HAVE A STORY?

Share it with us!

HUMAN is looking for real stories from real people across the North State.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES BELOW

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

  • HUMAN is a quarterly print magazine rooted in the North State of California. We publish human interest stories that build understanding, break down barriers, and remind readers of the complexity and dignity in every life. Our stories center on real people navigating real challenges — recovery, resilience, faith, family, community, and the quiet moments where change begins.

    HUMAN is not a magazine about homelessness or social services. It’s a magazine about people. Those themes may be present, but they’re never the point. The person always is.

  • We accept story ideas and submissions from community members, freelance writers, and journalism students. If you know someone whose story deserves to be told, we want to hear about it. If you’re a writer looking for meaningful work, we’d like to meet you.

  • We’re looking for stories about real people in the North State facing challenge, change, or moments of unexpected grace. Strong submissions center on a specific person or small group, ground the reader in lived experience, and leave them feeling like they understand someone better than they did before.

    Stories may touch on recovery, housing instability, mental health, family, faith, community care, or adjacent themes. We don’t publish profiles of public figures for the sake of their success, business features, or issue-driven opinion pieces. If you’re unsure whether your story fits, reach out and ask.

  • Item descriptionWe publish the following:

    Feature Articles — 1,000 to 1,200 words

    Short Stories — approximately 600 words

     All submissions are edited for clarity, length, and alignment with HUMAN’s voice and mission. Contributors will be notified of significant edits before publication.

  • Story ideas and completed submissions are accepted through the contact form at HumanTheMagazine.com. Our editorial assistant will follow up to discuss next steps. Please include a brief description of the story, the subject’s name and location, and your writing background if applicable.

  • We publish quarterly. Submissions should be received at least eight weeks prior to the issue date to be considered for that cycle. Stories received after that window will be held for the following issue. Publication dates and submission windows are available on our website.

  • Photos are encouraged but not required. All photos must be high quality and taken with the subject’s knowledge and consent. Any photo in which a person’s face is identifiable requires a signed release form. Release forms are available through our editorial assistant. Photos will be reviewed and selected by our editorial team.

  • We also welcome standalone photo submissions celebrating the beauty and character of the North State. If you’ve captured something worth sharing — a landscape, a community moment, a scene that stops you in your tracks — we’d love to see it.

    Submitted photos must be high resolution and suitable for print. Please include a brief caption describing the location and context of the image. Photos featuring identifiable people require a signed release form, available through our editorial assistant.

    HUMAN retains the right to select, edit, and place submitted photos at the editorial team’s discretion. Photographers will receive a photo credit in the issue.

    Submit photos through the contact form at HumanTheMagazine.com.

  • HUMAN compensates contributors for published work. Short stories receive $100 upon publication. Feature articles receive $150 upon publication. Experienced journalists being considered for specific feature assignments may be eligible for competitive rates; inquire directly with the editor. All contributors receive a byline and copies of the issue in which their work appears.

  • By submitting to HUMAN, contributors grant First North American Serial Rights for print and digital publication. This means HUMAN has the right to publish your work first, in print and on our website. Contributors retain ownership of their work and may republish it elsewhere after it appears in HUMAN. HUMAN retains non-exclusive archival rights to keep published work on our website indefinitely.

  • We don’t publish promotional content, fundraising language, or organizational advertising within editorial submissions. If your story involves an organization you’re affiliated with, that’s fine — just write about the people, not the program.

    We honor the dignity of every person we write about. Stories should reflect that commitment in both content and approach.

    If you have questions about whether your story is a fit, we’re happy to help you figure that out before you invest time in writing it.

    Reach us at HumanTheMagazine.com/submissions.