CONTRIBUTE – OPEN PITCHES
Write for Zontiga Insights.
Zontiga Insights is where we think out loud about photography, interviews, essays, project features, and notes from the room where we read photobooks together. We’re looking for contributors who want to write for us.
Who we're looking for
You don’t need to be a professional writer. You need a genuine angle on photography, whether that’s a photographer’s practice, a book worth people’s time, a place that matters to the culture, or an idea you can’t stop thinking about.
If you have something to pitch, tell us about it. No need for a finished draft, just a clear sense of what you want to write and why it belongs here.
THE BREIF
What we're looking for
- Interviews with photographers, collectives, or institutions
- Deep dives into a project or body of work, including work still in progress
- Photobook spotlights or themed reading recommendations
- Features on spaces that keep photography culture alive — labs, bookstores, clubs, archives
- Essays on the ideas that shape how we see
- Stories about film, cameras, or the objects photographers carry
BEFORE YOU PITCH
A few things to know
01 – RIGHTS
You keep copyright of your work. We ask for a non-exclusive licence to publish it.
02 – BYLINE
You can write under your own name or ask to publish anonymously — either is fine.
03 – TIMELINE
We’ll get back to you within 14 days.
Contributor guide
How to write a pitch we can say yes to.
Before you pitch
Have a look at what we’ve already published. A strong pitch usually does one of two things: adds a genuinely new angle to something we haven’t covered, or goes deeper on a thread we’ve only touched on.
What makes a pitch easy to say yes to
- One clear idea, not a topic. “A piece on Malaysian street photography” is a topic. “How three Malaysian street photographers use the same market differently” is a pitch.
- You know why it matters now, or why it matters at all — not just that it exists.
- You can name the shape it'll take: an interview, an essay, a photobook feature. If you're not sure, tell us what you're imagining and we'll help you find the right form.
- You have real access, if the piece needs it: a photographer who's said yes to talking, a book in hand, a place you've actually visited.
What we're not looking for
- General “top 10” listicles with no editorial point of view
- Straight gear reviews — we're interested in the story attached to an object, not a spec sheet
- Pitches that could run on any photography site, with nothing tying them to Southeast Asia, film culture, or the ideas we care about
LENGTH & FORMAT
Most pieces run 800–1,500 words. Interviews can run longer if the conversation earns it. We’ll edit for clarity and house style, but we won’t rewrite your voice.
AFTER YOU SUBMIT
We’ll read every pitch. If it’s a fit, we’ll come back with edits to the angle, a target length, and a rough deadline. If it’s not right for us, we’ll tell you why — so it’s useful even if the answer is no.
PITCH SUBMISSION
Tell us about it.
Takes about five minutes. We read every submission and reply within 14 days.