How to Pitch Stories to StarTrek.com

StarTrek.com accepts pitches for essays, reported work, features, and more. Below, you'll find a few general tips for pitching to our Managing Editor and staff. If your pitch is accepted, your assignments will be contracted and paid. Writers from outside of the United States are more than welcome. We are interested in pitches on the following topics (as they relate to Star Trek) for 2024:

Star Trek: Discovery – The highly anticipated series returns with an action-packed fifth and final season that takes our crew on an adventure across the galaxy. Let us know how you connect with the series that kicked off Star Trek’s modern era! Did any of the series’ crew, guest stars, and/or storylines leave an impression on you?
Heritage and Awareness Months – March is Women's History Month. May marks Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, and Mental Health Awareness Month, while June marks LGBTQ Pride Month. September is Latinx Heritage Month. In addition to months, there are a number of days that recognizes one's heritage and identity. Has any of the series’ portrayals resonated with you?
Points of First Contact - In addition to the epic conclusion to Star Trek: Discovery, 2024 also marks other great entry points into Star Trek with the 15th anniversary of Star Trek (2009) and the 45th anniversary of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. We'd love to hear how you got into Star Trek, whether it was from friends and/or loved ones, or just by happenstance. Or if you've used certain episodes or films to get your friends into it?
Star Trek Captains – Everyone loves Kirk and Picard, but let’s give it up for other decorated Federation officers. Do you have a pitch around the captaincy of Benjamin Sisko, Philippa Georgiou, Gabriel Lorca, Michael Burnham, Jonathan Archer, Christopher Pike, Kathryn Janeway, Carol Freeman, or Dal?
Senior Officers, Bridge Crew, and You! - It's not just captains that make going boldly and exploring new worlds possible. Where would we be without the likes of O'Brien, Chekov, EMH, Chapel, Yar, Detmer, Dax, T'Pol, etc.? And let's not forget the Lower Deckers or Prodigy cadets-in-training. Let us know who you connect with most!
Star Trek Films – From Star Trek: The Motion Picture to The Undiscovered Country to First Contact to Star Trek Beyond, and everything in-between, Star Trek films continued the adventures of our beloved various crews and served as entry points for a lot of Star Trek fans.

In addition to anniversaries for Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek (2009), other anniversaries this year includes the 40th anniversary of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, the 35th anniversary of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, and 30th anniversary of Star Trek Generations!
Ahoy! Shore Leave, Captain’s Holiday, and More – As we dream of warm temps and inch closer to spring break and summer holiday, we want to hear about your favorite crew vacations and getaways. Also, if you’ve embarked on the Star Trek: The Cruise or Star Trek: Missions (or any other event/convention), we want to hear about your experience!

**We are always interested in pitches on the following evergreen topics:**

Current world events and how those relate back to Star Trek.
Timely responses to recent Star Trek episodes. This is not a call for recaps. It’s a call for deeper looks at various aspects that might have been introduced or explored in an episode.
Interviews with one-off Star Trek guest stars.
Trek-related essays (We will also consider video essay pitches on a case-by-case basis.)
Personal essays that relate back to Trek.
Any reported work that ties current events back into Trek, including...
Reported pieces about current space exploration (NASA, SpaceX, ISSA, etc.)
Reported pieces about technology relevant to Trek. (ie, Do you know of someone developing an EpiPen that operates like a hypospray? We want to know about it.)
Deep dives (Did you reread Planet X and find some revelatory detail that warrants 1500-2000 words? Hit us up.)
Listicles (we're eager to hear about your top 10 Class M Planets!)
Interviews with and profiles of interesting Star Trek fans.
Pieces that center voices from marginalized communities.

**Any other creative ideas you might have! Please make sure that they do not fall under the category of things we explicitly do not want:**

Pitches for Star Trek products. Star Trek license holders should email their Consumer Products contact(s) for all requests related to products and posts on StarTrek.com.
Episode recaps for any Trek shows, past or present
Spec scripts for current or former Star Trek series
Star Trek series pitches
Star Trek fan films
Star Trek fan fiction

How to Submit:

Before you submit a pitch, read all of the below Terms and Conditions.
Pitches should be sent to StarTrekPitches@cbs.com. Pitches that StarTrek.com is interested in commissioning will receive an email in response. Pitches that we are not interested in will not receive a response. This means that we do not send rejection emails. Please allow us at least 10 business days for responses to evergreen pitches.
Please use the following email subject line format to ensure that we see your pitches: "PITCH: TK TK TK"
If your pitch is timely, please use the following subject line format: "URGENT PITCH: TK TK TK"
Please send pitches. Do not send completed work.
The more unique your pitch is, the better!
StarTrek.com generally does not publish articles over 2000 words.
Please don’t forget to introduce yourself and provide clips that demonstrate your ability to write whatever it is you happen to be pitching. Please do not provide clips from personal blogs, personal websites, personal Medium.com pages, etc.
Get to your point! We don't always need an 800 word pitch. Make sure that what you’re pitching is clear within the first 2-3 sentences so that we don’t have to dig for your thesis. Then you can build your case for why the reader should care.
Please make it clear how you're going to execute your piece! Is this an essay? Is it a personal essay? Is it a reported article? Is this a list? Is it a hybrid? You're going to interview HOW many people in just 600 words? Please be sure to layout your format and plan.
Relatedly, please include an approximate word count and propose a filing date.
Overall, do be sure to come through with a complete idea. We are here to help you tweak and shape your pitches, but not give you your pitches!

