Motherwell is a publication that tells all sides of the parenting story. We accept work on a variety of parenting-related themes—culture, family life, obstacles and the process of overcoming them. And we've also just launched a new vertical, Motherwell Books. We have two streams of writing on the site:
Paid opportunities for selected, featured content—either personal essays or perspective pieces. And here we usually have a selection of themed calls for submissions as well.
An additional platform where we collect other essays: syndicated posts, shorter pieces and alternative formats, including videos, graphic memoirs, lists, poetry, etc. These are unpaid.
We are unfortunately unable to give individual feedback on submissions, but we do offer personally tailored editorial services.
Keep up with Motherwell on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and via our newsletter.
We are looking for evocative first-person narratives that have a unique focus, or take a novel angle, on a slice of the parenting experience. We are open to a range of styles and tones: the only requirement is that the essay works on its own terms—be it lyrical, humorous, research-oriented, etc—and conveys something fundamental about its writer. Up to 1,200 words. Completed essays only and please include word count.
Examples include:
Fighting the patriarchy one grandpa at a time
Practicing who I will be when my kids are out of the house
How I finally learned to appreciate Goodnight Moon
For time-sensitive pieces, please indicate as much in the subject line. We also accept some personal essays, due to length or format, solely for our social media platforms.
This is your take on a newsy, topical or controversial issue. We want tight, well-argued pieces that combine anecdote and analysis to make a strong case for a particular point of view. Up to 1,200 words. Completed essays only and please include word count.
Examples include:
Why it's important for boys to be able to wear their hair long
Why I don’t let my young daughter wear a bikini
I don't go to every school event
For time-sensitive pieces, please indicate as much in the subject line. We also accept some personal essays, due to length or format, solely for our social media platforms.
We are looking for stories, up to 1,200 words, that delve into all the ways in which these two areas of life can intersect. Interpretations might include: cultivating cooking skills with your kids; body image around pregnancy; raising picky or limited eaters; managing food allergies; coping with weight concerns, at either end of the spectrum. Completed essays only and please include word count.
Examples include:
How to mother a daughter when you have food issues
Is it every okay to comment on your child's weight? One parent wonders.
We’re currently looking for posts related to reading and writing, themed book lists (e.g. for new moms, parenting teens, empowering girls), and articles and essays that are centered around a parenting book (or books) that aren't your own. Please familiarize yourself with our site and the vertical before submitting and include word count (we tend to cap at 1,200).
What have you learned during this strange time? Tell us about the ways in which you or your family has grown and/or changed with regard to parenting, relationships/friendships, work-life balance in 500 words or less. We will be featuring your stories across our social media platforms and in our newsletter. All formats accepted, this is an unpaid opportunity.
We'd love to invite submissions about what the holidays (e.g. Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Thanksgiving) mean to you and your family. Or anything regarding how they make you feel about being a parent. We are open to a range of formats and lengths: personal essays, humor pieces, listicles, anecdotes, etc. These submissions will go through our regular paid/unpaid process (see dropdown menu). All formats welcome and please include a word count (we tend to cap at 1,200).