Calling all audio producers!

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We’re taking pitches for our upcoming season, and we’d love to hear from you.

The season theme is “Secrets of the Earth.” We’re looking for stories from under-represented voices that fit that theme.

Photo by Shirish Suwal on Unsplash

 For example:

  • Are you a scientist who’s unlocked a mystery about the natural world by tapping into the indigenous wisdom of your ancestors? How did that change you?

  • Are you a person who thought your family members had always been city folk, but later learned of their strong connection to nature in your country of origin not many generations back? Why was that significant for you?

  • Did you learn to swim as an adult? How did that experience — and/or the water itself — change you? 

  • Has a disability or health challenge made it more challenging to explore the wilderness than people with able-bodied privilege? What have you learned about yourself as a result? 

  • Do you forage or grow your own food? How has that connected you to a truth from your generational past or given you new insight into your cultural roots?

These are just a few ideas to get the creative juices flowing; we’re eager to hear about your own personal journeys, emotions and experiences.

About us

Out There is an award-winning podcast that explores big questions through intimate outdoor stories. 

What do we mean by “outdoors”? Anything outside your door!

We believe the outdoors is for all, regardless of where you were raised, the color of your skin, or anything else about you.

If you've stepped outside for any reason, you have a connection to nature. We seek to celebrate those connections, amplify voices that are often sidelined in outdoor media, and explore the myriad ways in which humans engage with — and learn from — nature. 

To succeed in that mission, the stories we air, and the people who tell them, need to encompass a wide array of perspectives and backgrounds. Diversity is key to our success, and we work hard to make Out There an environment in which all perspectives are heard and valued. 

With that in mind, we are prioritizing stories that reflect outdoor experiences of QTBIPOC and people with disabilities.

We are particularly interested in “happens to be” stories: stories that feature people who happen to belong to one of these communities, but where the story is not explicitly or solely about their identity, marginalization, or victimization. 

Here are some examples of past Out There stories:

  • “In the Name of Fairness” is an award-winning story about an intersex athlete who learns that “fairness” in sports is more complicated than you might think

  • “Indoor Kid” explores what happens when the person you want to be doesn’t mesh with the person you are

  • In “Pamper Your Brain,” an art student from China shares how she rekindled her creative energy through stargazing

How to pitch

We’re looking for idea-driven narrative stories. Your piece should:

  • relate to the theme “Secrets of the Earth”

  • be deeply personal

  • have a clear narrative arc, with a compelling plot, vivid scenes, and surprising moments of introspection

  • explore a broader question (eg. your story might be about fishing, but on a deeper level, maybe it’s about how we move on after a big loss)

Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash

The piece needs to have a connection to the outdoors, but it doesn’t have to be about wilderness adventures or feats of strength.

Some of our best stories involve the urban outdoors.

Length:

The raw story should be about 15 minutes (the finished piece will end up being longer, once we incorporate sound design).

If you’re interested in doing a piece…

  • Email Willow Belden (willow[at]outtherepodcast.com), with "Out There Pitch" in the subject line.

  • Please make sure your pitch includes:

    1. what your story is about — i.e. the basic storyline, character(s), stakes, obstacles, outcome

    2. the big idea/question the piece will explore

    3. how the story ties into the theme “secrets of the earth”

    4. the overall takeaway; and

    5. how your story amplifies under-represented voices/perspectives

  • In addition, please include some info about yourself, point us to an example or two of your work, and if you’re on social media, let us know where we can find you. 

PITCH DEADLINE: Nov. 10, 2022

Pay:

$500-$1,000, depending on the complexity of the story and whether you’re doing your own sound design.

We recognize that this amount is modest. We strongly believe storytellers deserve to be compensated fairly, and we REALLY wish we could pay more. But we are an independent show on a shoestring budget, and we have to work with what we’ve got.

While we don’t have big coffers, we are prioritizing paying as much as we possibly can, and we are working hard to grow the show so that we can offer higher rates in the future. 

In addition, it’s important to us that the experience is valuable to you as a storyteller and that it helps further your career goals. Our host, Willow Belden, is a fun, supportive editor, and she looks forward to helping you make your story the best it can be. Several newbie storytellers we’ve worked with have won major awards for the stories they produced for Out There, and we would love for yours to be next in line.