Today we’re excited to launch a new series with Longreads, the storytelling community that recently joined the Automattic and WordPress.com Editorial family. And we need your help.
We’re looking for the best long-form stories over 1,500 words, across all of WordPress—a quest that will span 22% of the Internet. It will include work from undiscovered writers, as well as the authors and publishers you already know and love.
Help us find and share the best stories
Authors and publishers: When you post something great that’s over 1,500 words, use the longreads tag on your post so we can consider it. You can also share a link to the story on Twitter: Just reply to @Longreads or include #longreads in your tweet. (If your WordPress site is self-hosted, Twitter is still the best way to reach us.)
Readers: If you find something that you love, share it with us! Reblog a link on your own site and add the longreads tag, or share it on Twitter with #longreads.
What we’re looking for
Right now, we’re searching for primarily nonfiction. This can include the following:
- Interviews: It could be an interview with your grandparents, a Q&A with your best friend about their career, or a conversation with your favorite local business owner.
- Essays, speeches and big ideas: A personal spin on an important topic, or a transcript from a talk you gave at a work conference.
- History and research: We love learning about our collective experiences, and what it tells us about the past and the future. Share your personal, professional, or academic research about topics that interest you.
- Previously published book excerpts and magazine features: If you are the rights holder for a book or magazine feature—old or new pieces are both welcome—share it with the #longreads community.
We’re looking forward to seeing your story picks!
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Here are a few more examples of stories we’ve featured on Longreads from the world of WordPress:
- I Was a Teenage Narc (Michael Hobbes): Hobbes recalls being employed by the Washington State Liquor Control Board as a teenage informant who bought cigarettes and alcohol without an ID.
- My Reply to Alexander Nazaryan of Newsweek (Diane Ravitch): The public school crusader takes on a challenge from a Newsweek writer to tackle the problems with Common Core.
- Comedy and the Single Girl: An Excerpt from ‘Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted’ (Jennifer K. Armstrong): The story of Treva Silverman, and how she helped create some of the most iconic characters in TV history.
- You’re Probably Using the Wrong Dictionary (James Somers): What John McPhee and a good dictionary can teach us about writing.
- An Interview with My Mother, the One Who Stayed Home (Roxane Gay, The Hairpin): The author speaks with her mother about the decision to be a stay-at-home mom.
- Penny Pritzker’s Path from Family Tragedy to Business Success (Nina Easton, Fortune) How the Obama Commerce Secretary’s early family tragedies shaped her path to business and political success.
- The History of ‘Boy’ and ‘Girl’ Toys: A Veteran Toy Designer Wrestles With the Industry’s Gender Divide (Hunter Oatman-Stanford, Collectors Weekly): A look at the evolution of the toy industry, how Barbie changed the world, and why “girls” and “boys” toys are still so differentiated.
- A Cocktail Party In The Street: An Interview With Alan Stillman (Nicola Twilley, Edible Geography): How a famous restaurant chain got its start in New York City.
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