How to Get Your First Paid Portfolio Piece

Posted on February 12, 2020 by in Uncategorized

Brand new freelance writers ask us over and over again: I don’t have a portfolio, so how do I get started?

The good news is that you don’t need a portfolio (I’ll address this in a minute).

However, this leads to the second question that is very common: Can I use unpublished work in my portfolio?

Whenever we hold a Q&A session, we almost always get this question. It’s on a lot of new writers’ minds, and so I wanted to answer it conclusively in this video.

While having a large portfolio and lots of experience is great, you don’t need any of that to get started. You can get published without any prior experience––you just need to find the right publications.

Typically, you’ll want to look at small- to medium-sized blogs. There’s a certain sweet spot to look for. You want to find blogs that don’t require previous experience, and ideally, you should get paid for your work. (If you’re still working for free, watch this.)

If you’re struggling to get started, don’t worry––we’re here to help!

Here are 3 tips for getting published without any experience at all.

1. Refine your search.

When most writers start out, they don’t exactly know where to look, so they end up looking all over the place.

However, it’s much better to take a targeted approach. This will save you a lot of time and effort, and you’ll have a higher chance of getting published.

First, consider your niche. Try to find blogs that are directly in your niche to start with.

Second, don’t consider the top tier of publications. I’m talking about publications like the New York Times and Better Homes & Gardens. (I’m not saying that you can’t ever get published at this level, but when you’re starting out, these kinds of places are simply out of your reach.)

Third, make use of keywords and search operators. (I go over these in the webinar linked at the bottom of this post.)

2. Browse blog lists.

Many writing-based sites will compile tens and sometimes even hundreds of blogs into one big list. This makes it much cleaner and easier to find the right blog for you. Many of these lists are even organized by industry, so you can easily find blogs in your niche.

Freedom With Writing has hundreds of blog lists, and it’s a wonderful place to start your blog hunt. Our members also have access to a database of over 1,200 publishers.

Also – if you sign up for Thursday’s webinar, we’ll be sending you a very relevant bonus after the webinar. (Yes, you’ll have to wait a bit!)

Sign Up Here.

3. Don’t make a big deal out of your lack of experience.

When you pitch your ideas, it might be tempting to include a note explaining your lack of publication, but don’t do it!

As I mentioned earlier, many editors don’t mind if you don’t have experience. If you draw attention to it, you’ll only be needlessly emphasizing your shortcomings.

Instead, lead with a fantastic pitch. If your pitch is compelling, it’ll do a lot of the heavy lifting for you.

So don’t be discouraged! You don’t need years of experience to get published.

One last thing: Pitching is mostly a numbers game. You have to do it over and over to get good at it. Even great writers can get rejected nine times out of ten. The more you pitch, the better off you’ll be, so get out there and start pitching!

I’m going to go into a lot of detail about all of this in Thursday’s webinar. If you want to keep learning, be sure to sign up for it here.

Why Freelance Writers Shouldn’t Charge Hourly Rates

Posted on July 31, 2019 by in Uncategorized

A while back, I had the pleasure of interviewing freelance developer Ryan Waggoner for our No B.S. Course on Freelance Writing. We talked about several topics, but what he said about hourly rates has stuck with me the most.

He pointed out that there’s a severe problem with charging by the hour. As it turns out, hourly rates are bad in many ways.

Here’s a quick summary of why you shouldn’t charge hourly:

In the video, I only covered two reasons why hourly rates aren’t ideal, but there are many more reasons.

Here’s an overview of the main problems with hourly rates:

1. Hourly rates punish efficiency and productivity.

Since hourly rates are based on time, you’ll get paid according to the amount of time you spend on a job. In other words, the longer you spend on a job, the more you’ll get paid.

This is a huge problem because it punishes efficiency and productivity. If Writer A and Writer B do the same job but Writer B takes longer, they’ll get paid more just because they took longer to do it.

If you’re an efficient writer, you’ll earn less money. How ridiculous is that?

2. Hourly rates don’t mesh well with the average freelance writer’s workflow.

Hourly rates require you to log your hours, and this can create some major friction.

First, there’s the problem of simply having to keep track of your hours. While freelance writing should definitely be structured, the beauty of freelancing is that you can be the master of your own schedule. Hourly rates diminish that by forcing you to work under a more typical structure.

Second, writing is exhausting. Even if you do it for a living, writing is mentally tiring. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you can grind out for hours at a time. In other words, you probably don’t naturally operate on an hourly basis.

Third, calculating hourly rates is somewhat pointless. You could fudge all the numbers, and the client would never know! Even if you’re truthful and transparent, there’s no real way to tell. In this way, hourly rates are fundamentally flawed.

It’s much better to use a per project rate. This rate type is super easy for clients to process, and it means you’ll get paid what you deserve, regardless of how much time you take on a job.

If you’re currently charging by the hour, you should definitely consider changing over to a per project rate. If you’re a new writer, check out our video on setting a starting rate.

Your Turn: Do you charge hourly? If so, are you going to change that?

How I Got My First Paid Publication as a Freelance Writer

Posted on June 27, 2019 by in Uncategorized

By Susan Lewis

The first time I was published, I was so excited and happy that someone was actually willing to pay me for my work. I had been trying to get paid for my writing without any luck. I knew it could happen but I didn’t know how to correctly go about it. It seemed like everyone else was making great money and I had no clue what I was doing wrong. I had read every article I could read on the subject, but it was all a jumbled mess of ideas, opinions, and successful actions of others that I couldn’t make sense of for me.

I had done the training program at Writing Launch and I felt that finally someone was telling me exactly what I needed to do and how to do it. I felt a renewed sense of hope and confidence and began the process of correctly pitching my work.