Terms and Conditions:

By submitting the pitch material (the "Material") to StarTrekPitches@cbs.com for consideration by StarTrek.com, you are representing that you have read and understand these Terms and Conditions and consent to be bound by them. You acknowledge that no confidential relationship exists between you and StarTrek.com, nor is there one intended or created by the submission of the Material. All references herein to “StarTrek.com” or “CBS” will include CBS Studios Inc., CBS Broadcasting Inc., StarTrek.com, their respective parents, any of their affiliates and subsidiaries, as well as the respective directors, officers, agents, employees, consultants, successors, licensee and/or assigns (collectively, “CBS”) of each of them.

Except as otherwise specifically stated herein, you represent that:
(a) The Material is completely original;
(b) You have the sole and exclusive right to grant all rights in the Material;
(c) You have exclusive rights in the title of the Material, if any, as regards its use in connection with the Material; and
(d) Neither the Material nor CBS’ review, use and/or publication thereof will violate any personal or property rights of any third party.
In consideration for StarTrek.com’s review of the Material, you hereby release and discharge CBS from any liability in connection with CBS’s use of the Material. You will indemnify, defend (only if so requested by CBS) and hold CBS harmless from and against any claim, loss, obligation, liability or expense (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees and costs) that may be asserted against or incurred by CBS in connection with the Material, any use of the Material by CBS and/or any breach by you of any of your representations, warranties or agreements hereunder.
You understand that StarTrek.com has no obligation to select the Material for development into an article, use and/or publication. In the event StarTrek.com selects my Material for further development, use and/or publication, you grant CBS the right to use your name, likeness and biography in connection with the publication of the Material without additional consideration.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, you agree that any part of the Material which is not protected by copyright laws (including, without limitation, ideas, historical or factual matters, or public domain elements of the Material, in each case, whether or not obtained from other sources) may be freely used by CBS without any obligation or liability to me.
Dispute Resolution. You and CBS agree that any and all controversies, claims or disputes arising out of or relating to this agreement and/or the conduct of the parties hereunder or in connection herewith (“Dispute”) will be the subject of good faith negotiation. If after good faith negotiation the Dispute is not resolved, and either party wishes to pursue the matter further, the parties agree that the Dispute will be submitted to final and binding confidential arbitration at the Los Angeles office of JAMS, or its successor (“JAMS”), according to the JAMS Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures. The arbitration will be conducted before a single neutral arbitrator who will follow California law in adjudicating the Dispute. Each party will share the arbitration costs and the arbitrator’s fees equally, but will remain responsible for its own attorneys’ fees. The parties waive the right to seek punitive damages and the arbitrator will have no authority to award such damages. All parties consent to the personal jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Los Angeles County, California for purposes of confirming or enforcing any arbitration award. The parties acknowledge that this provision constitutes a waiver of each party’s rights to a civil court action or a jury trial concerning matters covered by this provision; only an arbitrator, not a judge or jury, will decide the Dispute.
You agree that any dispute between you and CBS, whether handled by an arbitrator or commencing in court, shall be subject to the following time restraints: any action taken by you against CBS must be filed within six months after the first public release of the Material (or any claimed features or element thereof) or ninety days after CBS notifies you that it denies any liability to you, whichever is earlier.
In any legal action taken by you against CBS, you understand that each party will be responsible for our respective legal costs, including arbitration costs, court costs, depositions, attorneys' fees and the fees of any experts engaged to ascertain originality, public domain status or any other facts deemed necessary or advisable; provided, however, that should you be unsuccessful in any action against CBS, you will promptly reimburse CBS for all of CBS’ costs and expenses entailed in defending or contesting such action. If you bring any action against CBS relating to the Material, such action will be limited to an action for damages, if any, and in no event will you be entitled to any injunction or any other equitable relief.
In agreeing to submit the Material and releasing CBS, you understand that you may be waiving rights with respect to claims that are at this time unknown or unsuspected, and in accordance with such waiver, you hereby acknowledge that you have read and understand, and hereby expressly waive, the benefits of Section 1542 of the Civil Code of California, which provides as follows:

“A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS THAT THE CREDITOR OR RELEASING PARTY DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS OR HER FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE AND THAT, IF KNOWN BY HIM OR HER, WOULD HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS OR HER SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR OR RELEASED PARTY.”
You have retained a copy of the Material, and StarTrek.com shall not be responsible for the preservation or return of any Material that you submit to StarTrek.com.
You acknowledge that StarTrek.com has made no inducements or promises of any kind to you relating to the Material; that no representations of any kind have been made to you; that there are no prior or contemporaneous oral agreements in effect between the parties pertaining to the Material; and that this these Terms and Conditions are intended by the parties as the final expression of the agreement and is the complete and exclusive statement of the terms hereof. Any provision of these Terms and Conditions or part thereof which is void or unenforceable shall be deemed omitted to the minimum extent necessary and these Terms and Conditions with such provision or part thereof so omitted shall remain in full force and effect. Any modification or waiver of any of the provisions of these Terms and Conditions must be in writing and signed by both parties.
You represent that you are 18 years of age or older.