writermag.com • The Writer | 39Dancing” (8/3/17), which appears in
the inaugural issue of the quarterly
magazine. It’s an essay by marine biol-
ogist Russell Bradley about his time
spent on Laysan Atoll in the North-
western Hawaiian Islands studying
albatross. “It’s very much a travel story,
but there’s a lot of science in there as
well,” Babu explains.
Bergmann has worked as an editor
at other publications that separate
journalistic pieces from first-person
travel narrative, and she’s eager toshowcase stories that include both –
pieces like Annelise Jolley’s “Trick of
the Light” (11/8/18), about sex workers
in Thailand.
“She describes the state of sex work
in Thailand but also how she meets a
lot of the girls and lady boys and goes
out clubbing with them,” Bergmann
explains. “Travel journalism is at the
frontlines and frontiers of human
exploration, and this really comes
through when you have a narrator tak-
ing you by the hand and leading you to
these great places.”Contributors
Photographer Kim F. Stone has a photo
essay titled “The Great Basin Bucka-
roos” in Hidden Compass (2/1/19),
which explores the lives of cowboys in
Oregon’s Alvord Desert. Originally
from Maine, Stone has spent the past
decade handling and doctoring cattle
in the desert.She writes: “Even on the hardest
days – when the swirling, roaring
wind stole the warmth of the sun,
and we found calves sick with pneu-
monia, in desperate need of atten-
tion, fighting for their lives and for
that of the ranch – I felt at home
among the buckaroos.”
The editors love how the photo essay
explored a region close to their Califor-
nia homes – an area and culture that
people know little about. “This is a cul-
ture steeped in history, a culture that’s
disappearing,” Babu explains.
They also appreciate Yas-
aswini Sampathkumar’s
piece about turtle conserva-
tion in India (Autumn,
2019), which describes the
volunteers who patrol
beaches and dig up turtle
nests, transporting the eggs
to a hatchery and then
releasing the babies into the
ocean. “What’s really fasci-
nating about this story is
that volunteers from all over
India have no idea if what they’re
doing is making a difference, but they
do it anyway,” Babu says.
“The writer draws a parallel
between the volunteers’ efforts and
the turtles laying eggs without know-
ing what will happen to the little
hatchlings,” Bergmann adds. “It’s an
act of faith that’s been going on for
hundreds of millions of years, repli-
cated now by humans.”
The Autumn 2019 issue also
includes “Vacant Lot Vineyard” by
Barbara Barrielle, about a man who
plants vineyards in abandoned vacant
lots in Detroit. “It’s a story about going
home and working to rebuild in the
face of economic catastrophe,” Berg-
mann says. “It’s such a weird juxtapo-
sition, with all the hope and
excitement around the wine industry
and Detroit’s economic collapse. It’s
exciting to see how these subjects
mesh in the same place.”Advice for potential contributors
Bergmann and Babu look for submis-
sions that contribute to a global con-
versation and include a well-developed
story arc. “When we evaluate a piece,
we ask ourselves, ‘Is this interesting?
Why do we want to call for everyone’s
attention and tell them to stop what-
ever they’re doing to read this piece
now?’” Babu explains. “When we get a
piece that feels important, that’s really
exciting.”
The editors urge potential contribu-
tors to read archived stories on the Hid-
den Compass website and to study the
writers’ guidelines to better understand
the magazine’s aesthetic. “Our publica-
tion sees travel as exploration rather
than vacation,” Babu says. “Other maga-
zines will help you to take your best
vacation. Ours examines how to go out
into the world and explore.”
“We’re a literary travel magazine
that loves first-person travel journal-
ism,” Bergmann concludes. “We get to
publish the weird stories.”Contributing editor Melissa Hart is the
author of Better with Books: 500 Diverse Books
to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Accep-
tance in Tweens and Teens (Sasquatch, 2019).
Twit ter/Instagram: @WildMelissaHar t.“Deep exploration of
a destination through
powerful storytelling.”
ONLINE, QUARTERLY.
Genres: Nonfiction stories, pro-
files, features, and photo essays.
Reading period: Year-round.
Length:500-3,000 words.
Submission format:Via email.
Payment:$200-$300.
Contact: Editors Sabine Berg-
mann and Sivani Babu,
[email protected],
hiddencompass.net.“We want to live in a
world where the names
of astronauts, explorers,
scientists and inventors
roll off our tongues as
easily as the names of
the Kardashians.”