I work two jobs and maintain two blogs, so my time is extremely limited. I don’t have the time during the day to write or do anything other than what my employer needs. My work day is usually 10-12 hours, 6 days a week, so not only do I not have the time to look for work and write, I don’t have the energy by the time my day is over. I knew if I wanted to have my dream career of not just writing, but supporting myself, I had to find a way to make it work without losing my current income.

I use the emails Jacob sends from “Freedom With Writing” as my starting point. This makes it much easier to look for pitches and in almost every email, I can find places where I want to find out more. Once I find something, I begin reading their site to get a good feel and understanding of what they publish. I have created a long list of potential work, so I also work that list every month.

Once I figured out who I wanted to pitch, I wrote an email that was short and to the point. For me, it has to be something that I liked writing about. I had done the content mills, which did teach me how to hit a deadline, but I knew that was not the way I wanted to go. Too much stress for too little pay on subjects I didn’t give a damn about.

I had articles I had written which had either been rejected or I never got a response, so I went back to them, did some editing, and looked for publications that I thought would be interested. I would then pitch them. I knew the more I sent out, the better my chances of getting a paid job.

I read the submission guidelines on one particular one and as soon as I did, I knew exactly what they were looking for. It not only interested me, but I had one article that had been rejected a few times. A large part of being paid to write is not letting the rejections bother you. If you’re lucky, they will give you feedback. I rarely got anything other than “Thanks, no thanks.” Usually my pitch went unanswered.

The first thing I learned was to follow their submission guidelines to the letter. Do EXACTLY what they tell you do to. Some will ask for a pitch and others will ask for samples and/or a link to your portfolio. Don’t try to be clever and always be professional. Thank them for their consideration and go onto the next pitch.

I send out at least one pitch a night because it takes time to put together what they are asking for, compile your pitch and double-check that you’ve included what they have asked for.

The first one that agreed to publish me and pay me simply asked for an email with the article copied and pasted into the email. I couldn’t believe it was that easy!

Here is the pitch that got me published and it was very easy and simple to do:

“I write stories and blog about my work in the past with women, along with current jobs and life. I’ve been writing for years and like to submit stories that I loved to have written. I hope you enjoy this one and thank you for your consideration.”

I copied and pasted my story into the body of the email, exactly as they requested. I received a response immediately:

“Hi,Thanks for submitting. Please review the attached editorial calendar, with monthly themes and deadlines listed, and let me know where to place your essay for consideration.Best,Leslie

I emailed her back with the information she requested, gave her my short bio and head shot and that was it. I was published in their next issued and paid.

Having now been published, I used that for all my following pitches. I put the link to it on my portfolio and all my social media accounts. A big part of earning money as a writer – or any other profession – is promoting yourself and your work. Once I was published, I gained a confidence and a sense of accomplishment that has kept me going.

It is important to keep pitching and going after where you want to be published. From that article, someone who read it sent me an email to tell me how much they loved my story. That was almost as good as getting paid. They expressed an interest in an article for them, which I sent the following week. I was paid for that within a week, so being published the first time caused someone to pitch me!

There is a lot of information and advice on getting published. Of course, nothing replaces good work, but you have to do the right actions to get the work. Writing Launch broke it all down for me into easy steps and the correct sequence.

The key is to get their attention with your pitch immediately. They don’t have a lot of time and they are probably getting hundreds of pitches a day, so if you follow the steps of the training and submit exactly what they are looking for, you’ll have a much better shot at getting your piece accepted and paid for.

It has become easier and more productive for me since I first started. I keep my pitches short and to the point. I follow-up only if it is in their guidelines to nudge. If not, I go onto the next one. Some publications will get back to you and others will not. The key is to have a lot going out and doing the steps daily.

I simply follow what I learned in the training. I don’t have to reinvent the wheel. I just have to do the steps consistently and not complicate it. It’s a simple process that needs to be done.

Susan Lewis is a freelance writer of fiction and non-fiction short stories. She also writes effective content for business and non-profits. She maintains several blogs and is an advocate for human rights and for those who have been silenced and works to be their voice. You can find her on LinkedIn here. 

212 Publishers that Pay Writers

Posted on June 26, 2019 by in Uncategorized

Lifestyle / Entertainment

SheKnows empowers women through discussions and articles related to women’s issues including health, relationships, sex, parenting, and beauty. Payment reports indicate that they pay an average of $0.11 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

AmeriForce Media is the publisher of the magazines, Military Families and The Reserve & National Guard. They are currently looking for pitches for their “2019 themes of entrepreneurship, deployments, salute to spouses, education, nonprofits and volunteering, veterans transition, and health & wellness.” They pay $75 to $200 per article. To learn more, visit this page.

Immersion Magazine is “the newest outlet for independent fashion and entertainment, providing opportunities for emerging artists to showcase what they are all about.” They pay $100 for a full-length article of 4 to 8 pages, and $50 for a blog of 350 to 750 words. For details, refer to this page.

Rolling Stone is a magazine and website that covers politics, music, and pop culture. According to payment reports, they pay an average of $0.36 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Family Circle is a home magazine for women. They publish articles on a wide range of topics including family, home, health, food, trends, and style. According to one payment report, they pay $1.33 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

The Everygirl is “the ultimate online resource helping shape the creative, career-driven woman to experience her life better lived.” They cover a wide range of topics including career and finance, fashion and beauty, decor, wellness, and travel. They are always seeking contributors and submissions. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.10 per word. To contact them, visit this page.

Cowboys & Indians is an international magazine that is a source for Western art, photography, music, travel, history, food, ranch life, and more. According to one payment report, they paid $1.25 for a 600-word profile or interview. To contact them, refer to this page.

