Submission Guidelines
Published bimonthly, Up Here tells stories about the people, places and events in Canada’s three territories: the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. We welcome ideas from writers who are familiar with the magazine’s tone, style and content. Writers should send query letters to editor@uphere.ca.
What to pitch to Up Here
Dispatches
Dispatches are vibrant, often scene-based stories about life in the North. They can be reported or observed and typically run between 300 and 800 words. For these, we pay based on the length and nature of the piece.
Examples:
Hometown Heel
Running with the Big Dogs
Found in Translation
Travel
A 1,000-word column about a trip the writer has taken, with a bigger theme or takeaway. We are definitely not looking for travelogues or trip recaps. We want smart, intentional pieces that make a point. They are written in the first person but may involve additional research. Writers should be able to provide photos. We pay $500 for Travel columns.
Examples:
Tale of Two Cities
Nature... and Nurture
Features
Features are detailed, reported stories ranging in length from 1,500 to 2,500 words. It’s important that a feature pitch isn’t just about a topic—it should be able to finish the sentence: This story will show that… Many of our stories are about nature, science, history, art, culture, current events and people making a difference, but that’s not an exhaustive list. Keep in mind that features require longer lead times and are usually planned months ahead of publication. The pay rate ranges from 50 cents to one dollar per word for features.
Examples:
Sometimes You Have To Laugh
The Prophecy
“God forbid. If the fire comes, we’re jumping in the water.”
