MC-Guide
Content Writing
Website 28: Beltmag.com
How Can You Earn Money Writing For “Beltmag.com” Website
This guide shows you, step by step, how a beginner can learn to pitch and sell stories to Beltmag.com.
You will learn what Beltmag.com wants, how to test your idea, how to write a pitch, and how payment roughly works. You can use this like a small SOP.
Guide: How to Write for Belt Magazine — from idea to payment
This guide is built from Belt Magazine’s public pages and aggregated reporting about their submissions and pay. It is made so a beginner can read it, prepare a demo piece, submit a pitch, and understand how to convert a publication into more income. Where I make factual claims about Belt’s policies or pay, I include links to the source.
If you want the quickest route: read their official Write for Belt page first, then follow this step-by-step plan.
Section 1 · Understand the publication
What Belt Magazine is and who reads it
Belt Magazine (Belt) is a digital nonprofit publication that focuses on the Rust Belt and the broader American Midwest. It publishes longform journalism, features, essays, commentary, and multimedia work that centers local perspectives, context, and reporting.
Why this matters for your pitch: Belt is place-focused. They value strong reporting, local voices, and stories that connect local conditions to wider themes — policy, economy, culture, environment, and arts. Pitching a generic national culture piece is less likely to land than a well-sourced story about a Rust Belt city, region, or community.
Belt describes itself as publishing “thoughtful, nuanced writing” about the past, present, and future of the region — covering race, labor, economic change, culture, and environmental issues with nuance and local reporting. Editors expect narrative depth and place knowledge.
A reader is often: a Midwestern resident, regional policy wonk, artist, community member, or an outsider who cares about Rust Belt stories. Readers look for reporting that helps them understand how local change happened and who it affects.
| What they publish | Why it works at Belt |
|---|---|
| Feature reporting (1,200–3,000 words) | Deep, local reporting with characters, data, and context |
| First-person essays & cultural criticism | Personal, place-based voices that illuminate a wider issue |
| Photo essays & multimedia | Visual storytelling about community life, work, and change |
| Commentary & quick responses | Tied to local news, policy, or events with a clear argument |
Section 2 · What Belt publishes: types & angles
Which topics and formats are a good fit
Belt often features reporting on economy and labor, urban development, environment & industry, arts & culture, and stories that explore identity and inequality in Midwestern communities. Feature-length work and photo essays are core.
In-depth, reported narratives
Examples: a 2,000-word piece about the decline and reinvention of a factory town; an investigation into a regional environmental hazard with interviews and public records. These work when the writer shows sources, access to people, and data.
Personal, argumentative, place-rooted essays
Belt accepts first-person essays that connect memory or personal experience to broader civic or cultural issues in the Midwest. These must feel authentic and offer insight, not just nostalgia.
Visual storytelling
Photo essays showing a place’s life — coupled with captions and a short textual frame — are welcomed when the images add essential, original reporting.
Section 3 · Is your idea Belt-shaped?
Three fast checks to see whether to pitch
Is it about place?
If the core of your story can’t be tied to the Rust Belt or a Midwestern place, pause. Belt wants local relevance: a city, community, workplace, river, or region. If your topic is national, find a Midwestern angle.
Can you show sources or firsthand reporting?
Belt prefers reported stories. If your piece is opinion only, make sure it is rooted in reporting: interviews, documents, or a strong local example. Have at least 3–6 people or primary sources you can call, email, or document.
Is the angle specific and timely?
A sharp hook helps. Tie your piece to an event, a policy shift, a local cultural change, or an underreported problem. If it’s evergreen, make the stakes and characters vivid.
Section 4 · Build samples & a small portfolio
Where to practice and how to create clips editors will care about
If you are new to publishing, start by producing 3–5 strong clips: one feature (1,200–2,000 words), one shorter reported piece (700–1,200 words), and one first-person essay or photo essay. Publishers like Belt look at past work to gauge reporting ability and voice.
- Medium — quick to publish essays and features.
- Dev.to — if your topic is tech-related in the region.
- Local outlets and community sites — often accept local reporting and build local credibility.
- Freelance marketplaces / small magazines — to learn edits and deadlines.
Use GitHub or Google Drive for data files and a public portfolio page to host your best pieces.
- Shoot 15–30 strong images that tell a story (workplaces, streets, people). Add captions with who, what, where, when.
- Create a short written frame (300–600 words) that explains the subject and why it matters.
- Host images on a simple portfolio or Flickr/Imgur with proper captions and credits.
Section 5 · The exact pitch plan (templates included)
How to pitch Belt — a step-by-step SOP + copy/paste templates
Belt’s official “Write for Belt” page explains how to contact editors and where to send pitches; when available they provide a pitch form or direct editorial email on that page. Always start there.
Read the current write-for page + contact page
Open Belt’s Write for Belt and Contact pages. Note whether they are open to submissions or only taking breaking news — Belt has at times closed submissions and accepted only certain kinds of pitches.
Prepare a tight one-paragraph hook + short outline
Editors are busy. Lead with the hook (one crisp paragraph), then a short outline (3–6 section headings), and links to your best samples (one feature-length sample + 1–2 shorter clips). Include your proposed length (e.g., ~1,500–2,200 words) and any reporting access you already have.
Send via the form or editorial email
If Belt has a pitch form, use it. If they list an editorial email, send a concise email with the hook, outline, sample links, and a short bio (1–2 lines: where you report from, relevant beats). The contact page lists editorial@beltmag.com as a general contact and indicates how to reach editors for submissions.