HotNewHipHop (HNHH) is a website that is a source for hip-hop news, songs, mixtapes, and videos. Payment reports indicate that they pay $0.10 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Culture Trip is a startup that operates in travel, media, and entertainment. They inspire people to explore the culture and creativity of the world. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.05 per word. To get in touch with them, visit this page.

xoNecole.com is an online platform where Millennial women of color can share their personal stories with others, speak their minds on culture and politics, and indulge in wellness, beauty, relationships and career tips. They are always seeking new writers with a story to share. According to one payment report, they paid $0.05 per word. To learn more, visit this page.

Teen Vogue covers fashion, wellness, beauty, entertainment, celebrity news, politics, and teen issues. Payment reports indicate that they pay an average of $0.17 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

The Fresh Toast is a lifestyle and entertainment news website that covers cannabis, medical marijuana, celebrities, music, sports, technology, food, drink, and more. According to one payment report, they paid $0.05 per word. For more information, visit this page.

Remezcla is an independent media brand that covers emerging Latin music, entertainment, and culture. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.19 per word. To contact them, visit this page.

Apartment Therapy is a home and decor website that features DIY how-to’s, design lessons, expert advice, and shopping guides for creating beautiful homes. According to one payment report, they paid $0.12 per word. To contact them, and to submit, visit this page.

Culture Eater is an online, Australian indie zine that is looking for feature submissions across these categories: the arts (e.g. music, theatre, and photography), gaming (e.g. video games and tabletop), film and TV, literature, fashion, podcasts, and personal essays. They pay $25 to $100 per feature submission. To learn more, refer to this page.

Revelist is a fashion and beauty website that “celebrates today’s complex young woman – smart, funny, and insatiably curious.” They cover news, life, beauty, style, entertainment, identity, and more. According to one payment report, they paid $0.10 per word. To contact them, visit this page.

Lady Clever is an online magazine for women. They cover fashion, lifestyle, beauty, healthy living, culture, and entertainment. According to one payment report, they paid $0.10 per word. To contribute, refer to this page.

General Interest / News

Areo is an opinion and analysis magazine that is focused on current affairs, particularly humanism, politics, culture, science, human rights, and free expression. They publish “thoughtful essays from a variety of perspectives compatible with broadly liberal and humanist values.” They want pieces of 1,200 to 3,000 words. They pay $50 for a regular piece and $100 for a feature. For details, visit this page.

The War Horse is a nonprofit newsroom that educates people on war and national security. They publish “stories that are engaging and insightful to veterans and civilians.” They pay a flat rate of $300 for first-person reflections of 800 to 1,300 words. To learn more, refer to this page.

The Intercept is a nonprofit news organization that is devoted to holding the powerful accountable through its fearless, adversarial journalism. According to payment reports, they pay up to $1.00 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

The Overtake is a Leeds-based news website for millennials. They are looking for “features covering social issues, insights into other people’s lives, a close up on an emerging trend in popular culture, and investigations.” They pay £50 per article. To learn more, refer to this page.

Fusion is a news and satire channel. They champion “a young, diverse, and inclusive America with a unique mix of smart and irreverent original reporting, lifestyle, and comedic content.” Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.38 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

The Baffler is a print and digital magazine that features political and cultural criticism, poems, short stories, and art. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.13 per word. To learn more, refer to this page.

Women’s eNews is a news service that covers issues of concern to women and provides women’s perspectives on public policy. They are looking for freelance writers to write news articles (800 words) on politics, economics, legislation, religion, health, education, science, sustainability, sports, and more. According to one payment report, they paid $0.31 per word for an 800-word news story. To contact them, refer to this page.

NEXUS Magazine is a bi-monthly, international alternative news magazine. They cover health, future science, free energy, environment, suppressed news, conspiracy, ancient mysteries, history, consciousness, paranormal, and more. They prefer articles of 4,000 to 5,000 words. They normally pay about $200 per 4,000 words. For more information, refer to this page.

New Naratif is a multimedia website focused on Southeast Asian journalism, research, and art. They are looking for “content that is evidence-based, rich in context, and grounded.” They pay $200 for text (about 1,500 words for journalism, and 3,000 to 6,000 words for research articles) and $50 per photo (maximum 2 photos per piece). Details here.

Himal Southasian is “Southasia’s first and only regional news and analysis magazine.” They are looking for submissions from both new and established writers. They want the submissions to be about Southasia, or have a strong relevance to it. Most of their long form articles are of 2,000 to 4,000 words, and commentary/analysis pieces are of 800 to 1,500 words. They generally pay $100 to $150 per article. For details, read their submission guidelines.

The Ferret is an online investigative journalism cooperative for Scotland and beyond. They are seeking compelling story pitches as well as regular contributors for future assignments. They want exclusive stories about issues that are affecting the public in Scotland. They pay £110 for an exclusive story. Details here.

Point.51 is an independent print magazine that explores essential contemporary issues in Europe. They are looking for pitches and story ideas from freelance journalists and photographers. They pay €300 for commissioned long-form stories and photo essays. They also cover some reporting expenses by prior agreement. Details here.

Finance / Business

MyVaartha.com enables and encourages young entrepreneurs reach their potential with content about entrepreneurship, fundraising, marketing, advertising, and more. They publish stories and informative articles on businesses. They pay guest writers $25 to $50 for articles of at least 1,000 words. To submit a guest post, visit this page.

FinancePolice gives personal finance tips that help people make and save more money so that they can become debt free. They are looking for contributors with “unusual and exciting, yet practical, ideas for earning and saving more money.” Contributors can earn up to $50 per post. To learn more, refer to this page.

Focused Compounding is a members only website for “buy and hold value investors.” They are looking for articles that analyze a single stock. The article should be at least 3,000 words long, have a great headline, and a great image to go with that headline. They pay $100 for the first 3,000 words, and $10 for every 1,000 words after that. For more information, refer to their writer’s guidelines.

Revolut is a British financial technology company that offers mobile-based current accounts. They are looking for articles (of up to 1,000 words) on money, personal finances, or experiences with Revolut. They pay £50 per article. To learn more, refer to this page.

