Live Office Hours — How to Design a Freelance Writing Career that Fits You Perfectly
Replay: Office Hours from Thursday
Live Office Hours — Wednesday, February 3rd
11 Publishers Seeking Pitches
Dear Writers,
One of the best things about Writing Launch, aside from our courses, is the database of publishing opportunities we maintain for our members. Every month we add hundreds of new calls for writers, in addition to the 1,850 publisher listings in our directory.
Below is a sample of some of the latest calls for writers in our database. You’ll notice that each of the listings includes payment rates, and contact information.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to approach these publishers with a high-quality pitch, and you may still need to negotiate payment rates as well.
If you’re a Writing Launch Member, please send us a draft of your pitch, before sending it to the editor. We can often spot simple ways to improve a pitch, and increase the likelihood that you’ll get your pitch accepted.
Note that we’re not currently open for enrollment. If you want access to the full database, you’ll have to join the waiting list here.
If you have any questions, feel free to email us: support@writinglaunch.com
– Jacob Jans
The Progressive is a monthly magazine and a website that is a “bold voice for peace, social justice, and the common good.” Their web editor is seeking writers to cover climate issues or review political documentaries. Their web rates are $100 to $150 for about 800 to 1,200 words. If interested, email your pitches to kassidy@progressive.org. They strongly encourage Native, Black, and writers of color to pitch. For more information, read their editor’s Tweet and their writers guidelines.
From A Climate Correspondent is a weekly newsletter that publishes stories of the climate crisis from reporters based outside the United States, Canada, and Europe. Their audience is largely based in the UK. They are seeking pitches for stories of 600 to 800 words (maximum 1,000 words) that shed light on an aspect of the climate crisis that their audience may not know that much about. Their stories are published in English but do not hesitate to pitch if your written English is not perfect. They also accept pitches in Spanish and translate articles from Spanish to English. They pay €100 for a story. If interested, send your pitches to reporter@climatecorrespondent.com. For details, refer to this Tweet and their guide for writers. To learn more about them, refer to this page.
Southern California News Group (SCNG) is a media company in Southern California. Their senior editor of engagement/premium content is seeking a freelancer with experience writing about science/climate change issues. They will pay $100 to $400 per article. If interested, DM their editor on Twitter or email sdunn@scng.com. To learn more, refer to their editor’s Tweet. To contact them, refer to this page.
The Boulder Reporting Lab covers local news of Boulder, CO. They are hiring freelancers to write stories on: COVID-19 and health in Boulder, local economy, schools, climate and open space issues, and community. They will pay $250 to $1,000 for stories. If interested, send your resume and clips to stacy@boulderreportinglab.org. To read their Tweet, click here. To visit their website, click here.
Liberal Currents is a publication that is devoted to the defense of liberal ideals. Their editor is “accepting pitches on politics, policy, society, philosophy, especially as they relate to liberal values.” He would love to see a case for the BREATHE Act. Payment: $50 per piece. Email your pitches to writers@liberalcurrents.com. Read their editor’s Tweet here and learn more about them here.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization that reports on education in poor communities across America. Their story editor is looking for stories from teachers, students, parents, school workers, or administrators. They pay $100 per story (about 800 words). Send your pitches to firstperson@chalkbeat.org. For more information, read their story editor’s Twitter thread and their first person guidelines.
Metro Opinion is a platform by Metro.co.uk. Their editor is commissioning “first-person stories and timely, news-based opinion pieces today and tomorrow.” According to one payment report, Metro.co.uk paid £100 per 1,000 words for an online article. Send pitches to nicole.vassell@metro.co.uk. Read their editor’s Tweet here and Metro Opinion’s articles here.
TechRadar is a UK-based consumer technology news and reviews website. Their phones editor is looking for freelance pitches about smartphones and mobile tech. Pitches from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ writers are highly encouraged. They pay £140 for features of 1,000 words. If interested, send your pitches to james.peckham@futurenet.com. Read their phones editor’s Tweet here and their pitch guide here.
