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.
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What keeps us up at night as parents?
Topics might include: raising kids in a digital world as well as a comparative culture; parenting from a place of calm rather than self-doubt and anxiety; keeping our kids safe; adjusting expectations as our children experience life’s hardships and challenges.
What it means to navigate our identities and life changes as kids get older.
Topics might include: how divorce or the shifting of relationships affects us; reclaiming purpose/redefining ourselves as women; balancing the role of caring for older kids and older parents; adapting to dynamics as our families regenerate, evolve and grow.
All formats welcome; suggested word count up to 1,200. Completed essays only and please include word count.
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’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).
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).