Leader’s Edge Magazine is a publication of The Council for Insurance Agents and Brokers. They publish 10 times a year. They cover issues of importance to insurance brokers. According to one payment report, they paid $0.70 per word for a 3,000-word feature. To contact them, refer to this page.

Quartz is “a digitally native news outlet for the new global economy.” They cover topics and questions that are of importance to business professionals. Payment reports indicate that they pay an average of $0.22 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Technology

Engadget is a source for technology news and reviews. They cover the intersection of gaming, technology, and entertainment. According to payment reports, they pay up to $0.25 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Geekflare is a tech blog that provides articles focused on cloud computing, web security, hosting, blogging, development, and middleware. They are seeking experienced professional writers for how-to, configuration, troubleshooting, and product information articles. They typically pay $25 to $150 per article. For details, refer to this page.

GenVoice is a telecommunications company that provides a wide range of cloud communication services. They are looking for writers who can contribute 2 to 4 articles per month. They give writers the headline for the articles that they want written. For most of their articles, they target a word count of 2,000 words. They pay 3 to 4 cents per word which comes out to approximately $60 to $80 per article. To learn more, visit this page.

Plus2net offers “articles, tutorials, and free codes on PHP, SQL, Web design, HTML, ASP, JavaScript, PhotoShop for webmasters and programmers.” They divide their articles into three types, which are: basic, advance, and project based. They pay $100 to $600 depending on the quality and the type of content. For details, visit this page.

FusionAuth is a Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) solution. They are “looking for devs to write tutorial posts that show FusionAuth’s code and features in Angular, Python, Rails, Node, and more.” They pay $200 to $500 or more for a post. To learn more, refer to this page.

Mkyong.com is a website for Java and J2EE developers. They publish J2EE web development articles and tutorials. They pay up to $80 per article. To learn more, visit this page.

Top Bug Net is a tech blog that discusses Open Source, Server Operations, Emacs, GNU/Linux, Python, and C/C++. They are accepting guest posts. They pay $50 to $500 for guest posts to US residents only. For further information, 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.

SparkTraffic is an automated tool that lets users generate thousands of daily visits to their websites. They are looking for tutorials on traffic, online marketing, Alexa, Google analytics, Similarweb, and more. They pay $300 for in-depth tutorials (1,500+ words), $150 for tutorials (750+ words), and $75 for short tutorials (300+ words). For details, visit this page.

Appy Pie is a mobile app creator that allows users to create and monetize various types of mobile apps. They are looking for blog posts (1,000 to 2,500 words) accompanied by examples or images. The blog posts may be written on the following topics: restaurant apps, radio/music/entertainment apps, real estate apps, wedding planning apps, dating apps, quiz/survey apps, mobile app builders, small businesses, chatbot builders, website builders, workflow automation, app marketing, and case studies about brands that have met success with apps. They pay up to $100 per blog post. If the blog gets shared for 200 times or more, they pay an additional amount of $50. Details here.

PostgreSQL is “a powerful, open source object-relational database system.” They are seeking Postgres-related tips for their weekly email newsletter. They pay $50 per tip, and if it is “quite meaty”, then they pay $100 for it. To submit a tip, visit this page.

Ars Technica is a website that specializes in news, reviews, and analysis of technology trends. They cover technology, policy, science, cars, gaming, gadgets, and more. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.40 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

CircleCI is a continuous integration and delivery platform that helps software teams release quality code, faster. They allow freelancers to write on topics of their own choice. They pay $300 per accepted blog post (1,500 to 2,500 words). For more information, refer to this page.

SIPSTACK is “a revolutionary full featured cloud platform focused on simplifying VoIP telephony including SIP lines, SIP trunking, hosted PBX, virtual fax and conference bridges.” They are seeking tutorials on VoIP and cloud PBX’s. They pay $200 for in-depth tutorials of 1,500+ words, and $75 for simple tutorials of 800+ words. Details here.

Lady Science is a monthly magazine about “women and gender in the history and popular culture of science, technology, and medicine.” They publish well-researched and reviewed articles, personal essays, takes on news and politics, pop culture criticism, and more. They pay $100 per piece. Details here.

BioSpace is a source for life sciences industry news and information. Their job board connects the brightest talent of the industry with the most innovative organizations. According to one payment report, they paid $0.10 per word for a 750-word blog post. To contact them, visit this page.

Hasura is “an open-source engine that gives you realtime GraphQL APIs on new or existing Postgres databases.” They are looking for technical posts that are related to Hasura. They pay $100 to $300 per piece. For more information, refer to this page.

Clubhouse is a “project management platform for software development that brings everyone on every team together to build better products.” They are seeking a broad spectrum of content for software developers and engineers. For a how-to/tutorial, the payment is $400 (with working code examples, it is $600). For a blog post, the payment is $350. To learn more, refer to this page.

Techiediaries is a website that offers tutorials and articles on software and web technologies. They want articles on the topics of “JavaScript, Angular, React, Vue, Ionic, Flutter, React Native, Java, PHP, Python & Django.” They pay $70 for 500 to 750 words, $85 for 750 to 1,500 words, and $105 for 1,500 to 2,500 words. Details here.

Simple:Press is a forum plugin for WordPress. They are looking for articles that are “substantial and provide information that other Simple:Press users can use with their own forum.” Such articles are generally over 1,000 words and have multiple images illustrating the concepts discussed. Pay is $300 per article. For details, refer to this page.

Crazytel connects the customer’s home or business with their hosted PBX & SIP Trunking products. They are seeking articles on how to setup various devices on their SIP Trunking network. They pay $100 AUD for in-depth tutorials (with screenshots of the device in question) and $50 AUD for short tutorials. For details, refer to this page.

