Official information
Overview
- Publication
- Longreads
- Eligibility
- Official page: original nonfiction from writers and journalists around the world.
- Writing
- Reported feature
- Payment
- From 50 cents per word
- Currency
- USD
- Payment conditions
- Official page: rates start at 50 cents per word, depending on the amount of reporting and research. There is no single fixed fee. Researched/critical essay pitches are listed separately on the same page as starting at $500 depending on reporting and length — that is not this card.
- When paid
- Net-60. The official page says payment is often processed sooner.
- Word count
- No hard limit stated. Official guideline for most published features: 2,000–6,000 words — a guideline, not a rule.
- Response time
- They generally only reply if interested
- Status
- Open
- Deadline
- Not publicly stated
- How to submit
- Email pitch
- AI policy
- AI-generated work prohibited
What they want
- Pitches for profiles, dispatches, narrative reportage, oral histories and other reported features.
- The shape of the story (structure, style, scenes, characters).
- A reporting plan, including sourcing.
- Something about you and clips of previously published work.
- Why Longreads is the home for the story.
- Subject line: Reported Feature + topic.
What they don't want
- Generative AI writing or editing.
- Fiction.
- A thin pitch with no reporting plan.
Requirements
- Email pitch to hello@longreads.com
- Subject includes Reported Feature and the topic
- Reporting plan and clips
Rights
Not publicly stated on the official submissions page.
How to submit
- Email hello@longreads.com with subject Reported Feature + topic.
- They generally reply only if interested. Simultaneous submissions are encouraged.
Official source
Longreads — Submissions (official)
Last verified 2026-08-19. Always re-read the official page before you send work.
Information can change. Payment rates, submission requirements, eligibility, deadlines and response times are subject to change. Always check the publication's official guidelines before submitting. BRYME verifies listings as carefully as possible but does not guarantee acceptance or payment.