Beyond the Margins is seeking submissions related to the theme "Real.”
We’re looking for pieces that explore ideas about reality and imagination. Submissions might address questions like: What does it mean to be a real person, and what does it mean to be artificial? How do we balance multifaceted identities and different modes of engaging with the world? How do we determine a bona fide resident of a nation or member of a group? What constitutes a real home?
We welcome submissions that explore any aspect of the theme. Writers and media creators of all levels of experience are encouraged to submit.
If you are interested in contributing to Beyond the Margins, please send a draft or detailed proposal to editors@oregonhumanities.org by May 1, 2025.
Note: Due to the unexpected termination of critical federal funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities on April 2, we may not be able to accept or publish a majority of pieces from this call for submissions.
About Beyond the Margins
Beyond the Margins is an online publication. We publish personal essays, reporting, interviews, excerpts, videos, photo essays, book reviews, and other stories that engage and challenge Oregonians.
Beyond the Margins aims to highlight voices, experiences, and perspectives that are often relegated to “the margins.” We’re especially interested in stories about ideas, people, and communities that are underexplored, overlooked, or misunderstood.
We look for pieces that are grounded in personal experience, connect to universal ideas, and explore those ideas with depth and nuance.
Recent examples include “Vanishing Lifelines” by Meg Wade, “Landlocked” by Andrea Camacho, and “A Basket is a Love Song” by Sylvia Friday.
Beyond the Margins pieces usually range from 1,000 to 2,500 words. We pay contributors $300 per piece. For editorial, audio, video, and multimedia projects with larger scopes, payment can exceed the $300 flat rate.
Upcoming Magazine Themes
- Winter 2026: Consume (December 2025, submissions due August 2025)
- Spring 2026: Labor (April 2026, submissions due December 2025)