News & Pitch Calls from New Scientist

Wednesday, June 18th 2025

New Scientist: Science's emerging research, and more

An editor for New Scientist has issued a pitch call: “Send me your big-swing feature ideas about science's emerging research, disruptive discoveries or high-impact applications”. They have a detailed general pitch guide, including, “In general, we are looking for science and technology stories from around the world that will intrigue, entertain and inform the widest possible audience, be they physicists, biologists or people with no science background at all. … Only pitch from these sources (major journals and press sites) if you have an exclusive angle on the research, its context or implications that others will not. … Try to find stories that none of our editors or reporters are likely to have spotted, and that haven’t been covered by the mainstream media in the UK, the US or Australia.” Details here (general pitch guidelines) and here (pitch call).

Wednesday, June 18th 2025

New Scientist: Science's emerging research, and more

An editor for New Scientist has issued a pitch call: “Send me your big-swing feature ideas about science's emerging research, disruptive discoveries or high-impact applications”. They have a detailed general pitch guide, including, “In general, we are looking for science and technology stories from around the world that will intrigue, entertain and inform the widest possible audience, be they physicists, biologists or people with no science background at all. … Only pitch from these sources (major journals and press sites) if you have an exclusive angle on the research, its context or implications that others will not. … Try to find stories that none of our editors or reporters are likely to have spotted, and that haven’t been covered by the mainstream media in the UK, the US or Australia.” Details here (general pitch guidelines) and here (pitch call).

Tuesday, October 17th 2023

New Scientist is Seeking Space News Stories

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. Their deputy US editor is looking for pitches for space news stories. As per a previous post by this editor, their US rates begin at $1/word. If interested, send your pitches to timothy.revell@newscientist.com. To learn more, refer to their editor’s post and their guide for freelancers.

Tuesday, June 27th 2023

New Scientist is Seeking a Senior/Experienced Features Writer for a Feature

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. Their head of features is seeking a senior/experienced features writer with neuroscience background to write a feature. As per their managing editor, they pay £1,200 for a standard feature. To learn more, read their head of features tweet and their guide for freelancers.

Sunday, June 4th 2023

New Scientist is Commissioning Christmas Features

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. They’re currently commissioning Christmas features. Their head of features has tweeted, “Christmas features are shorter (1,200-1,800 words) than normal features. They tend to be about stranger, funnier or more light-hearted subjects (but not always - last year we did hardcore quantum Christmas games). They can be about things you tend to associate with Christmas BUT they don't have to be.” According to this Christmas feature guide by their feature editor, their rates begin at about £620. For specific details related to the payment rates, email helen.thomson@newscientist.com. To read their head of features’ Twitter thread, click here.

Deadline: June 21st, 2023

Tuesday, May 23rd 2023

New Scientist is Seeking Pitches for Holiday and New Year Special

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. Their feature editor is seeking pitches for their holiday and new year special. They want pieces that are light-hearted and quirky. Their Christmas features are usually 1,200 words and start at £620. Send your pitches to joshua.howgego@newscientist.com. To read their feature editor’s tweet, click here. To read their Christmas feature pitching guide, click here.

Sunday, November 13th 2022

New Scientist is Always Looking for Stories

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. Their editor has tweeted, “Got a cool idea for a science news article? I’m always looking for stories for New Scientist about novel technology that will affect our lives.” Payment reports indicate that they pay 50p per word. Pitches should be sent to chris.simms@newscientist.com. To read their editor’s Tweet, click here. To read their guide for freelancers, click here.

Thursday, August 25th 2022

New Scientist is Looking for Pitches for their Health Desk

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. Their assistant news editor is seeking pitches for their health desk. They are “interested in any long/short/pre-prints/exclusives/embargoed research in the health/biomedical/psychology space.” According to payment reports, they pay 50p per word for news stories. If interested, email alexandra.thompson@newscientist.com. To learn more, read their assistant news editor’s Tweet and their guide for freelancers.

Wednesday, June 22nd 2022

New Scientist is Commissioning News Stories on Environment, Climate, Biology, etc.

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. Their assistant news editor is “commissioning news stories on environment, climate, biology, human evolution, archaeology etc.” According to payment reports, they pay 50p per word for news stories. Send your pitches or just introduce yourself at sam.wong@newscientist.com. Read their assistant news editor’s Twitter thread here and their guide for freelancers here.

Sunday, June 19th 2022

New Scientist is Accepting Feature Pitches for Christmas/Holiday Issue

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. They are accepting freelance pitches for their Christmas/holiday issue that will be packed with around 15 features. For this issue, they want something that is “a little bit different from the usual stuff.” They are still seeking science and technology, but they “want the issue to be a little more light-hearted, quirkier, and generally to be a wonderfully diverting thing to read as people relax over the festive period.” The Christmas features will be 1,200 words long. Rates will start at around £620. Pitches should ideally be sent before the end of June. To learn more, refer to their features editor’s Twitter thread and their Christmas features’ pitch guide.

Sunday, June 5th 2022

New Scientist is Seeking Stories about Biomed

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. They are seeking science and technology news stories from US freelancers for their New York bureau. They are particularly seeking stories about biomed. Word count is around 300 to 500 words. Rates begin at $1 per word. To learn more, read their US editor’s Tweet and their guide for freelancers.

Sunday, May 8th 2022

New Scientist is Looking for Science and Technology News Stories

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. They are accepting freelance pitches for science and technology news stories for their New York bureau (the pitches don’t have to be about New York). They want pitches for both print and online. Word count will be around 300 to 500 words. Rates will start at $1/word. If interested, send your pitches to timothy.revell@newscientist.com. For more information, read their deputy US editor’s Twitter thread and their guide for freelancers.

Sunday, May 1st 2022

New Scientist is Always Seeking Features about Physics and Space

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. Their physics and tech features editor is always open for feature pitches about physics and space. They pay about £1,200 for a standard feature. For more information, read their editor’s Tweet and their guide for freelancers.

Friday, March 11th 2022

New Scientist is Looking for Features

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. Their features editor is looking to commission some features: “Big ideas in physical science and yarns about archaeology would be particularly welcome.” For a standard feature, they pay around £1,200. If interested, send your pitches to joshua.howgego@newscientist.com. Read their features editor’s Twitter thread here and their guide for freelancers here.

Sunday, February 20th 2022

New Scientist is Seeking Ideas for Opinion Pieces

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. Their comment page editor is seeking ideas for opinion pieces from science writers/scientists/academics. According to payment reports, they pay 50p per word. If interested, email sarah.phillips@newscientist.com. To read their editor’s Tweet, click here. To read their guide for freelancers, click here.

Sunday, January 30th 2022

New Scientist is Looking for Feature Writers

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. Their head of features is looking to broaden their pool of neuroscience/brain/mind/mental health writers so she is open to pitches. They pay around £1,200 per feature. Read their head of features’ Twitter thread here and their guide for freelancers here.

Tuesday, November 23rd 2021

New Scientist is Always Looking for Physics and Tech Features and Interviews

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. Their features editor is always seeking physics and tech features as well as interviews with fascinating scientists. Payment reports indicate that they pay 50p per word. To learn more, refer to their features editor’s Twitter thread and their guide for freelancers.

Sunday, July 26th 2020

New Scientist is Looking to Expand their Pool of Regular Freelancers

New Scientist is a weekly science and technology magazine. They are looking to expand their pool of regular freelancers. If you have a story, email their deputy news editor at jacob.aron@newscientist.com. According to payment reports, they pay over $1 per word. To learn more, refer to this Tweet and their guide for freelancers.