Write for us
We want essays that could have sat beside a New Arrivals note on the old site: specific, useful, and written by someone who has actually used the object in Australian weather.
What to pitch
First-person reporting from a shop, a bench, a train, or a kitchen table. Practical guides that do not insult the reader. Histories of a paper, a nib, or a filling system. Maps of Australian counters. We are not looking for listicles of “best pens 2026” written from a press release.
House rules
- Write in Australian English. Dates, spelling and seasons follow the local year.
- 1,000 words is a floor, not a target. Say what the piece requires and then stop.
- No AI-generated first drafts. We can tell, and so can a fountain pen.
- Quote prices in Australian dollars and say when you last saw them.
- Images must be your own, Creative Commons, or public domain, and credited.
- Paid, affiliate or guest-post links are disclosed and carry
rel="sponsored". See the editorial standards.
How to send a pitch
Use the contact form with the subject line “Pitch:” and the working title. Include a short bio, two links to published work if you have them, and whether any brand is paying you to mention a product. We reply when we can; silence after three weeks is a no.
If you represent a brand and want a labelled mention, say so plainly. An example of how we treat a paid placement is our note on writing to government services on paper, which exists only as a specimen of a sponsored link and is not an endorsement.
Questions
- Do you pay for guest essays?
- Yes, by arrangement. We do not accept payment from brands in exchange for an unlabelled review. Sponsored mentions, when we take them, are marked rel="sponsored" and disclosed on the page.
- How long should a pitch be?
- A pitch can be 150–250 words. The finished essay should be at least 1,000 words, original, and useful to an Australian reader.
- Can I include affiliate or paid links?
- Only if we have agreed in writing. Those links will carry rel="sponsored" and will not be allowed to outnumber the editorial ones.