Gumbo Media is a media company and storytelling platform that “curates content, experiences, and opportunities that expand the narrative of Black life.” They are working with BlackRoots Alliance and Gorman House Publishing for a project that will focus on Black Liberation. They are looking for art and writing that “conveys a unique, Afro-futurist perspective on racial equity.” Core themes are wellness, safety, education, economic, and democracy. They will offer a base rate of $75+. For details, refer to this Tweet and this form.
Deadline: January 22nd, 2021
The Breakdown is an online mental health magazine. Their culture editor is looking to commission a piece that looks at the intersection of mental health and culture/identity. They will pay £80 for 700 words. Email your pitches to anmol@the-breakdown.co.uk. For more information, read their culture editor’s Twitter thread and their pitching guidelines.
Deadline: January 30th, 2021
The deputy editor of Meredith Corporation’s cross-brand finance desk for Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, Parents, and Health is looking for pitches. She is currently aiming for February publication. Pay will be about $200 per piece. If interested, email your pitches to aedelman@meredith.com. To learn more, refer to this Tweet.
10 Publishers That Pay Freelance Writers
Dear Writers,
Here’s a selection of 10 publishers from our members only database of over 1800 publishers.
All of the publishers in our database include contact information, as well as researched payment rates.
Included here is a wide variety of publishers, all of them paying at least 75 cents per word.
Writing Launch Members: If you are pitching one of these publishers, please send us a draft pitch first. We’ll go over it for suggestions for improvement. We can often identify a few ways to increase your chance of success.
Sincerely,
Jacob Jans
Current is “the nonprofit news service for and about public media in the U.S.” Their primary audience consists of people who work at public radio and TV stations, networks and production companies. They “aim to provide public media professionals with valuable insights and information that helps them and their institutions reach new levels of success.” They accept story pitches from freelance journalists. According to their digital editor, they pay $0.75 per word. Pitches should be sent to pitch@current.org. To learn more, read their writing guidelines.
Variety covers entertainment news, awards, film reviews, film festivals, box office, and more. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.75 per word. To contact them, visit this page.
Quanta Magazine is an independent online publication that covers the latest news and trends in physics, mathematics, life science, and computer science research. According to one payment report, they paid $1.75 per word for a 1,500-word feature. To contact them, refer to this page.
Diversity Woman is an integrated media enterprise that provides “the best advice in work strategies, business solutions and global trends to diverse professional women online, in print and through events.” According to one payment report, they pay $0.75 per word. To contact them, visit this page.
5280 is a monthly magazine that covers dining, entertainment, culture, arts, lifestyle, and politics in Denver, Colorado. They have a circulation of 90,000. Their front-of-the-book stories are 50 to 400 words long, departments are 800 to 1,500 words long, and features are up to 6,000 words long. According to payment reports, they pay up to $0.75 per word. To learn more, read their writer’s guidelines.
Canadian Art is a print and online magazine about contemporary art in Canada. They publish smart and accessible prose. They seek “original thinking, under-told histories and marginalized voices that challenge the status quo.” They pay 75 cents per word for print pieces and 50 cents per word for online pieces. To learn more, read their contributor guidelines.
Brain & Life, formerly known as Neurology Now, is a consumer friendly magazine “for people with neurologic conditions, their families, and caregivers.” They publish research based articles that are well sourced. They pay 75 cents per word, up to 1,500 words. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Hospitality Design is a print and online trade magazine that focuses on the field of hospitality design. They publish 11 times a year. They serve “owners, operators, brands, purchasing agents, interior designers, and architects involved in the design of hotels, resorts, restaurants, nightlife, spas, and all other hospitality-oriented projects.” According to one payment report, they paid $0.80 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.
Ensia is a solutions-focused media outlet that publishes stories that encourage and inspire people to create a more sustainable future. They consider proposals for articles and feature stories that “provide solution-focused perspectives on emerging environmental challenges as well as novel ways of looking at long-standing issues.” Their articles are of about 700 to 750 words, and feature stories are of about 1,000 to 1,200 words. According to one payment report, they paid $0.80 per word. For details, read their contributor guidelines.
Business Insurance is a source of news and information on risk management, commercial insurance, and workers compensation. They deliver “in-depth analysis on new and emerging risks, case studies of successful programs, market intelligence on trends, and guidance on how to capitalize on opportunities and overcome challenges.” One payment report indicates that they pay $0.85 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.
