We’re looking for informed, savvy, film-loving writers to publish reviews and feature essays with PopMatters. Academics and post-academics are particularly, but not exclusively, desired.
PopMatters publishes for posterity, and our work is indexed by the ProQuest Database, so the articles published on PopMatters may be referenced by future readers and researchers. They’re also often used in college classrooms. Indeed, PopMatters readers know their film, and our writers know their film, and film history, as well.
There are so many quality films out there that get overlooked by mass-market media. We’ll cover the blockbusters, yes (with a sophisticated, not a “fanboy/girl” approach), but we’re really interested in movies for “grown-ups”, if you will, including worthwhile drama, artsy films, historical films, high-quality documentaries, shorts, old films, intelligent horror (not gore for gore’s sake), and tasteful experimental films.
Film reviews are at least 800 words and go beyond mere plot summary or simple yes/no judgment, working instead to provide smart cultural analysis aimed at a sophisticated reader fluent in film culture.
Feature essays (min., 1,200 words, no max.) provide writers the opportunity to approach a variety of films past and present from any number of angles.
We also welcome playful “lists”, e.g., Best 10 Underdog Aliens in Film; 20 Worst Special Effects in Films from the ’90s; and, well, we’d love to hear your ideas for lists.
Whether revisiting a film that has been unjustly forgotten or ignored, critically analyzing the catalog of a particular director or performer, or doing a cultural study of a particular theme or formal technique, our feature essays provide writers with the opportunity to showcase their talent to an international, media-savvy audience.
Please use the subject line: PopMatters Film Application
NOTE: PopMatters is a wholly independent magazine of cultural criticism, est. 1999. Our mission is to educate readers and document our period on the cultural timeline. We publish for posterity. PopMatters is a highly respected magazine because of its ideals and its fine writers and editorial staff. However, such high ideals are not monetarily rewarded in today’s publishing climate. For this reason, we can offer you an excellent publishing platform for your quality work and our social media efforts – but for now, we are unable to pay you for your articles. Even the editors are currently volunteering their time. We are presently a 100% volunteer organization with all advertising revenue supporting our basic expenses. Writers retain ownership of their copyright on articles, so they can use them for books and other projects. Their essays are indexed in ProQuest, as PopMatters is educational in our mission.