Art & Design

Artsy is a platform for collecting and discovering art. It is “used by art lovers, museum-goers, patrons, collectors, students, and educators to discover, learn about, and collect art.” According to payment reports, they pay up to $0.40 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Frieze covers contemporary art and culture. They have three publications named Frieze Masters Magazine, Frieze Magazine, and Frieze Week. According to payment reports, they pay up to $0.40 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Art in America is a monthly magazine that covers the global art scene. They publish articles on respected and rising artists, and reviews of exhibitions around the globe. Payment reports indicate that they pay an average of $0.28 per word. To contact them, visit this page.

House Tipster is “an engaging virtual designing platform for homeowners and service professionals alike.” According to one payment report, they paid $0.03 per word. To contact them, visit this page.

Clip Studio Paint is a software for drawing and painting. They are looking for artists who can create text tutorials with explanatory images (or video tutorials) using their software, Clip Studio. They want tutorials on the following art styles: “concept art, watercolor, oil painting, matte painting, landscape, scenery, graphic design, editorial illustration.” They pay around $700 per written tutorial (at least 800 words), and $1,000 per video tutorial. Details here.

Parenting

Kidspot is an Australian parenting website that covers pregnancy, birth, parenting, lifestyle, health, food, and more. According to payment reports, they pay up to $0.18 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Juno is an online community and a digital magazine focused on pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood. They are seeking stories about women’s experiences with urinary incontinence. They pay $100 per accepted piece. To learn more, visit this page. They also have a general writer’s guidelines page here.

Your Teen Media is a resource for parenting teenagers. They want writers to send pitches of ideas for articles, essays, blogs, or expert advices to their editors. According to one payment report, they paid $0.10 per word. To learn more, visit this page.

Pregnancy & Newborn is a monthly print magazine and an online community for new and expectant mothers. They feature birth stories, health tips, gear reviews, baby advice, and more. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.33 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.  

Travel

Travltalking is a platform for the global travel community to share their stories. They focus on travelers and key urban tourist destinations in Australia, Southeast Asia, and Europe. They pay £50 for short blog posts (of 300 to 450 words) with at least 1 image, and £100 for long blog posts (of 600 to 1,000 words) with at least 3 images. For details, refer to this page.

Southwest: The Magazine is the official inflight magazine of Southwest Airlines. They usually publish two works of narrative nonfiction (3,000 to 3,500 words) each issue. They also assign special advertising sections. For features, their rate is typically $1.00 per word. For details, read their writer’s guidelines.

Hidden Europe is a print magazine that is “dedicated to good travel writing that evokes the spirit of Europe’s diverse landscapes and cultures.” They publish thrice annually. They want articles of 1,700 to 2,000 words. According to one payment report, they paid $0.22 per word. For details, visit this page.

Tales from the Banana Trail is a blog that features inspiring stories of real world explorers, and also provides tools that help people achieve their full potential as explorers. They accept guest posts (of at least 1,000 words). They want writers to send them a pitch first. If they accept the pitch, they pay $100 upon completion. For details, visit this page.

MyCampervanHire is a platform that helps travelers with their campervan hires and motorhome rentals throughout New Zealand. They are looking for blog posts of around 1,200+ words. They want contributors to use their creativity and passions for their road trip experiences and transfer them into words. They pay $50 per blog post. For details, visit this page.

Nomadic Matt is a website that offers daily tips on “how to travel the world cheaper, smarter, and longer.” They are looking for posts of 1,000 to 2,000 words on LGBT, Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, India, China, and technology. They pay $250 per post. For details, visit this page.

LUXOS is a multi-platform luxury news outlet. They are a leading authority on luxury experience in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. They cover travel, beauty, fashion, and people. According to payment reports, they pay up to $0.40 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Kansai Scene is an English language magazine that covers events and travel in the Kansai region of Japan (Hyogo, Nara, Kobe, Kyoto, Osaka, Mie, Shiga, and Wakayama). They are looking for stories about the region of Kansai. In most cases, they cover the travel expenses to a story. Their features are of about 450 to 950 words. They pay ¥20 per word. For details, read their writers’ guidelines.

Education

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a nonprofit that helps educators prepare students for success in college, career, and life. They are looking for educators to contribute theme and non-theme-related blog articles. The articles should ideally be 500 to 800 words long. They pay $100 to bloggers when their work is published. For details, visit this page.

Texas Adult Education & Literacy Quarterly is a publication of the Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy & Learning (TCALL) at Texas A&M University. They address “topics of concern to adult education and literacy practitioners, policymakers, and scholars.” They are looking for articles that are no longer than 900 words. They pay a stipend of $50 to $250 per article. Further details can be found here.

Living Education is an online journal that celebrates and explores issues that are of relevance to homeschooling families. They are “especially interested in articles that highlight unique and innovative paths that the educational journey can take.” They want the articles to be up to about 1,000 words long. They pay $50 per piece. For details, visit this page.

Faramira publishes quizzes on English vocabulary, general knowledge, basic mathematics, and general science to help people prepare for aptitude tests. They are seeking articles (500 to 800 words) from experienced freelance writers. The articles can be on “fashion & beauty, health & fitness, family & wellbeing, education, finance, personal growth, leadership, productivity, food & recipes, technology, social media, and entertainment.” They pay $15 to $50 per article to their paid writers. Details here.

The Hechinger Report is an independent, nonprofit news organization that focuses on inequality and innovation in education. They provide in-depth, fact-based, and unbiased reporting on education. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $1.50 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

The URMIA Journal is an annual scholarly publication by the University Risk Management and Insurance Association (URMIA), an international non-profit educational association that serves colleges and universities. The journal features peer-reviewed articles that contain “in-depth analysis on a broad range of risk management topics of concern in higher education.” They offer an honorarium of $300 per article (2,500 to 7,500 words). Details here.

