The Commons is an independent magazine founded in 2026 and based in Berkeley, California.
Write for us
We seek insightful essays of 2000 – 5000 words on the environment, climate, and people. Broadly, we feature two types of works: (1) reviews of recent books or other media and (2) pieces oriented around a topic rather than a text.
Essays may include elements of investigative journalism, academic review, data-driven news, criticism, and memoir. Refer to the New York Review of Books for a sense of the form. Our ideal essay is fascinating or delightful. It is honest and thoughtful, not promotional or institutional. It is written by a human (not an LLM) in a clear style that assumes minimal content expertise of the reader yet contextualizes the ideas at stake.
Topically, we welcome pieces on the environment, climate, ecology, culture, art, literature, economics, theory, and related issues. We value writers with expertise who can open up a topical area and its animating questions to a broad audience.
Current payment is $500 – 750 per piece, depending on length.
Commissions
The writer and editor work together to agree on the topic, approach, and logistics. After the writer produces the first draft, the writer and editor iteratively revise the article. A typical article takes 2 – 4 months to write and edit.
Submissions
The Commons is also currently accepting submissions that meet our editorial guidelines. If accepted, the submission writer and editor will work together to refine the piece.
If you would like to propose a commission or submit a piece for consideration, please reach out to editors@commonsreview.org.
The Commons 