Certified Forgotten Magazine is Currently Accepting Pitches / How to Apply (Pay: $75)

Certified Forgotten currently calls for horror film journalists and writers generally interested in writing about underseen horror films. 

Certified Forgotten is a digital publication focusing solely on the movies that have fallen through the cracks. Those festival standout movies– and direct-to-video cult classics – deserving of a second look. They publish on their website and have a special podcast dedicated to forgotten horror films. 

Certified Forgotten was founded in 2019 by Matt Donato and Matthew Monagle. They are concerned about the relationship between horror and RottenTomatoes.  With this in mind, to be featured you are expected to write eloquently.

 

What kind of article should you pitch?

Certified Forgotten is a home for long-form essays on forgotten horror cinema – especially forgotten cinema from the digital era.

Below is their four-step guide to pitching a perfect horror essay.

• Pitch articles on individual movies. Sometimes they hear from authors that want to explore trends in cinema – such as vampirism in cinema or a particular form of on-camera representation – or rehash entire decades of cinema in a single article. But as writers who grew up reading long-form essays on individual movies, they want to give their contributors the space to dig deep into a movie they love. If they love your article, there’s always room to write about the others, too.

 

• Avoid established films and filmmakers. Listen, no disrespect, but unless you have an otherworldly pitch, they are probably going to reject your pitch on Wes Craven or Tobe Hooper. With only a handful of spots available in their editorial calendar each month, they make a point of prioritizing films that would not normally get a moment in the spotlight.

• Surprise them with films they’ve never heard of before. Some of their favorite pitches are the ones that spotlight films that flew completely under our radars. If you care deeply about an obscure film like Don’t Go in the Woods or Be My Cat: A Film for Annie, odds are your pitch will catch their eye.

 

• Prioritize movies from 2000–2020. Yes, they publish articles on movies from every period in horror history, but they are most interested in horror movies from the last two decades. While the move to digital made it easier than ever to both shoot and release films, that also means they have only just begun to create our 21st Century canon.

Also, don’t take offense if they do not respond to your pitch right away. Their editorial calendar only includes room for a handful of pitches each month – if they are in the middle of a successful round of pitches, they may book their calendar out two-to-three months in advance. Sometimes, they may not respond for weeks, but they typically try to respond to every pitch they receive (even if it’s a rejection).

 

Submission Guidelines

• Contributors will have an average of 3-4 weeks between acceptance and the due date.
• Contributors must provide a brief bio as well as their Letterboxd profile (if available).
• Finished articles should be between 1,000 and 1,200 words.
• Pitches and Questions should be directed to  certifiedforgotten@gmail.com. 

 

Payment Rate

Their current rate is $75.00 per article.

Visit their X Page to get familiar with their publications and the best writing process to pitch to them. Goodluck.