The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal is a “nonprofit institute dedicated to improving higher education in North Carolina and the nation.” They are accepting unsolicited article submissions on topics including “higher education administration, finances, governance, academic standards, efficiency, enrollment, employment, pedagogy, and the curriculum, as well as exposure of bias, politicization, corruption, and poor practices.” They pay an honorarium that begins at $200 and increases with the amount of web traffic. Details here.

Feminist

Dilettante Army is an online journal dedicated to art writing, visual culture, and feminism. It is published quarterly, and each issue has a theme. They publish pieces of 2,000 to 3,000 words. They offer an honorarium of $200 to $400. To learn more, visit this page.

Wear Your Voice is “an intersectional feminist magazine centering the voices of black and brown queer women, femmes, trans and non binary people.” They are seeking pieces on news, pop-culture, gender, queer culture, sexuality, race, body politics, mental health, and more through an intersectional point of view. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.09 per word. For details, refer to this page.

Writing

Blogger Hangout is a blog that helps people comprehend blogging and become successful at it. They are looking for blog posts of at least 1,000 words. Their target audience is bloggers who want to make a full-time income from their blogs. They “prefer case studies with screenshots on how you did it rather than a third person view of how other people are doing it.” They pay $50 for a blog post. For details, visit this page.

Self-Publishing School is “an online education company that teaches people how to write, market, & publish their first book in as little as 90 days.” They are looking for contributors who are “passionate about writing, publishing, marketing, or even business.” They pay $150 per blog post (1,200 to 2,500 words). Details here.

NicoleDieker.com is a website that features “daily posts on the art and the finances of a creative career.” They are seeking guest posts (of at least 1,000 words) that give “personal insight to any aspect of the creative practice.” They publish two guest posts per month and pay $50 per piece. For details, visit this page.

Writing Class Radio is “a podcast of a writing class.” The podcast is for people who love true stories, and want to learn about how to write their own stories. They are looking for true and personal stories of 850 to 1,500 words. They pay $50 to $100 to storytellers who are aired on the podcast. For details, read their submissions guidelines.

Writers’ Cafe Auckland offers “creative writing courses, mentoring, and pop-up cafe sessions for writers in Auckland.” They are putting together a compilation consisting of the best writing from Auckland in 2019. They are accepting submissions from writers who live in Auckland. Submissions can include creative non-fiction, prose, and poetry of up to 5,000 words. They pay $60 per submission. For details, visit this page.

Outdoors / Hunting / Fishing

Rod & Rifle is a magazine dedicated to “hunting, fishing and related outdoor sports in New Zealand and overseas.” They are looking for articles of 2,000 to 3,000 words. The articles should have one photo per 300 to 400 words. They generally pay $100 per published page. To learn more, refer to this page.

Backpacking Light offers information and education on ultralight backpacking. They pay an honoraria of $25-$75+ for first looks reviews (600+ words with 3+ photos) and $50-$150+ for standard gear reviews (1,200+ words with 7+ photos). For details, visit this page.

Tail Fly Fishing Magazine is a bimonthly print publication that is devoted exclusively to fly fishing in saltwater. They are always seeking great content on saltwater fly fishing (with focus on conservation and the environment). They want feature articles of 2,000 to 2,500 words, and short features of 1,000 to 1,500 words. They pay more for well-polished articles with great photos. They pay up to $500 for features, $300 for short features, $200 for “fly tying/ step-by-step”, $150 for “inside the box”, $200 for “an angler opines”, and $600 for photo essays. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

Muzzle Blasts is the official publication of the National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association (NMLRA). They pay for “articles that deal with muzzleloading firearms or firearms with historical value, for good instructive or how-to, and similar articles.” They want all the submissions to be accompanied by photographs and/ or diagrams. They pay $100 to $300 for product reviews, $50 to $150 for columns, and $100 to $400 for feature articles. To learn more, read their writer’s guidelines.

Great Walks is “Australia’s only dedicated bushwalking magazine.” They publish 7 times a year. They are looking for walking stories (of up to 600 words) for their magazine. The stories should be accompanied by a few high quality photos. They pay $150 per story. To learn more, visit this page.

Sports / Athletics / Fitness

Argo Swim Video provides tools that help swimmers and coaches. They are looking for guest contributions of 500 to 1,000 words for their blog. They pay $100 for accepted content. To learn more, refer to this page.

SimpliFaster is a blog dedicated to athletic speed development. They are looking for original articles for their blog. Topics for articles may include “training, skills (e.g. hurdles, long jump), coaching, recovery, sleep, athlete testing, team management, bio-mechanics, mental preparation, injury prevention and rehabilitation, weight training, physiotherapy, planning, periodization, equipment, and technology.” Their articles are generally 1,500 to 2,500 words long. They pay 5 cents per word. To learn more, visit this page.

Christian

Seton Magazine is the official magazine of Seton Home Study School (a Catholic private PreK-12 distance school). They give parents tools to make homeschooling successful. Their online articles are usually 800 to 1,000 words long. They pay stipends of $50 for published articles. To learn more, visit this page.

CatholicSingles is a dating site for Catholics. They love articles that are 1,500 to 2,000 words long. They pay $65 for blog posts on life as a single, $50 for blog posts on dating advice, and $35 for “general catholic-y and other articles.” For details, read their writer guidelines.

Bearings Online is Collegeville Institute’s bi-weekly online publication that “examines relationships between religion and culture, highlights unexplored facets of contemporary religious life, and suggests faithful responses to today’s problems and opportunities.” They are looking for regular contributors who can write an essay, article, or book review (800 to 1,200 words long) once every two months. They pay $50 per piece. For details, visit this page.

The Center for Prophetic Imagination offers “education, arts, and activist initiatives to help people turn from the false promises of empire and embrace God’s vision for the world.” They are looking for pieces of 500 to 1,000 words that make a connection between spirituality and social justice. They pay $50 per piece. Details here.

