So you want to write for Uppercut…

Uppercut operates on a basis of four themed packages per year:

March Madness –
- Pitches open on the final Monday of January, close the first Friday of February. Pieces publish throughout March/April.
- What the heck is this theme?
  - More specific details will be posted when pitches open for that particular year, but in general think: competitions, brackets, rivalries, sports games, esports, stat analysis, etc.
Pride –
- Pitches open on the final Monday of April, close first Friday of May. Pieces publish throughout June.
- What the heck is this theme?
  - The TLDR is queer stuff in games. What you make of that is kind of up to you, so long as it’s in line with our house style of trying to find something interesting to say about games/gaming culture through this particular lens.
Halloween –
- Pitches open on the final Monday of August, close first Friday of September. Pieces publish throughout October.
- What the heck is this theme?
  - This doesn’t have to be horror centric (though horror is always deeply appreciated around here). Pitches can focus on other aspects of the holiday/season as well, so long as it’s in line with our house style of trying to find something interesting to say about games/gaming culture through this particular lens.
End of Year Letters –
- Pitches open on the final Monday of November, close first Friday of December. Pieces publish throughout January/February.
- What the heck is this theme?
  - A continuation of our tradition (and homage to old Waypoint) of talking to other writers about the games we loved this past year, whether those be new releases, or titles we just finally got around to this year.

What package is currently open for pitches?

Our next package is Pride 2026. Pitches will open Monday, April 27 and will close on Friday, May 1.

How much does Uppercut pay for a commissioned piece?

Our current rate for a freelance piece is $100. There is no word limit or expected count, within reason on both ends of the scale.

How does Uppercut pay out writers?

We will have you submit an invoice for your work upon completion of the piece. We have an invoice form you can use, otherwise feel free to provide your own. Payout will happen within two business weeks of invoice receipt and will be paid through PayPal. We currently can’t use any other platforms.

How to Pitch

If you’d like to pitch, please send an email to uppercutpitches@gmail.com with the subject line PACKAGE NAME PITCH: [Your Tentative Title/Idea Summary].

Your pitch should include a brief introduction if we’ve never worked with you before as your first paragraph, followed by a brief explanation of your idea, any sources you might be planning on using, and about how many words you’re planning on. Please also include a few clips of your previous work (if you have any), your portfolio (if you have one), and links to your social media. Here’s an example of what we’re looking for from one of Ty’s past pitches:

Hello!

I hope your week has gone well so far! My name is Ty and I’m a freelance writer for Out Front Magazine and Gayming Magazine. I also run a games and media site called Uppercut.

Jo-Mei’s Sea of Solitude was initially pitched as being about “a young woman named Kay who is suffering from such strong loneliness that her inner feelings, the darkness, the anger, the hopelessness, the worthlessness, turns to the outside and she becomes a monster. The game is about finding out why this happened to her, but also about how to turn her back into a human” at E3 2018. But by centering the need to return the other monsters to their humanity, and failing to elaborate on the monsters that are representative of the protagonist, Kay, Sea of Solitude fails to depict the lonely mental health journey it set out to portray.

In between 1000-1500 words, I’d like to dig into how Sea of Solitude’s inconsistent notions of monstrosity leave much to be desired when it comes to Kay’s feelings of loneliness and how she sees herself. The monsters that represent Kay’s loved ones are fleshed out depictions of pain and real life issues, while the monsters that represent Kay, and her own monstrous transformation, are woefully underdeveloped and are given an unsatisfying conclusion. This ultimately leads to the game feeling like a journey to learn about dealing with other people’s trauma in a healthy way, instead of Kay facing the loneliness she’s supposedly feeling and learning to deal with her own issues.

Thank you so much for your time! I look forward to hearing back from you.

Ty Galiz-Rowe
@ty_grrrrrrrr

CLIPS
Persona Can’t Do Women Justice Without Fixing Its Conservatism
Life is Strange: Before the Storm is Bad Because it’s so Good
Sea of Solitude Could Change How Women Are Portrayed in Games

Lastly…

If you’re a newer writer or don’t have clips/a portfolio, no worries! We’re just as interested in giving new writers a chance to shine as we are with hosting established folks. Any writing samples you have would be great, but if your pitch is solid, we’ll likely be willing to give you a shot regardless.