 2025 (9:00 a.m. ET)
Name of Editor: Not specified
Submit Via: Email (leaves@raazi.co — note: .co, not .com)

Leaves, a quarterly print zine produced by Brooklyn-based small-batch tea brand Raazi Tea, is open to pitches for Volume 5, themed “First Flush.”

“First flush” refers to the highly prized first harvest of tea leaves after winter dormancy. For this issue, Leaves is commissioning thoughtful, reflective, and creatively grounded writing that explores tea and tea culture through the lens of spring, renewal, ritual, rarity, and beginnings—whether literal, cultural, or metaphorical.

Writers are encouraged to approach the theme expansively. Strong pitches may include deeply personal narratives, reported cultural features, or experimental formats, as long as the connection to first flush and renewal is clear and intentional.

What They’re Looking For

Leaves welcomes both emerging and experienced writers. You do not need a major byline to pitch—clarity of thought, originality, and voice matter more than résumé prestige.

Accepted contributors will work through a collaborative editing process with multiple rounds of edits. Leaves Volume 5 will be released in Spring 2026, and all contributors receive a complimentary print copy.

Accepted Formats

• Personal essays
• Reported features on contemporary tea culture (farmers, ceramicists, teahouses)
• Recipes using tea
• Poetry
• Short lists, taxonomies, and experimental formats

Visual Contributions

Illustrators and visual artists may submit portfolios to be paired with accepted written pieces.
Final artwork size: 5.75” x 8”

Pay Rates

• Flat fee: $100–$140 USD, depending on format, length, and complexity
• Word count: 300–1,500 words
• Recipes and poems may be shorter

Submission Guidelines (Read Carefully)

Email: leaves@raazi.co
Subject Line:

• WRITING PITCH — Last Name
• VISUALS PITCH — Last Name

Include in your email body (no attachments for written pitches):

• A short bio
• Links to relevant published or personal work (blogs welcome)
• The full pitch written directly in the email
• Multiple pitches may be included in one email

For Non-Fiction Writing Pitches

• Sample headline
• Estimated word count
• 2–4 sentences clearly explaining your angle and argument
• For reported pieces: include potential sources

For Visual Contributors

• Link to your website, Instagram, or portfolio
• If no online portfolio is available, attach a small selection of images