Write for The Goreto

The Goreto publishes writing about Nepal and the broader subcontinent that goes further than what already exists. If a piece could have been written by anyone who spent two weeks somewhere and paid attention, we will not publish it. If it could only have been written by this writer, on this subject, at this level of depth - that is what we are looking for.

We commission slowly. We publish fewer pieces than most travel publications and take considerably longer to do it. Every commission is something we are prepared to stand behind.

What we publish

Destination features (2,500 to 5,000 words) - Long-form reported pieces about a place or a subject rooted in place. Not a survey of everything there is to do. A particular angle, held at depth.

Travel essays (1,200 to 2,500 words) - First-person writing that uses a journey as a lens for something larger. The journey has to have happened. The stakes have to be real, not performed.

Reported essays (3,000 to 6,000 words) - Journalism that treats travel as a point of entry into culture, history, ecology, or politics. Requires sources, reporting, and a reason to exist beyond the obvious.

Destination guides and practical content (1,000 to 3,000 words) - Hotel recommendations, trekking logistics, restaurant guides, curated lists. We publish these when they are written with the same care and specificity as our editorial features. A recommendation that reads like a press release is not what we are looking for. One that saves a reader from a bad decision, or points them toward something they would not have found otherwise, is exactly what we are looking for.

Short dispatches (600 to 1,000 words) - A single observation, told with precision. A tea house above 4,000 metres. A conversation on a night bus. Something that happened, rendered accurately and with care.

Photography (8 to 24 images) - Shot on the ground. We want images that show something true about a place, not images that make a place look like something it is not.

Who we commission

We work with journalists, essayists, guides, scientists, architects, academics, and anyone else with something precise to say and the skill to say it. We do not require travel writing credits. We require evidence that you can write.

The subject you pitch does not need to match a territory you own by virtue of having been born near it. It needs to be something you can write about with depth and with honesty.

How to pitch

Send a pitch of 200 to 400 words. Tell us what the piece is, what angle you are bringing, and why you are the right person to write it. Include one or two writing samples. We do not need a full draft unless you believe it is already ready.

We try to respond within three weeks. If you have not heard from us after four weeks, follow up once. We read everything.

Send pitches to [email protected] with the subject line: Pitch / [Working title]

How we work

The Goreto is an independent editorial publication. Contributors receive a byline, a dedicated author page that links to their portfolio or site, and careful editorial support from a team that takes craft seriously. We edit properly - which means we will tell you when something is not working, and stay with it until it is.

We buy first online publication rights and ask for a 90-day exclusivity window. Rights revert to the writer after that period, with a credit back to The Goreto on any republication. We do not accept work that has been published elsewhere, including personal blogs, unless the version you are pitching is substantially different.

Photography submissions

Pitch with a link to your portfolio and a brief description of the series or assignment you are proposing. We accept work shot on assignment or from existing archives that has not been published elsewhere. We do not accept stock photography.