Politico is slowly but surely putting together its magazine team. Run by Susan Glasser and Blake Hounshell, both of whom recently arrived from Foreign Policy magazine, they’ve hired on Jason Zengerle from New York Magazine and GQ. Zengerle previously wrote for The New Republic.

In addition, Glenn Thrush, the White House reporter known for his feisty arguing on Twitter, is moving over to the magazine beat. If Politico Editor-in-Chief John Harris gushed any more about him, his head even in his infamous fedora, might not fit through the door. He calls him “one of our most brilliant reporters and writers” and says the “move is a natural for Glenn, whose greatest strength may be his ability to understand the ways that human character animates Washington and its large political and policy debates. Glenn is as gifted as any writer I have known at bringing this to life in vivid ways, and we are extremely enthusiastic about his new assignment.”

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It’s time to apply the bikini bod workout to the pitch, journos. If your pitch is fresh, editors at Shape are interested: “We absolutely are open to new writers,” said deputy editor Jeanine Detz.

The mag, with its 1.6 million circulation, is dedicated to helping women shape their lives — no matter what their shape.

“We are trying to give readers practical ways to work health, fitness and nutrition into their lives,” said Detz. “We’re not just reaching for the person who’s super fit or the person who’s not-so-fit; we really offer information for everyone on the spectrum.”

For tips on how to really impress editors, read How to Pitch: Shape.

– Sherry Yuan

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

Newsmax’s new August issue is out with a list of women they think are the twenty-five most influential in the GOP.

Sen. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.) tops the list, but then it’s rounded out with a predictable field that includes the likes of Sarah Palin, Ann Coulter and Condoleeza Rice. Meg Whitman is no. thirteen and the last time we heard anything from her, wasn’t it just before she lost a pretty big election in California?

Wall Street Journal’s Peggy Noonan managed to grab a spot at no. twelve, making her the the highest ranking journalist on the list (unless you count Palin, who’s sitting at no. 2).

More interesting and far less predictable, though, are their picks for the up and comers not yet worthy of ranking spots—chosen, they say, based on interviews with GOP insiders—like Fox News’ Andrea Tantaros. Newsmax says Tantaros “blends the realpolitik of the political trenches with a wicked-smart sense of humor, as evidenced by her work each weekday on Fox’s The Five.”

Have a look at the entire list, including the up and comers, here.

This week’s TIME cover is sure to stir debate. It concerns couples making the choice to not have children. In the story, TIME contributor Lauren Sandler “looks at the choice more American couples are making — to purposefully live their lives without children. The U.S. birthrate is lower than it’s ever been in recorded history, declining a staggering 9% from 2007 to 2011. Despite this trend, childfree women continue to face judgment and isolation from the constant din of America’s mommy culture, which still equates womanhood with motherhood.” Read the story here.

Editors at Glamour know that any woman’s life is a series of multiple moving parts; that’s why the mag aims to cover everything from fashion and beauty to music and real life stories.

Writers deliver content that counts, like the latest skin cancer risks and tips for asking for a raise at work, but executive editor Mikki Halpin notes that they also infuse fun and humor into the pages. Reading an issue of Glamour is like “that conversation that you have with your girlfriends who are all really well-informed and stylish and kind,” she said, “and you’re getting this information, not in a dictatorial, PhD sort of way, but from this really smart, cool person who’s your peer.”

Got the latest scoop? For pitching etiquette and editors’ contact info, read How to Pitch: Glamour.

– Sherry Yuan

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

While Cincinnati is a regional mag, editors pride themselves on living up to standards more akin to national pubs.

Similarly, although the magazine is aimed at an “affluent, upper middle class, well-educated readership,” editorial is not pigeonholed by demographics, said executive editor Linda Vaccariello.

A feature in the May 2012 issue, for instance, detailed the short but rich-in-spirit life and bizarre death of a punk drummer nicknamed “Bones.” She explained, “We knew this was the sort of human-interest story that our readers are compelled to. They read the newspaper; they’re just as puzzled as the rest of us about who this guy was and how he came to lose his life in such a strange circumstance.”

For details on pitching etiquette and editors’ contact info, read How to Pitch: Cincinnati.

– Sherry Yuan

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

By focusing on gender issues and the media, Bitch acts as a tool-kit for all those who engage in social justice and feminist criticism (no, feminist is not another word for lesbian), and editors are looking for writers who can provide smart, thought-provoking commentary on pop culture.

With few staff writers to fill in the gaps, freelancers have more opportunities to land a byline. “We rely on freelancers to pitch us,” stressed editor-in-chief Kjerstin Johnson. “If we generate an idea in house, we may send a query to a group of established freelancers,” but she emphasizes that the Bitch team is hungry for solid stories with new angles.

For more details and editors’ contact info, read How To Pitch: Bitch.

– Sherry Yuan

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

The latest issue of the National Journal is out, and here’s a look at some of the stories you can get online for free:

What America’s Top Tech and Telecom Companies Don’t Want You to Know, by Michael Hirsh
The story: They’ve been helping the government spy on people for a very long time. The cozy relationships go back decades.

Ever watched the X-Files? This is kind of a detailed look at all the stuff they warned was happening, and we just happily assumed was pure fiction. It begs the question, what else do we not know?

Americans Are Once Again Divided by Race, by Editorial Director Ronald Brownstein

The story: The Trayvon Martin case demonstrates how whites and minorities often view politics and justice in very different ways, writes Editorial Director Ronald Brownstein.

Once again? Was there a time in our history that we’ve missed where whites and non-whites just got along spectacularly? Maybe the Trayvon Martin case has put the huge rift back on display, but it’s not like it ever went away. We were hoping for some less-than-obvious conclusions in this piece, but didn’t find many.

Who will control the Senate after the next election?

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At Afar, editors are looking for culture-savvy freelancers to cover destinations abroad and in the U.S. with an in-depth perspective. Translation: no five-star hotels or resorts, please.

In a survey, almost 90 percent of Afar readers said they “visit places most travelers don’t see” and 74 percent agree that they “stay in one place longer to experience its culture,” even participating in local events. This isn’t the Hawaiian-shirt-and-fanny-pack wearing group.

With that in mind, freelancers are welcome to pitch creative ideas that help these globetrotters learn even more about their next destinations. For pitching etiquette and editors’ contact info, read How To Pitch: Afar.

– Sherry Yuan

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

Warning to readers: If you want to sleep peacefully for the foreseeable future, please do not stare at this too hard or for too long.

Points to New York Magazine for this week’s creative cover, a mashup of two disgraced politicians now running for office in New York city: mayoral candidate and former congressman Anthony Weiner and comptroller candidate and former governor Elliot Spitzer.

The most amazing thing, or maybe the creepiest—we can’t tell—is that at first glance, you don’t notice that these are pictures of two different men spliced together instead of a single guy having a stroke.

From the sharp ears, to the trim hair, to the pursed lips to the triangle noses, it’s like Spitzer and Weiner are carbon copies. Spitzer’s narrow eye, contrasted with Weiner’s bright, round one  is what finally gives the trick a way, though the differences in the hairlines stick out a bit, too.

To top it off, the magazine splashed “Weiner?!” and “Spitzer?!” in red ink over the black and white photo, probably accurately summing up New Yorker’s reactions to these two as candidates.

Read their story on Weiner here, and the one on Spitzer here.