Write for us
We commission reported features, essays and explainers from journalists and from researchers who write well. Here is how to pitch.
What we are looking for
Stories that take a reader somewhere they could not get to alone: inside a measurement, an argument between research groups, an instrument, an archive or a career. We like stories with a question at the center, rather than a summary of a field.
We are less interested in news write-ups of single papers, listicles, or stories whose main source is a press release.
How to pitch
- Write a short email, three or four paragraphs, to pitches@cosmoslens.com.
- Tell us the story, not just the topic: what happens, who is in it, and what the reader will understand by the end.
- Say why now, and why you are the person to write it.
- Include links to two or three published pieces, or a writing sample if you are new to journalism.
For researchers
We welcome essays from working scientists, especially about the parts of research that rarely make it into papers: failed approaches, instrument building, how a field decides what counts as evidence. You do not need to have written for the public before. An editor will work closely with you.
What happens next
We reply to every pitch, usually within two weeks. If we commission your story, we agree the length, deadline and fee in writing before you start, and an editor works with you through reporting, drafting and fact-checking.