Zikoko Mag Submissions is Open (Pay: Publication + Incentives)

Zikoko Mag is excited to announce that they are now accepting submissions from Nigerian creators located anywhere in the world.

Zikoko Mag is looking for stories that explore themes such as migration, food, culture, music, friendships, and more. These stories can be based on your personal experiences, or distinct stories that capture the essence of what it means to be Nigerian. They are not looking for your everyday article. They are looking for visual stories that pack a punch. 

At Zikoko, they are passionate about sharing diverse perspectives and unique stories with our audience. By submitting your work, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with their readers and show them a side of life they may not have experienced before.

Theme for Zikoko Mag Submissions

For this submissions period, they are exploring the question: how does moving countries affect Nigerians through food, loneliness, community and language? In the last few years, we’ve seen a new wave of migration hit Nigerians. Through Abroad Life, they covered some of these stories, but now, they are interested in the cultural shift that happens when a person migrates.

You are expected to learn how to write on themes.

Submissions Guideline

• Fill out the form on their website. They do not accept complete drafts. They want to work with you in shaping the idea.
• Zikoko Mag encourages you to be as detailed as possible in the pitch form.
• You should be an eloquent writer. Learn how to be a good writer for your submission.

• Once you submit your form, you can expect to hear from them within three weeks.

• They will publish at least six stories from July to November.
• If you’re submitting a pitch for a series, you should aim for at least two stories but no more than four stories. These will be published in a specified month within the July to November timeline.
• They will reach out to you with the specific month should your pitch be accepted.

• If your pitch is accepted, you’ll be expected to work on your story within a two-week timeline. An  editor will work with you to beat the story into shape.

• For accepted video pitches, they will share detailed guidelines on the visual appearance of your work.

• For articles, they have no set maximum length or minimum length, though most of their stories are less than 2000 words. This also applies to videos.
• They encourage you to share a pitch for a video idea that is less than three minutes. You might however submit a pitch for multiple videos in a series, which in total can be up to 12 minutes.

• For articles, remember, they are super keen on stories that use visuals: photography or animation. Please keep this in mind as you submit your pitch.
• If you have any questions that haven’t been responded to, please reach out to ruth@bigcabal.com with Contributor Submission in the subject line.
• Last but not least, they pay contributors!

Deadline

Submissions close at 11:59 pm WAT on June 24, 2023. If you’re interested in pitching a story,  do this as soon as possible instead of waiting until the last minute.

If interested in pitching, do well to use the form on their website. Goodluck.