Follow up once, politely
Wait 2–4 weeks; if you haven’t heard, send a single polite follow-up. If they say no, ask for feedback and repurpose the idea for another regional outlet. If accepted, confirm payment and rights in the reply.
Pitch templates (copy, paste, adapt)
Subject: Pitch — [Short hook] — [Place] — [Proposed length] Hi [Editor name], I’m [Your Name], a reporter/essayist based in [City, State]. I’d like to pitch a feature for Belt about [one-sentence hook that names the place and stakes]. Hook (one paragraph): [Describe the narrative and why it matters — who, what, where, and the conflict or change — in 2–3 sentences.] Proposed length: ~[1,500–2,200] words Reporting access: [Who you can interview or records you already have] Outline (3–6 sections): • Intro: [scene + lead character] • Section 1: [what happened / context] • Section 2: [evidence, interviews, data] • Section 3: [policy / business / cultural context] • Conclusion: [what this means / what readers should know] Samples: • [Feature sample link — 1,200+ words] • [Shorter clip link — 700–1,000 words] Short bio: [One line — where you report, any relevant beats or publications] Contact: [phone] | [email] Thanks for considering — I’m happy to provide more detail or a full draft. Best, [Your name]
Subject: Essay pitch — [Title idea] — [Place] Hi [Editor name], I’d like to pitch a first-person essay for Belt titled “[Working title]” about [short hook — one sentence about place and personal connection]. What it is (two sentences): [Describe the memory or event and the wider issue it reveals for the region.] Proposed length: ~900–1,400 words Why me: [why you’re the right person — lived experience, reporting, or background] Sample work: [link to one or two published essays or a portfolio piece] Thanks for your time — I can send a full draft on request. Best, [Your name]
Section 6 · Money: expected pay, negotiation, and alternatives
How writers typically get paid for Belt pieces
Publicly available reports and writer roundups indicate that pay for Belt Magazine has varied by piece type: first-person essays and short personal pieces often paid in the lower range ($100–$200 in some roundups), while longer reported features have been reported in the $300–$1,000 range depending on length and reporting. These are aggregated reports and vary by time and assignment; verify payment during negotiation.
- Short personal essays: often smaller fees (some reports: $100–$200).
- Features with reporting: higher (many reports: $300–$1,000 depending on scope).
- Photo essays and special projects: fee varies (sometimes per project).
Because Belt is a nonprofit and membership-supported outlet, rates depend on the editors and the budget for each story; don’t assume a fixed rate without confirming in the acceptance email.
- Estimate your total hours (research, reporting, travel, writing, editing).
- Divide the fee to check your hourly; if it’s too low, negotiate scope or ask for a higher fee for extra reporting.
- Remember: a Belt byline can produce indirect income (clients, speaking, book opportunities).
Section 7 · Rights, contracts, and reposting
What to expect and what to request
Standard practice: small magazines may ask for first serial rights or a limited exclusive window, after which the writer may repost on their own site. Belt’s specific policy will be clarified in acceptance email; always confirm before reposting. If a contract or payment email mentions exclusivity, ask for the length of the exclusive period in writing.
- What is the payment amount and timeline (payment on publication or net X days)?
- Which rights are you granting (first North American serial, worldwide, exclusive for X days)?
- Can I keep the copyright and request a reprint after Y months?
- Will any edits require my approval for factual changes?
Section 8 · Ethics, sourcing, and AI
How to keep your piece reliable, defensible, and editor-ready
Belt’s credibility rests on reporting. Avoid publishing anything you cannot defend with documents or sources. If you use AI tools, use them only for drafting or idea generation and perform full fact-checking, rewriting, and source verification before submission. Editors expect you to take responsibility for accuracy.
- Record interviews (with permission) and keep transcripts.
- Save URLs, PDFs, and public records used in reporting.
- Corroborate important claims with at least two independent sources when possible.
- Provide attributions and link to primary sources in your draft.
- Do not submit AI-generated text as-is. Use AI only for brainstorming and editing.
- Verify every factual claim produced or checked by AI with primary sources.
- Be transparent with editors if you used AI for research or structural drafts (some editors ask for disclosure).
Section 9 · Final checklist & follow-up templates
Pre-pitch checklist and short follow-up messages you can use
Follow-up template (2–3 weeks later)
Subject: Follow-up — pitch: [Short hook] — [Place] Hi [Editor name], I hope you’re well. I wanted to follow up on my pitch about [one-line hook]. I’d be happy to provide more reporting detail or a full draft if that helps. Thanks again for considering it — appreciate the time. Best, [Your name]
Section 10 · FAQ, trustworthy links, and a learning path
Answers to common beginner questions + curated links to research
- Belt Magazine — home.
- About Belt Magazine. Learn mission and scope.
- Write for Belt — submission page. Check live status.
- Contact (editorial emails & info).
- Belt News & Top Stories. Read recent pieces for tone.
- CreativeWritingNews: Belt call for writers (pay overview).
- PeakFreelance: Belt pay snapshot.
- MakeALivingWriting — regional mags that pay (context).
- Freedom With Writing — lists of paying magazines (context).
- Days 1–14: Read 10 Belt pieces (features, essays, photo essays). Note structure and voice.
- Days 15–30: Pick a small local project; interview 3 people; shoot photos; draft a 1,000–1,500 word feature for your portfolio.
- Days 31–60: Publish that piece on your blog/Medium/local site. Create a short pitch and 1–2 sample clips to send to Belt.
- Days 61–90: Send 2–3 tailored pitches to Belt (or similar regional outlets) and track responses. Use the templates above.