Essays, Journalism, Personal essays
The Walrus
The Walrus official submissions page: short essays of around 1,000 words start at $500; long-form reported features pay up to $1 per word. Pitch features and essays to pitch@thewalrus.ca. Fiction is Canadian writers only and is closed until January.
🟢 Currently accepting Verified 2026-08
The docket
The nine things that decide whether a pitch is worth sending. Every answer below is either taken from the publication’s own guideline or computed by BRYME from the 304-publication desk. Where the publication does not say, the docket says so instead of filling the gap in.
- Payment
- From $500 (short essays); features up to $1/wordBRYME records 3 other records based in Canada that state a per-word rate — too few to rank this one against without over-reading 3 data points.
- Length
- Essays 1,000–4,000; reported features ~1,200–2,000; long-form 2,500–5,000
- Who can submit
- Not statedThe official page does not restrict essays and features by nationality. Fiction and poetry guidelines separately say Canadian writers/poets. Do not collapse those rules.
- Reading period
- Not yet assessedBRYME has not recorded a reading period for this market from its guideline page. That is our gap rather than the publication's silence: it does not mean the window is open, and it does not mean there is none. Read the guideline linked on this page before you send.
- Response time
- Not statedNo response time recorded. A follow-up after two to three weeks is reasonable; silence past that is a soft no, not a rejection.
- Simultaneous submissions
- You may submit elsewhere at the same timePlease note in your pitch if the story is being submitted to other publications simultaneously. — https://thewalrus.ca/about/submissions/ (Wayback snapshot 2026-05-30; read 2026-09-30)
- AI policy
- Not statedThe guideline is silent. BRYME records that 138 of the 304 publications on this desk do restrict AI-assisted work, so silence here is not permission — ask.
- Rights
- StatedWriters retain derivative rights. The page does not spell out first serial rights in more detail.
- Experience
- Not statedThe guideline sets no experience requirement. BRYME records that as silence, not as a welcome — a first-time writer is not excluded, but nor are they invited.
What this record does not tell you
This publication leaves 5 of the nine questions unanswered. BRYME publishes that gap instead of filling it — a generated answer would look complete and cost you a pitch.
- Who can submit — the guideline leaves this open, so ask before you spend an evening on the pitch rather than assuming a yes.
- Reading period — no window recorded yet, so check the guideline before you pitch rather than assuming it is open.
- Response time — expect to wait blind, and keep other pitches live.
- AI policy — assume disclosure is expected unless the editor says otherwise.
- Experience — look at what kind of writer this publication normally publishes before you pitch; its guideline does not say.
Record last human-checked 2026-08-19. Sources listed at the foot of this page. Figures are compared only against other records based in Canada quoted the same way, so a per-word rate is never ranked against a flat fee.
Quick facts
- Payment
- From $500 (short essays); features up to $1/word
- Word count
- Essays 1,000–4,000; reported features ~1,200–2,000; long-form 2,500–5,000
- Submission
- Email pitch (completed draft required for memoir)
- International writers
- Yes
- Status
- 🟢 Currently accepting
- Last verified
- 2026-08
What this publication wants
This is BRYME's summary of the publication's focus — not a copy of their website. Type of writing: Essays, Journalism, Personal essays. Official guideline: The Walrus guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- A pitch with the story, original research, approach, format, length, and why you. Samples as links or attachments.
- Essays: focused argument, original and significant, deeper than a newspaper op-ed.
- Features: stories not subjects — characters, access, narrative.
- Memoir: completed draft only.
- Note if it is a simultaneous submission.
Subjects they avoid
- A story The Walrus already covered.
- Fiction or poetry in this inbox. Fiction is Canadian writers, windows 1 Jan–28 Feb and 1 Jun–31 Jul only — closed on 19 August 2026.
Key requirements
- Email pitch@thewalrus.ca
- Description, research, length, clips
Who can submit
The official page does not restrict essays and features by nationality. Fiction and poetry guidelines separately say Canadian writers/poets. Do not collapse those rules.
Rights
Writers retain derivative rights. The page does not spell out first serial rights in more detail.
AI policy
Not stated in the guideline
How to write for them
Official requirement: always follow the publication's own guideline exactly.
BRYME's practical advice: write for the publication's audience, use a clear structure, keep paragraphs short, lead with a specific angle, and confirm the word count before submitting. These are practical suggestions — they are not the publication's official rules.
How to pitch
Where a pitch is required, this is the general pattern BRYME recommends — always adapt it to the publication's guideline.
- Research the publication and read several recent pieces.
- Choose a specific idea that fits their beat and audience.
- Write a concise subject line naming your idea.
- Introduce yourself in one or two lines (who you are, where you publish).
- Explain the proposed piece in a short paragraph — angle, structure, length.
- Say why it fits this publication.
- Include 2–3 relevant clips or links.
- Close professionally and thank them for their time.
- Send through the official channel only.
Accepting submissions now, with no stated closing date.
How to submit
Email pitch (completed draft required for memoir)
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Email pitch (completed draft required for memoir)
- Submission email: pitch@thewalrus.ca
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Read https://thewalrus.ca/about/submissions/.
- Email pitch@thewalrus.ca for essays and features.
- Fiction: fiction@thewalrus.ca only in the stated windows. Poetry: poetry@thewalrus.ca.
What happens after submission
Expected response: Not publicly stated
If the publication does not state a response time, BRYME records that it is unknown. A follow-up is generally reasonable after a couple of weeks; if there is still no response, treat that as a likely non-acceptance rather than a rejection. Acceptance is normally communicated by the publication. If they accept, they will tell you exactly how to submit the final piece and, for most, how and when payment is made.
Check, question or correct this record
BRYME publishes its working, not just its conclusions. Last human check: 2026-08.