Publication: Black Girl Times (BGX)
Topics: Black women, Southern culture, identity, community, politics, activism, lifestyle, culture, television, music, art, books, personal essays
Rate (USD): $0.25–$0.50 per word
Deadline: Rolling submissions
Editor: Black Girl Times editorial team
Submit Via: Email — BGX@loveblackgirls.org
Black Girl Times (BGX) is looking for freelance writers, storytellers, journalists, and content creators to contribute thought-provoking stories for Black women and girls in the Southeast and the people who love them.
The publication wants original, high-quality work that explores the experiences, identities, triumphs, disappointments, struggles, growth, and cultural lives of Black women and girls in the South and beyond.
BGX is particularly interested in stories that can deepen readers’ understanding of Black Southern communities while using narrative, perspective, and voice to contribute to cultural conversations.
For visual contributors, BGX also accepts art, including graphic design, cartoons, and photo essays, with payment of up to $250.
What Black Girl Times Is Looking For
BGX wants stories rooted in the lived experiences and realities of Black Southern women and girls. Strong submissions can explore personal growth, community issues, schools, government, culture, identity, activism, and other subjects affecting Black communities.
The publication also welcomes cultural criticism covering television, music, art, and books, particularly when the work examines how these forms of culture influence people and communities in the Southeast.
Writers do not necessarily need professional credentials in a particular subject, but relevant expertise or lived experience can strengthen a pitch. For example, BGX highlights the value of doulas writing about maternal health, activists discussing advocacy, career coaches covering job searches, and cultural critics analyzing music or film.
If you do not have direct expertise, BGX recommends having qualified experts available to interview on the record.
Pitching Guidelines
Make your pitch clear and concise
Lead with the proposed headline and explain the central idea quickly. Editors should be able to understand what the story is, why it matters, and why BGX readers should care.
Center Southern Black women and girls
The South should be an important part of the story. If you are writing about a broader issue, explain its specific impact on Black women and girls in the Southeast.
For example, a pitch about recent unemployment statistics should examine what those numbers mean for Black women and girls in Southern communities rather than simply repeating the national conversation.
Bring cultural criticism
BGX welcomes thoughtful criticism and analysis of television, music, art, and books. Strong pitches should go beyond reviewing a work and explore how it affects culture, identity, representation, or the broader community.
Demonstrate that you can execute the idea
Include links to relevant examples of your previous work. Choose clips that demonstrate a similar style, tone, subject, or format to the story you are pitching.
Strong clips can give an editor confidence that you can successfully execute the proposed story.
What BGX Does Not Want
Social media roundups are not a substitute for reporting and interviews. BGX expects contributors to speak with real people and conduct substantive reporting where appropriate.
The publication also wants actionable advice rather than arguments that leave readers wondering what to do next.
For example, if you argue that social media creates harmful spaces for Black women, consider providing practical strategies that readers can use to navigate those spaces.
You can also review BGX’s visual guidance through its examples of content it does not accept and examples illustrating its expectations for useful advice.
Black Girl Times Pays Freelance Writers
BGX pays writers $0.25 to $0.50 per word, with the final rate depending on factors including experience, skill, and other considerations.
Visual contributors can earn up to $250 for art such as graphic design, cartoons, and photo essays.
BGX aims to pay contributors within 30 days. After edits are completed, the editor submits a payment request and payment is sent electronically.
Contributors should inquire about registering with BGX’s payment system after their pitch has been approved.
Paper checks may also be arranged, although contributors who choose this option should expect payment to be delayed.
How to Pitch Black Girl Times
When you are ready to submit, email BGX@loveblackgirls.org.
Put PITCH in the subject line of your submission email.
Your pitch should clearly communicate the story idea, center Black women and girls in the South where relevant, demonstrate your expertise or identify the experts you plan to interview, and include relevant writing samples.
You can also view BGX’s 2024 calendar thank-you graphic and photo collage and the publication’s decorative tape graphic from its submission guidelines.
If your story brings a fresh, well-reported, culturally meaningful perspective on the lives of Black women and girls in the South, BGX could be a strong publication to pitch.