10 Publishers Seeking Pitches ($200+ Per Article)
Dear Writers,
One of the best things about Writing Launch, aside from our courses, is the database of publishing opportunities we maintain for our members. Every month we add hundreds of new calls for writers, in addition to the 1,850 publisher listings in our directory.
Below is a sample of some of the latest calls for writers in our database. You’ll notice that each of the listings includes payment rates, and contact information. You’ll note that many of these publishers pay up to $200 per article, and sometimes much more.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to approach these publishers with a high-quality pitch, and you may still need to negotiate payment rates as well.
If you’re a Writing Launch Member, please send us a draft of your pitch, before sending it to the editor. We can often spot simple ways to improve a pitch, and increase the likelihood that you’ll get your pitch accepted.
Note that we’re not currently open for enrollment. If you want access to the full database, you’ll have to join the waiting list here.
If you have any questions, feel free to email us: support@writinglaunch.com
– Jacob Jans
The Balance focuses on “how current events affect personal finances and what’s going on in the consumer finance industry.” They are seeking freelance news reporters and freelance news editors. They pay $250-$500/piece for reporting work. They pay editors an hourly rate which starts at $30/hour. If interested, send an email to writeforus@thebalance.com. To learn more, refer to their editorial director’s Twitter thread. To contact them, refer to this page.
HowStuffWorks is an infotainment website. They are looking for freelance writers who are well-versed in auto or technology. They will pay $85 to $200 per piece. If interested, email freelance@howstuffworks.com. To learn more, refer to their editor’s Tweet. To contact them, refer to this page.
Inclusive Media Solutions LLC provides “media creation, revision, and consulting services to companies, organizations, and individuals who want their media and other materials to be more inclusive.” They are looking for freelance writers to work with their clients. They strongly encourage BIPOC, disabled, and LGBTQIA writers to apply. They will pay at least $0.50 per word. For more information, refer to this Tweet and this page.
Wired UK is a print and online magazine that covers future science, culture, and technology news. Their features editor has tweeted, “Want to pitch a longread before Christmas? Now’s the time! I’m always looking for smart narrative nonfiction pitches in tech, science, and innovation.” According to two payment reports, they paid £1,400 for a longread feature of 4,000 words. Email your pitches to vturk@wired.co.uk. For more details, refer to their features editor’s Tweet and their contributor’s guidelines.
Euronews Travel publishes Europe’s best hidden stories. They are seeking Christmas-themed travel pitches. They commission a wide range of content types e.g. features, listicles, and op-eds. They pay €100 to €150 per piece. For more information, refer to their Tweet and pitch form.
OpenDemocracy is a global media organization that covers world affairs, ideas, and culture. They are seeking “stories that track the backlash against women’s and LGBTIQ rights, document the resistance or profile feminist media in the Eurasia region.” They accept pitches for comment and analysis pieces (800-900 words), features (1,200-1,400 words), investigations, first-person accounts, and photo essays. They commission 2 articles per month and prioritize articles by women, trans, and non-binary contributors. Rates are £100 to £350 per piece. There is no deadline, but writers should try to submit by the end of January. If interested, send pitches in English, Russian or Georgian to inge.snip@opendemocracy.net. For more information, refer to this Twitter thread and this page.
Insider is a website that shares all the adventures that life has to offer. Their lifestyle and entertainment editor has tweeted, “Currently looking for entertainment analysis pitches. Do you want to highlight the biggest mistake in “Gilmore Girls”? or break down Dumbledore’s biggest failures? or explain why exactly Draco Malfoy is so beloved yet so absent? Email me!” “Primarily looking for pitches tied to trending/popular shows and movies (like Twilight, The Queen’s Gambit, High School Musical, Gilmore Girls, Harry Potter, The Office, Friends, Home Alone…). Rates start at about $130 to $140 for not-too lengthy entertainment analysis like this. If interested, send pitches to pdifiore@insider.com. To learn more, refer to their editor’s Twitter thread. To contact them, refer to this page.
