Magic at the Margins is an ad-free subscription community and digital newsletter hosted and founded by Feed The Malik. Magic at the Margins publishes and shares content that is both unique and inclusive, exploring history, culture, nuance, and/or identity through the lens of food and beverage. Magic at the Margins also explores essential skills related to food and beverage, from mixology to knife skills.
Magic at the Margins welcomes freelance contributors interested in crafting original and relevant written pieces for the newsletter.
Pay is $1/per word, capped at $1,000 per piece, for stories that fit our community themes. Most pieces are 800-1000 words.
Feel free to pitch topics from practical skills, like how to dice an onion to historical significance, such as the history of Black veganism. Below are samples of some pieces that were previously published in Magic at the Margins or fit the themes of the community. Please explore these before pitching.
Pitch Guidelines
Have an idea that seems fitting for Magic at the Margins? Send us your original pitch—one that has not been previously published, lifted from a press release, or other source—using this form.
Please do not submit:
Previously published works
Restaurant reviews
Trend pieces
Listicles
Recipes
Explainer: Community Input On Selection
Feed The Malik deliberately engages its digital community in the process of project planning and selection, including for pitches sent into Magic at the Margins. This transparency is essential for Magic at the Margins to continue to grow, and to fund efforts like above-average payment to writers.
By submitting a pitch, you are acknowledging that a brief and general summary of your pitch may be shared with the Feed The Malik community to solicit input from the community.
For example: The Feed The Malik community might be told simply that pitches for this month include one on a scandal at Pizza Hut or a piece on food, class, and sausages, and asked which they prefer.
Notifications
We evaluate and select pitches on a rolling basis. If your pitch is selected, expect to hear back by the 15th of the month following your submission. Given the volume of pitches we receive, if your pitch was not selected you will not be notified. In addition, we do not have the capacity to provide feedback on individual pitches.