Pitch to The Forge Press

Reported piece with facts and quotes. 600–900 words

We need a reporter who can dig into the story with sources, data, and on-the-ground voices. Pitch the angle before you write.

• How access to resources has changed since last winter
• Food shortages and what people are actually doing about them
• Who is stepping in when the holiday charity stops
• What disaster planning looks like for households with no cushion

Advice column. 400–600 words

Someone with a generous, practical voice. You will answer a real reader question with empathy and clarity. We can supply the question if you do not have one.

• How do I ask for help without feeling like a burden?
• How do I check on a neighbor without making it weird?
• How do I stretch what I have through February?

Three small cards. Each has one image and one sentence that suggests a simple action. We need a designer or illustrator who can work minimal.

Format: square or postcard, digital. Line art or simple color preferred.

• Check on one neighbor this week
• Cook one extra portion and share it
• Leave a note for someone who is alone

First-person narrative. 900–1,500 words

We are looking for a personal essay or testimony — raw, honest, and specific. You can write your own story or help shape someone else's with their consent.

• Your own survival story from a hard winter
• How your access to resources changed and what you did about it
• What rationing looked like for you or your family
• The moment someone showed up for you when you needed it

Interview format. 900–1,500 words

You will conduct and edit a conversation with someone whose perspective matters. Q and A style, lightly edited for clarity. We can help find the subject.

• Someone who runs a mutual aid pantry or seed library
• A person who lived through a real shortage
• Someone who organizes neighbors after the holidays end
• A volunteer who works through the coldest months

Essay or opinion. 700–1,000 words

Argue a clear point. We want strong, well-reasoned takes that will spark conversation. Pitch the position before you write.

• Why "New Year, New Me" fails and "New Year, New We" works
• Charity drops off in January on purpose. What that says about us
• Survival is a collective project, not a personal one
• Rationing is not a dirty word

Poetry, visual art, or a short essay. any length

An open space for creative responses to the theme. Send a poem, an illustration, a photograph, or a micro-essay. We will consider previously published work if you hold the rights.

• What winter feels like when you are on your own
• What it looks like when neighbors show up
• A resolution revolution, or a resolution rewritten
• Food, warmth, light, rest — anything that carries people through

Roundtable or collected voices. 1,500–3,000 words

You will coordinate a chorus of perspectives around a single question. We need a lead editor who can invite short responses and weave them into a cohesive piece. Contributors welcome separately.

• How do we carry each other past New Year's?
• What did you learn from the last hard winter?
• What do you wish someone had done for you?
• What is your resolution revolution?

Short news brief. 100–150 words

Clear, factual, quick. A good fit for someone who can distill complex information into a tight summary. Topic assigned or pitched.

Short news brief. 100–150 words

Second brief, different topic. Same format. Topic assigned or pitched.

Short news brief. 100–150 words

Third brief. We need three total for the At a Glance column. Topic assigned or pitched.

Action box or weekly actions. short format

Someone who can compile three to five concrete actions readers can take each week. Could be a rolling sidebar or a single box for this issue. We will supply past examples.

• Check on a neighbor, especially one who lives alone
• Learn one skill that helps you or someone else survive a hard week
• Find your local mutual aid and share what they need
• Make a plan with one other person for the coldest month