The Guardian is a British news and media website. Their deputy opinion editor has tweeted, “I’m taking pitches for a series loosely titled ‘The year that changed me’ – serious or fun. Did you realise how much you could sacrifice for others or how selfish you are? Did you make a big life decision or appreciate the little things more? I’m open to ideas!” They pay £310 per 1,000 words. For details, refer to their editor’s Tweet and their freelance charter.
Life & Thyme is a print magazine and website that specializes in culinary storytelling and food journalism. They are looking for pitches for “stories that explore topics related to parenting while working in the food industry.” They are “especially looking for pitches about parents with children at home who are working an on-site food or hospitality job during Covid.” Pay is $200 to $400 per piece. To learn more, refer to this Twitter thread and this page.
Transformations is “a project of the narrative storytelling initiative at Arizona State University and a publishing channel of the Los Angeles Review of Books.” They have tweeted, “Holidays can evoke strong emotions & poignant experiences—even life-altering ones. Or they can be disasters. Do you have a transformative holiday story? We’re accepting submissions of up to 600 words on the topic: ‘Holidays?’” Pay will be $75 per story. Email your submissions to transformations@asu.edu. For more information, refer to this Twitter thread and this page.
Deadline: December 13th, 2020
Case Study: How I Established My Freelance Writing Career
By Vanessa Le
When I joined Writing Launch, I was clueless about writing. Oh, I knew that I wanted to write and that I had something to say; in fact, I had written a couple of short articles and sent them to friends and family. However, I had no idea where to focus my time and energy. I had no idea how many words to aim for in an article. And I had no idea where to get them published.
Today, just six months later, I am a happily published author. I have good relationships with the editors of two different freelance magazines and have a few other places that I am investigating for the future. I don’t write a lot – having four kids age five and under makes that rather impossible – but I write as a late-night/early-morning/while the kids are in the sandbox kind of hobby.
Writing Launch has some very helpful advice for beginning writers: Find your niche. Perhaps you (like me) are scrolling through pages of magazines that are looking for freelance writers, but coming up blank. There are lots of interesting writing opportunities available! But what do you want to write? End of the world fantasy? Maybe you can read it, but are not detail-oriented enough to write more than five words in that genre. Politics? Perhaps you know exactly where you stand, but don’t have the up-to-date knowledge to write compellingly in that area. So, try thinking about it from a different angle. What have you already written? What do you already know? What types of things do you enjoy reading? What are you passionate about? For me, the answer was obvious: Christian thought and practice. But I did not think I could get paid for writing about that.
Once you have established your niche, you need to identify the publications with which you want to work. Again, Writing Launch has great advice: Start with a publication very familiar to you, preferably one to which you already subscribe.
Having figured out my niche, I began to think about a Christian magazine (The Outlook) that I grew up reading. Although I was not a subscriber when I began writing, I had been asking my mom to pass her old copies of the magazine on to me. I really enjoyed their content and style and was very familiar with them. The first articles that I had written were very short (about 700 words), whereas the typical Outlook article is much longer (1800 – 2300 words).
I initially submitted an article to a different publication based on a recommendation from a friend. They kindly asked me to revise, improve, and expand it, and also sent me their list of suggestions for beginning writers. After I did those things, I realized that my revised article felt like it would fit the content of The Outlook very well. So, I visited their website, and again, using the advice from Writing Launch (to be really familiar with what the editors want), I basically memorized their list of requirements. The Outlook does not require you to send them a pitch; rather, they assume that anyone interested in writing for them will be well versed in Reformed Christianity. The Outlook does not contract out its writing; it is done by freelance writers, and as a writer you can decide how often you want to submit articles to them. The Outlook is perfect for my interest and availability as a writer since it is published six times a year.
When you want to get established as a regular writer with your favorite magazine, expertise is your best friend. Make sure that you know what you are talking about. Make sure that your article fits its content and style, and that it compelling addresses topics that the editor wants to include. The editor of The Outlook responded to my first article with: “I’m pleased to say we would love to publish your article. It is a very good article.” Aim for prompting that kind of response. Your first interaction with an editor is especially important: Keep him or her interested and engaged, make them excited to see your name pop up in the inbox.