Tekton Ministries hosts Catholic pilgrimages which help people in experiencing God in their lives. They are looking for articles for their blog. They are specifically seeking articles on the topics of: true stories of pilgrimage experiences (500 to 1000 words), informational articles on pilgrimage destinations (300 to 800 words), articles on Catholic devotions that relate to a place of pilgrimage (300 to 800 words), and reflections that relate to pilgrimage (300 to 800 words). They pay $50 to $150 for an article. To learn more, read their article submission guidelines.

Reg­ional

Southerly is an independent media organization that covers ecology, culture, and justice in the American South. They are looking for news analysis, short features, profiles, and photo stories. They pay $500 for 700 to 1,000 words, and $750 for 1,200 to 1,600 words. To learn more, refer to this page.

amNewYork is a daily newspaper for New York City. They cover news, politics, real estate, sports, entertainment, food, and more. According to one payment report, they pay $0.15 per word. To contact them, visit this page.

Texas Monthly is a magazine and website that covers Texas news, politics, culture, food, travel, history, music, crime, and more. According to payment reports, they pay $1.00 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Atlanta Magazine is a general interest publication based in Atlanta, Georgia. They cover news, culture, food, travel, entertainment, style, and all things Atlanta. They are interested in stories focused on Atlanta and the metro region. According to payment reports, they pay up to $1.00 per word. To submit a pitch, visit this page.

North Volume Magazine is an online publication dedicated to supporting the art community of New York’s North Country. They feature writing and photography that highlights North Country artists and their craft. They are “interested in pieces as short as 500 words and as long as 2,000 words.” They pay $0.10 per word. For details, refer to this page.

Sierra County Business News (SCBN) publishes news and information about the economy of Sierra County, New Mexico. They want articles (of 300 to 800 words) on the economic conditions, civic engagement, and business activities in the region. They generally pay $20 to $50 per article. For details, refer to this page.

Asbury Insider is an online source of everything Asbury: music and entertainment, art, design, real estate, food and drink, lifestyle, stories regarding Asbury Park, and more. They pay $20 to $50 per submission. To learn more, refer to this page.

Sound RIDER! is an online magazine on motorcycling in the Pacific Northwest. They “cover the geographic area between B.C. to Northern California and as far east as Montana.” They want writers to pitch regional stories. They pay about $75 to $100 for an average department length story (500 to 1,000 words) with photos/images. For details, read their writer query guidelines.

City Pages is a weekly newspaper that covers news, arts, theater, music, movies, food, drinks, and more in Minneapolis. According to one payment report, they pay $0.05 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

The Bitter Southerner is an online magazine that publishes the real stories about the American South. They pay a base rate of $500 for their “Tuesday Features” of 2,500 to 5,000 words, and $150 for their “From the Southern Perspective” stories of 1,000 to 3,000 words. To learn more, visit this page.

Number is “an independent journal of the arts for Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas.” They prefer proposals to completed articles. The payment rates for their print publication are: $50 for regional update (500 words), $75 for exhibition review (700 to 1,000 words), $100 for interview (1,000 to 1,500 words), and $100 for feature article (1,000 to 1,500 words). The rates for their website publication are: $50 for exhibition review (500 to 600 words), and $50 for interview (500 to 600 words). For details, visit this page.

Cascadia Magazine is an online magazine committed to quality journalism, essays, poetry, fiction, and photos from the Pacific Northwest. They are always seeking great journalism, stories, and photos that “express what it’s like to be a human being in the Pacific Northwest.” They pay $100-$350 for feature articles, $50-$100 for fiction and essays, $50 for poetry, and $25-$50 per photo. For details, visit this page.

Carolina Country is a monthly magazine published by North Carolina’s electric cooperatives. They feature news, travel stories, gardening tips, recipes, and co-op info. Each month, in their “I Remember” series, they publish “a selection of your stories and pictures about your recollections of people, events, scenes — whatever memories mean a lot to you.” They pay $50 per story. For details, refer to this page.  

Richmond Magazine is a publication that covers news, entertainment, arts, food, and more in Richmond, Virginia. They accept story-idea pitches from writers. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.30 per word. To learn more, refer to this page.

The Philadelphia Inquirer is a daily newspaper for Philadelphia. They cover business, politics, weather, life, food, entertainment, health, real estate, sports, and more. According to payment reports, they pay up to $0.29 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Scalawag is a website and magazine dedicated to the American South. They are looking for untold stories, original thoughts, and fresh perspectives on the culture, politics, and life in South America. They publish nonfiction, fiction, poetry, state politics coverage, and photo essays. According to their website, they pay all their contributors. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.25 per word. For details, visit this page.

East Lansing Info (Eli) is a “non-profit citizen-run local news cooperative of the people, by the people, and for the people of East Lansing, Michigan.” They typically pay $25 for short pieces that require no special research, and $50 for pieces that require interviews or other research. For details, visit this page.

The New Southern Fugitives is a biweekly zine that “challenges our comfortable perspective of the South.” They encourage contributions from “indigenous, LGBTQIA+, disabled, current or previously incarcerated, and non-binary people, women, and people of color.” They pay $100 for book reviews (1,000 words or less), essays (1,200 words or less), or short stories (2,000 words or less). They pay $40 for poems (1.5 pages or less), flash/micro fiction (800 words or less), or a photograph/piece of visual art. Details here.

Raleigh Magazine covers food, culture, arts, lifestyle, entertainment, and news in Raleigh, North Carolina. Payment reports indicate that they pay $0.20 per word. To contact them, visit this page.

Boulder Weekly is an independently owned newspaper that provides “alternative and irreverent news coverage to Boulder County.” They cover news, politics, arts, culture, music, food, and more. According to one payment report, they paid $0.03 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Garden State Legacy (GSL) is a quarterly online magazine and a website devoted to the history of New Jersey. They are always looking for new writers. They are interested in pieces that reflect all aspects of New Jersey’s history, and the influence of New Jersey on the United States and world history. They pay $100 for articles of 2,500 words and above. For details, read their editorial guidelines.

