Sixty welcomes writers and artists of all experience levels and backgrounds to pitch ideas for traditional and experimental arts writing as well as creative writing around topics and practices that are relevant to the cultural landscapes of the Midwest.
Priority will be given to writing by, about, and for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ artists, artists with disabilities, and the long list of writing, art-making, and cultural practices that have been neglected in mainstream conversations and canons. We publish writing, photography, art, archive materials, video, and conversations that are thoughtful, generative, experimental, and relatable to our variety of readers. *Please note that we are not accepting poetry submissions at this time.
Please keep in mind that, no matter the topic or genre of your pitch, the subject still needs to have a tie to arts and culture, the Midwest region, and must prioritize Sixty’s communities.
Current Publishing Priorities
Coverage of arts and culture happening outside of Chicago in the Midwest
Description + Scope
Sixty aims to diversify our coverage in the Midwest by prioritizing arts coverage that focuses on specific locations around the Midwest, particularly cities/places that we have not covered before (or covered very infrequently). Sixty defines the Midwest as: Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and the tribal nations of the Midwest region. The writing itself can range in form, subject, language, etc, but we prefer this coverage to be written by folks that are based in these locations and who are embedded within these systems. The goal is to support writing from folks who have their feet on the ground in these art ecosystems, and therefore have a deep understanding of their community. Absolutely NO writing that discusses a place or community as if the writer is “surprised” that any art or diversity is there. No perpetuating stereotypes here.
Writing focusing on non-visual art media: music / performance / sound / film / book reviews
Description + Scope
Sixty’s current coverage tends to be dominated by visual art. In an effort to diversify the type of art we cover, we are looking for pitches that focus on the arts outside of visual art happening within the Midwest, such as: music, sound, performance (theatre or experimental), film, video art, and literature. This could range from book reviews, interviews with authors, performance reviews, album reviews, interviews with performance artists or musicians, reviews discussing the work of a sound artist, film reviews, a profile on an organization that supports sound artists, and more.
Interviews & oral histories with and of our art elders
Description + Scope
In an effort to honor and preserve the stories and voices of our elders within our (arts) communities, Sixty is prioritizing interviews with the elders in our (art) communities. Sixty aims to help steward these stories through publishing so that these stories do not become lost to history.
Coverage on places & platforms that have shuttered
Description + Scope
In the spirit of archiving and preservation, Sixty is prioritizing coverage of arts platforms, publications, galleries, and community organizations that have come and gone. The lifespan of artist-run spaces, DIY initiatives, and arts orgs in general are often short lived and precarious due to factors like funding and capacities. Even if these places are no longer around, we still believe in the importance of documenting and preserving the work that was done in order to honor their importance and impact as well as to ensure that future generations of artists and cultural workers can learn from them and remember.
What we’re looking for:
We are interested in various formats, including essays/profiles about places/publications that have shuttered as well as interviews with the folks who ran and/or who were involved with the publications/places. Subjects could include, but are not limited to, the following: Dovetail Magazine, Ruckus Journal, Apparatus Projects, ABSTRACT (former online arts journal based in Indianapolis), Monaco (former gallery, St. Louis), Temporary Art Review/MARCH (St. Louis). We are also interested in pitches whose subject is a publication/place that has shuttered that we do not yet know about.
Bilingual Writing + Comix
Description + Scope
Sixty would like to continue to publish content in languages beyond English. Spanish is the most common language spoken outside of English and the most translated language Sixty has accomplished since launching Sesenta in 2022. (census state language data) We have also expanded to publish other languages based on pitches received during bilingual open calls. So far we have published Oneida, Traditional Chinese, Hindi, Gujarati, French, and Portuguese, and we want to continue to represent the many languages spoken across the Midwest.
Photo Essays
Description + Scope
In order to continue providing an in-depth look at the intersection of arts, archives, and culture within this political moment in the Midwest, Sixty is prioritizing photo-essays (a collection of images that work together to tell a story or explore a theme) that illuminates the relation between the personal and the political. We are interested in photo essays that provide deeper understanding into the lives of Midwestern artists, archivists, curators, and organizers who activate art for political and liberatory ways.
Notes on Pitching:
We accept pitches on an ongoing basis and pay all writers. Sixty Inches From Center pays a standard rate of $150 per article to writers, photographers, and illustrators, unless otherwise indicated. For interview transcriptions, we pay $1 per minute transcribed. Payments go out on the 10th of the month. All contributors must send us an invoice and W9 Form to be paid, and will receive payment after publication. Partnerships are exceptions to this standard. If Sixty is partnering with an organization on articles, the pay rate may be increased. Check with your editor if you aren’t sure.
Our editorial team meets twice a month to go through pitches. Please note that if your pitch isn’t accepted initially, we’ll often ask for clarification or revision rather than discarding the pitch altogether.
Pitches are accepted based on the following criteria:
- Relevance to Sixty’s communities — is this article heightening or exploring the narratives, art, and histories of disabled, Black, Indigenous, immigrant, or LGBTQIA+ people, as well as any other historically marginalized people? Is it based in the Midwest?
- Thoughtfulness of a pitch — what is the scope and angle for this pitch? How does the author intend to cover their given topic? What is the culture being perpetuated by this subject and coverage of it? Try to give us as many details as you can up front.
To submit your pitch please complete the form below. If you have any additional questions, you can email us at WriteForSixty@sixtyinchesfromcenter.org. Please allow 7-14 days for a response to your pitch.
Editorial Process:
Once a pitch is accepted, writers have free access to our editors, transcribers, translators, photographers, and illustrators to support the creation, development, and completion of the final piece. The work of photographers or illustrators outside of Sixty is allowed upon approval from Sixty’s Visuals Editor. All written submissions must be open to editorial feedback.
Upon acceptance, an editor will be assigned to work with a writer, who will then send their piece to the editor as a Google Doc. The editor will go through and make suggestions for house-style, clarity, and style. Once this is completed, the writer will go through and accept suggestions as they see fit.
Please note that publication-readiness is at the editor’s discretion. If an author does not accept required edits, we may withhold publication until those edits are completed. Each editor has slightly different processes, but please note that many of us are highly collaborative and we request that you enter into this partnership open to this collaboration.