There is one more key to success: get a small group of people who will be your proofreaders. Preferably, your group will include people who are also interested and passionate about the subjects about which you are writing. You might be surprised at who will end up being a good proofreader.
My list includes a 19-year-old former student and fellow author; a friend with a doctorate in music; my pastor; a seminary professor who teaches writing; and a bunch of my family members. Good proofreaders catch those middle-of-the-night typos, tell you when you missed an important connection, or, as in my case, add and subtract punctuation in all sorts of places.
Oh, and one more thing: if your proofreaders tell you to take out your favorite point, do us all a favor and take it out. If someone is giving their time and effort to make you a better writer, the least you can do is take their advice.
Each person’s story as a writer will be different. Each person has unique knowledge and experiences. If you start with your passions and interest, submit your writing to a familiar publication, follow their writing guidelines, establish yourself as an expert, and get good feedback from others, you are well on your way to running from the mailbox yelling, “I just got paid to write!”
Vanessa Le is a freelance writer and Writing Launch student. She’s based in Orlando, Florida.
You’re In! Please Save the Date.
Dear Writers,
I’m writing to confirm that you are now registered for our free webinar. It will air on Wednesday, December 9th at 3:00 PM ET.
The Webinar Will Air Here
During these difficult times, we’ve decided to step up and help as many people as we can.
Here’s the big news…
We are giving away a free month of Writing Launch Membership to new students.
Why? Because we know a lot of people are still in a tough situation, and we want to help. (And we’re in the extremely fortunate position to be able to offer this.)
Here’s what we’re giving you…
Your free month of membership will include instant access to all of our courses, including…
- The No B.S. Course on Freelance Writing
- Freelance Writing for Creative Writers
- Get Your First Publication: A Seven Day Crash Course
You get more than our courses though, you also get:
- One-on-one mentoring via email, course discussion boards, and more.
- Our database of 1800 publishers seeking freelance writers
- Full access to our community of freelance writers
- Webinars and live group trainings designed to help specific aspects of your writing career
The bottom line: If you want to get paid to write, this is for you.
What course should you start with?
If you want a solid foundation for a successful writing career, then you should start with The No B.S. Course on Freelance Writing. It will give you the tools you need to build a successful career that lasts. This is particularly valuable for those who are brand new to freelance writing.
If you are primarily a creative writer then a great place to start is our brand new course, Freelance Writing for Creative Writers. You’ll learn how to use your creative writing skills to enhance your freelancing prospects, plus you’ll learn important skills (and differences) necessary for freelance writing.
If you have some experience under your belt, then there are several options that may interest you.…
- The Bulletproof Pitching System helps you land more freelancing clients.
- The Copywriting Crash Course teaches you how to get high-paid copywriting jobs.
- Break Into Blog Writing will help you get established as a freelance blogger.
How much does all of this cost?
Note – we’re giving you a free month of membership. That means it costs nothing.
Courses like ours regularly sell for upwards of $400 or more. One of our students once “complained” that the training was too similar to her university courses. As you know, university training costs thousands of dollars.
Writing Launch is much more affordable. For those who take advantage of it, the price is extremely low – just $47 per month.
However, for those who take advantage of the free month, the cost is as low as it gets: $0.
Of course, we do hope that some of you will continue as paid members (We do have bills to pay, eventually). But, that is completely up to you.
There’s no way around it: This is an extremely valuable free gift – and I sincerely hope you take full advantage of it.
What is included with membership? Watch this video…
One Important Request
Before you enroll, please commit to actually following through. If you are going to sign up – then please commit to actually doing our training. Even if you only spend ten minutes a day, you can learn a surprising amount. But only if you commit to it.
How to Take Advantage of this Offer
Enrollment is now open.Use the coupon code DONATE to get your first month free.
These Publishers Pay $1,000 Per Article
Dear Writers,
One of the best things about Writing Launch is our members only database of over 1,850 publishers. It is easily searchable, and organized by category.
Below is a list of ten publishers in the database that pay up to $1,000 or more per article.
If you want access to the full database, you’ll need to join Writing Launch. We just opened enrollment – and are offering a free month of membership to new members. This means you can get everything we have to offer, completely free. Just be sure to use the coupon code DONATE.
