The brief
Angles we commission on nft
We are not short of general overviews. These are the shapes that get commissioned, with the kind of specificity that separates a pitch from a topic.
Standards and what they actually enforce
ERC-721 against ERC-1155, what royalties are and are not enforceable on-chain, what a token actually points at when the metadata lives off-chain.
Rights, licensing and ownership
What a buyer owns legally versus what a project claims they own. This is where most NFT writing is wrong, and where a careful piece is genuinely valuable.
The market after the boom
Honest accounting of where volume went, which use cases survived contact with reality, and what the remaining activity is actually for.
The standard
What a commissioned piece has to do
NFT coverage attracts more promotion than almost any other crypto topic, so our filter here is strict. Name the standard, cite the chain, and disclose anything you hold.
What gets accepted
- Named standards and on-chain evidence
- A clear line between legal ownership and marketing claims
- Sober treatment of a market well past its peak
- Disclosure of any holdings in projects you cover
- Writing that neither boosts nor sneers
What gets rejected
- Project shilling and "upcoming mint" coverage
- Floor price commentary presented as analysis
- Claims about what a buyer owns with no legal basis
- Recycled explainers on what an NFT is
- Pieces that assume the reader wants to flip something
The full standard, including sourcing and disclosure rules, is in our nft contributor standards. Read it before pitching; it answers most questions faster than we can, and it echoes the same principles in the SPJ Code of Ethics.
Ready?
Pitch a nft piece
One idea per pitch. Give us the angle, why it matters now, and a link to something you have written. Choose "Editorial pitch" so it reaches the right desk.
Inquiry
Pitch a nft piece
Angle, why now, and a writing sample. Choose 'Editorial pitch' as your interest.
Thanks, we'll be in touch
Your message is on its way to the Curio team. Expect a reply within about two business days.
The bar for NFT pitches
Know what the standard actually does
“This standard does not enforce royalties on chain. A lot of people misrepresent it. It does not.”
Curio’s read
On EIP-2981. This is the single most misrepresented fact in NFT writing, and repeating the myth is the fastest way to have an NFT pitch declined here. Read the standard, then write about it.
Source, conflicts & caveats
Why weigh this source carefully. Blau speaks from a venture firm with large positions across NFT infrastructure. The mechanics he describes are checkable against the standards themselves; his read on where the market should go is an interested one. Recorded July 2023 — he says himself the field was changing daily.
NFT contributor FAQs
Is there still an audience for NFT writing?
Smaller and more serious than in 2021, which is exactly why the good pieces stand out. Search volume across NFT terms has fallen sharply, trackable on Google Trends, and what remains skews toward people asking practical questions about ownership, standards and how to exit positions. Write for them, not for a market that no longer exists.
Do you cover specific collections or projects?
Only where there is a genuine story about mechanism, rights, or a failure worth learning from. We do not run launch coverage, and we do not publish anything that reads as promotion for a mint.
I hold NFTs from a project I want to write about. Is that allowed?
Yes, with disclosure at the top of the piece. Holding something you write about is normal and not disqualifying. Concealing it is, and it is the fastest way to end a working relationship with us.
Can I write about NFT taxes or accounting?
Yes, and it is under-served. Be jurisdiction-specific, date everything, and be explicit that you are not giving individual tax advice. Generic "NFT tax guide" pieces that cover no jurisdiction properly are not useful.
What about NFT gaming and digital collectibles?
Both are in scope. See our existing coverage of our digital collectibles guide and GameFi to check we have not already covered your angle.
How long should an NFT piece be?
Usually 1,200 to 1,800 words. The subject rewards precision more than length, particularly on anything touching rights or standards.