Submission Guidelines

Scott Monaco is looking for writers and photographers who know the places that most travelers haven’t found yet. The ones beyond the 10% of destinations where the travel industry concentrates its attention. If you’ve lived in, reported from, or traveled deeply through a place that deserves better coverage than it currently gets, this is a platform built for that work. Contributors are paid.

What We Publish

First-person essays, reported features, and photo essays grounded in firsthand experience. The geographic focus is the Global South, underreported regions, and the overlooked edges of everywhere else — Africa, Central and Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, the Pacific Islands, and, very occasionally, parts of Europe.

We like writing that is honest about what a place is like. Humor is welcome, and so is difficulty. The best submissions carry the kind of detail that only comes from having been there, and they trust the reader to decide for themselves what they think of a place. The work doesn’t have to be about travel itself — culture, art, food, and language all fit here too.

What We Do Not Publish

In case you’re wondering what falls inside that 10% where most travelers go and that already gets the most coverage — think the United States, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom, to name a few. Other destinations like Dubai, Bali, or Santorini are not really what we do either. The exception is China, which remains dramatically undercovered relative to what it offers, and most of its travel volume is domestic.

We’re also not the right fit for service-oriented content — ranked lists, itinerary templates, or anything written to perform in search rather than to be read.

Submissions

Scott Monaco accepts contributor work through periodic open calls. Further submission details, guidelines, and the submission form are published on the platform when a call is active.

Submissions should be completed pieces. Work that has previously been published on your own newsletter or blog is welcome, though we would expect it to be revised and updated before submission.

To be notified when the next open call begins, subscribe below. Subscribing is free. Paid subscribers directly fund contributor commissions and the editorial work behind the platform.