How to Submit to The Queer Love Project
The Queer Love Project is open for submissions from all interested writers. We publish essays that are original and not previously published on any other platforms.
We are always seeking personal essays and publish a new one every Wednesday, which we share with our thousands of engaged subscribers.
Plus, we currently pay $75 to contributors of original work!
Topics: We accept personal essays that reveal heartbreaks, happiness, secrets, reflections on coming out, sexual encounters and the realities of dating. The intersection of families and other versions of “love” all make sense to answer the question: “What do you know about love?” There should be a clear take away from the experience, so it’s not just an anecdote but shows that there was some growth or lesson learned. Think “Modern Love”—but only queer stories.
Do you have to be gay? No, you do not have to identify as queer or somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum to contribute. In fact, we have published pieces by people who aren’t (here’s an example), but it does have to feel distinctive and essential in some way that it relates to the queer experience.
How to Pitch: You must be a subscriber to pitch! (It’s free, so go ahead and click that button if you haven’t already.)
Essay pitches should include a working headline (it’s a good idea to use that in your subject line as well), two to three paragraphs that summarize (outline) why the story matters. Also give a bit of biographical information—which means that you should tell us a little about who you are and why you're the right person to write this story. Is it pegged to a current event or something people are talking about? Make sure to include that as well.
Format: Attach your completed essay as a word doc and also paste it in the body of the email below your pitch. Use Times New Roman or Arial font at 12pt for ease of reading.
Word length: 1,700-3,000 words is ideal. Longer is OK!
Do you provide edits? Yes, expect to work with an editor in a collaborative way. We often give top edits (general constructive ideas) as well as line edits and copy edits to help you get your piece in shape for publishing. We see it as a generative process, and we hope you will too! That said, send us your best draft, but don’t stop yourself from submitting if you are a new or emerging writer who still needs support. We have published many first-time writers and love doing so!
When to expect a reply: We hope to reply within 5 days from first submission. Do not follow up before that time. We hope to offer feedback and edits for your essay. If you haven’t heard back within 7 days, please feel free to reply to your original email so that it is threaded with your original pitch email.
We do not publish: Any content that was written by or with the assistance of generative AI
This post sums up the mission of QLP
Why I Started The Queer Love Project
Once upon a time, LGBTQ+ people fought for the right to be different, but then something changed. And we fought — and won — for the right to be the same.
Here are a few personal essays to give you a sense of what we’re looking for:
We pay our contributors, so your paid subscription and support is valuable!
Give me a prompt!
Sure, we all need a little inspiration to get the creative juices flowing, so here are 5 thoughts to get you started:
I’ve never told anyone this before, but the first time I fell in love, I was listening to _______________.
When I discovered ______________ , it totally changed my worldview, now I feel like I can love myself.
One thing I always loved doing with my ________ is ___________ and here’s why.
I think my queerness grants superpowers, like the ability to choose family, or the freedom to participate in (or reject) ______________. Let me explain.
Need some more? Here are a few of Cheryl Strayed’s writing prompts (as featured in Tools of Titans)
Write about a time you realized you were mistaken.
Write about a lesson you learned the hard way.
Write about something you lost that you’ll never get back.
Write about a time when you knew you’d done the right thing.
Write about something you don’t remember.
Write about your darkest teacher.
Write about when you knew when it was over.
Write about the kindness of strangers.
Write about being loved.
A few topics we are always interested in:
How can I contact the Queer Love Project?
To contact the Queer Love Project’s editors—Jerry Portwood and Michael Narkunski—email us at queerloveprojectsub@gmail.com
If you would like to pitch us a book to review or cover, we’re open to that. Plus, we are thrilled to have conversations via Substack LIVE, so if you are curious how to make that happen, just reach out. Do you have a column or interview idea that you’d like to do? Let us know!
Finally, we also publish the weekly QLP Questionnaire. You can see the full template of questions here—feel free to fill out via the form or email us to request the document in another format. Here are a few to give you a sense of what it’s all about:
Do you need interns?
Yes, you can intern or volunteer your time. Just email us and we’ll discuss.
Anything else?
We also have a podcast and a zine, and you can find those parts on other platforms, including YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts (as well as other podcast platforms). We also have an Etsy page where you can find some of our merch!
In an effort to put more attention on growing QLP in more satisfying ways—and to claw back more of my time from the attention economy controlled by the corporate tech goliaths—I’ve decided not to create new Queer Love Project social accounts at this time (beyond a Bluesky), but you can find and follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn, where I share links and other insights related to The Queer Love Project to amplify our voices. If you want to volunteer to help amplify our message, just reach out and let us know.
We are committed to keeping all of our words free at QLP, because we want the personal essays, questionnaires and interviews to be as accessible as possible. While we have rigorous standards, I strive to be different than other gatekeepers and welcome anyone with a story they want to share to reach out and let me know.
Why subscribe?
This is a platform for us to share personal stories of struggles and happy endings, of poor romantic decisions and how we try to make better and better ones. It will include interviews and advice, and seek to provide insights to those just starting out in their lives as well as highlight the queer elders who have figured out how to thrive. It will span queer couplings, pansexual polycules, asexual romantic relationships and the multiplicity of ways we put ourselves together.