Also – if you’re an enrolled member of Writing Launch, please send us a draft pitch before you send it to the publishers. We often can suggest small changes that make your pitch much more likely to be accepted. As a member, we’ll give you feedback on as many pitches as you want, as part of your membership. (Of course, in addition to our in-depth courses.)
If you have any questions, feel free to email us: support@writinglaunch.com
– Jacob Jans
Truly*Adventurous is a digital magazine that publishes longform stories by established and powerful nonfiction writers. About the kind of stories that they publish, they say: “Unlike most magazines, we have no topical mandates and couldn’t care less about chasing the news cycle. We tell incredible true stories by amazing writers. That’s it. We’ve published a lot of true-crime and real-life horror—subjects we love—but we also publish stories about wild adventures, clashing cultures, devilish mysteries, and unsung heroes.” According to their editor, payment starts at $1,000 plus a revenue share model. Send your pitches to team@trulyadventure.us. Learn more about them here and contact them here.
Roadtrippers Magazine “celebrates road culture, Americana, and the great outdoors.” They are always looking for new contributors to tell stories from the North American road. They are currently only accepting pitches focused on the United States and Canada. They typically pay $250 to $1,000 based on word count. Details can be found here.
GIA (Grantmakers in the Arts) Reader is a publication that is dedicated to the field of arts funding. They publish 3 times a year. Their content is focused on 4 primary areas which are “racial equity, arts education, capitalization, and support for individual artists.” They welcome “submissions of previously unpublished content of various lengths, ranging from short reflections to long-form articles to poetry.” They pay $150 to $350 for articles of 500 to 2,000 words, $350 to $1,000 for articles of 2,000 to 4,000 words, and at least $50 per poem. For details, read their submission guidelines.
Bridal Guide Magazine offers everything that is needed to plan a wedding. They offer the latest wedding trends, registry advice, honeymoon information, real wedding photos, beauty tips, and more. According to one payment report, they paid $1,000 for a 2,000-word story. Keep in mind that this is a publication that may have been affected by the pandemic, as expensive weddings are currently much less common. Contact them here.
The Correspondent is “an online platform for unbreaking news, committed to collaborative, constructive, ad-free journalism.” They accept story pitches. They focus on stories that are “transnational, collaborative and constructive.” They pay $0.40 per word which means that writers will get $600 for 1,500 words and $1,000 for 2,500 words. Details here.
Faith & Leadership is a biweekly, online magazine that is a learning resource for Christian leaders. They are always seeking new writers and stories. Their feature articles are 1,500-2,000 words, essays are 800-1,000 words, and Q&As are 1,000-1,500 words. They pay $1,500 for feature articles and $300 for essays. They also pay for mileage, parking, and other expenses. For details, read their submission guidelines.
LiisBeth is a “a reader and community supported zine that examines entrepreneurship, start-up culture, and the innovation eco-system through a progressive feminist lens.” They pay up to $2,000 for articles. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Legion Magazine bills itself as Canada’s military history magazine. They cover military history, military and veterans affairs, policing issues, issues of concern to senior citizens, health, recreation, humour and current affairs of interest to a national audience. Payment ranges from $150 to $1,200, plus 10 percent if they post the article on their website. Query first. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Writer’s Digest is a widely-read and well-respected magazine about the art of writing. They accept both manuscript submissions and queries for articles that “inform, instruct, and inspire” readers. Writers can submit to any of their departments, including their “5-Minute Memoir,” “Reject a Hit,” and writing technique sections. They pay between 30 and 50 cents a word for articles up to 2,400 words ($720-$1,200), and they also work with a 25% kill fee. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Kitplanes Magazine is a magazine of kit and amateur-built aircraft construction. Contributions are mostly by aircraft builders and recognized experts active in the field. They accept articles on all phases of aircraft construction, from basic design, to flight trials, to construction technique in wood, metal and composite. They also review and analyze products and services related to amateur-built and kit aircraft construction. Short, focused technical articles are always welcome. Query first. Word count: About 2,000 for major features, unspecified for others. Pay: $250-$1,000. Details here.