Publication: The Metropole
Topic(s): City branding, urban marketing, tourism economies, real estate, urban history, infrastructure & cultural identity
Rate: $200 per article
Submit Via: (Join Sure Media Agency for submission details)

The Metropole is commissioning pitches for its upcoming theme issue “Selling the City,” focused on how cities are packaged, marketed, and monetized across history and the present.

Writers are expected to explore how urban spaces are shaped by branding strategies, tourism economies, infrastructure development for commerce, and the financialization of real estate. Strong submissions will connect contemporary case studies with historical precedents of cities actively constructing their public image or “selling” their identity.

Pitches should be 1–2 paragraphs, clearly framed around the “selling the city” theme, and demonstrate awareness of relevant secondary scholarship. Authors are expected to reference both academic and journalistic sources where appropriate, and may strengthen submissions through primary source research (archival material, planning documents, promotional campaigns, or historical records of urban development).

Accepted contributors will develop 1,000–1,500 word essays with Chicago-style footnotes, plus a strong visual package including a header image and 2–3 captioned, credited images. A short author bio is required.

This is a niche but high-signal opportunity for writers in urban studies, cultural reporting, and longform analytical essay writing. Strong angle selection is key—editorial focus is on narrative authority and conceptual clarity.