Call for Submissions: McSweeney's Internet Tendency

Dear writers,

All of the satire and comedy we publish on this website comes from complete strangers such as yourselves. While we remain small and irresponsible and afflicted with mold-borne allergies, we do our best to respond to all submissions quickly and professionally. That said, there are a number of things you can do to further enhance and streamline the experience for yourselves and for your friendly McSweeney’s Internet Tendency editorial staff, which since 2007 has been run by one person out of a living room in a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts.

EMAIL SUBMISSION ADDRESSES
General website submissions should be sent to websubmissions@mcsweeneys.net. Timely submissions should be sent to timelysubmissions@mcsweeneys.net. This inbox is for super topical pieces riffing on big news stories of the last 24-48 hours. All types of submissions (lists, open letters, monologues, etc.) are allowed. Be sure to mark the subject field in your email as “TIMELY.” Also, let us know why you feel your piece is super timely, and feel free to include a link to a reputable news site for proof. Note: Submissions sent on Friday afternoons (EST) or over the weekend will be replied to sometime the following Monday (on Tuesday after three-day weekends).

Lists submissions should be sent to lists@mcsweeneys.net.

Open Letters to People or Entities Who Are Unlikely to Respond submissions should be sent to openletters@mcsweeneys.net. (Note: We generally publish nonfiction letters that are written and signed by the submitter. Also, we are all set for letters about noisy neighbors, small animals/insects that have invaded your living space, and breaking up with inanimate objects, like Facebook and iPhones.)

LENGTH
Submissions should be shortish. By shortish we mean an absolute maximum of 1,200 words, but in truth we veer toward pieces that are under 1,000 words, and snuggle closest to ones that are even shorter than that. Submissions of exactly 742 used to automatically appear on the site, as if by magic, but like so many good things, those days are gone.

PAYMENT
We are thrilled to report that there will be payment for all accepted general, open letter, and lists submissions. The payment will be modest, and for some perhaps even low enough to disappoint, but it will be better than the amount we used to pay for accepted work, which was nothing. Our site has never been monetized and has accrued a grand total of zero dollars from advertising revenue in its 20+ years. In 2017 we launched a Patreon campaign to help provide some sustainability without resorting to ads and paywalls, as well as to eventually create a fund to pay contributors. So, as long as our campaign’s total remains above Goal #2 (enough $ to pay contributors) we will be able to pay for the content listed above. If our campaign continues to grow, we eventually hope be able to pay for New Food Reviews and other sorts of articles, but currently we cannot. 

Find our full guidelines and submission information here.