Clarion Content is a cultural and political online magazine based in Durham, North Carolina. They cover politics, music, art, food, culture, and fashion. They “especially value the voices of long time Durham residents, women, black, brown, queer, and trans people, and anyone else whose voices have historically been suppressed.” According to one payment report, they paid $0.07 per word. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

C-VILLE Weekly is the leading newspaper of Charlottesville. They cover news, arts, living, events, and more. According to one payment report, they paid $0.24 per word for an 850-word news story. To contact them, refer to this page.

Los Angeleno is a digital publication that is dedicated to stories about Los Angeles’ people, life, culture, and art. According to one payment report, they paid $0.25 per word for an 800-word profile or interview. To contact them, visit this page.

Black Hills Woman Magazine is a bi-monthly women’s lifestyle magazine that is distributed throughout the Black Hills, South Dakota. They want articles of 300 to 900 words on home, motherhood, relationships, career, finance, health, fitness, beauty, fashion, and cooking. They pay $0.10 per word. To learn more, refer to this page.

Burnaway is an Atlanta-based online magazine about contemporary art and culture in the American South. According to one payment report, they paid $0.10 per word. To contact them, visit this page.

The Ithaca Times is an alternative weekly newspaper that covers news, events, sports, food, art, entertainment, and real estate in Ithaca, New York area. According to one payment report, they paid $0.08 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

D Magazine is a resource for news, food, arts, health, business, weddings, and more in Dallas, Texas. Payment reports indicate that they pay $1.00 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Documented is a non-profit news website dedicated to covering New York’s immigrants and the different policies that affect their lives. According to one payment report, they paid $0.13 per word. To contact them, visit this page.

Health and Wellness

Headspace is an online healthcare company that specializes in meditation. They provide guided meditation resources to users through their website and mobile app. According to payment reports, the pay up to $0.33 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

NurseGuidance.com is a blog where nurses offer helpful articles and videos to other nurses. They are looking for articles and videos for their blog. They pay $50 to $100 for anecdotes, general tips, or advice articles. The articles should be 400 to 1,200 words long. For details, visit this page.

The Fix is a daily website for news and information on addiction and recovery. They offer rehab reviews, sober living tips, and addiction recovery news. Most of their stories are of 1,100 to 2,000 words. According to payment reports, they pay an average of $0.15 per word. To learn more, refer to this page.

Cancer Network provides different views on oncology/hematology through news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and more. They pay $50 for a case with images and a short write-up. They pay $75 for a case posted in their Image IQ section. A case posted in their Image IQ section “must include an image, clinical history, a question with multiple answer choices, and a discussion of the correct answer.” To learn more, visit this page.

Healthline is a health information website that wants to be the most trusted ally of people in their pursuit of health and well-being. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.46 per word. To contact them, visit this page.

Canadian

WordWorks is a magazine about writing, for writers, produced by British Columbia’s community of writers. They accept articles of 600 to 2,000 words, and poetry of up to 60 lines. They pay $0.25 per word for articles. They pay an honorarium of $75 for creative submissions, $100 per cover art, and $25 per interior image. For details, visit this page.

Niagara Escarpment Views is a quarterly magazine about the Niagara Escarpment in Canada. They “want to explore the best of what’s located in Escarpment country” and need writers who are based all along it. They want writers to contact them first with their ideas. Their feature articles are of 1,000 words. They pay 40 cents per word and $10 per photo, up to 10 photos. For details, read their editorial guidelines.

NOW is a source for alternative news, events, food, and entertainment in Toronto. It is a weekly publication. According to payment reports, they pay up to $0.28 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Adbusters is a Canada-based magazine that is “fighting back against the hostile takeover of our psychological, physical and cultural environments by commercial forces.” They publish 6 times a year. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.50 per word. To contact them, visit this page.

SpiderWebShow is “Canada’s only online space that investigates the intersection of the theatrical and digital.” They pay an honorarium of $50 for an article of 750 to 1,000 words. To learn more, visit this page.

National Post is a Canadian newspaper that covers politics, culture, travel, style, parenting, health, sports, and more. According to one payment report, they paid $0.33 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.  

Dance International is a quarterly published magazine that covers “contemporary and classical dance from Canada and around the world.” Their features, reports, and reviews help in building a lively conversation around dance. They welcome submissions from “both emerging and established writers from Canada and around the world.”  According to one payment report, they paid $0.12 per word. To learn more, visit this page.

MONTECRISTO is Vancouver’s quarterly lifestyle magazine. They cover culture, fashion, travel, history, food, wine, art, design, architecture, business, books, beauty, and more. Since Vancouver is a cosmopolitan city, they “value national and international stories of interest to Vancouverites.” Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.10 per word. To learn more, refer to this page.

Ricochet is a Canada-based, crowd-funded multiplatform news outlet that practices public-interest journalism in English and French. They accept pitches for short- and long-form journalism. According to one payment report, they paid $0.08 per word for a 1,000-word feature. For details, refer to this page.

Maisonneuve is a Montreal-based quarterly of “arts, opinion and ideas.” They are looking for all kinds of non-fiction writing including essays, memoirs, reporting, and humor. Payment reports indicate that they pay $0.10 per word. To contact them, visit this page.

Emerging Policy Lab (EPL) is “designed for young people to inform the world about what they feel may be a pressing policy issue in the short to near future that policymakers need to be aware of.” They are accepting submissions on emerging issues from young people (aged 14 to 32) who are residing in the province of Ontario. Submissions can be in the form of op-eds or essays of 600 to 750 words. They pay successful contributors an honorarium of $200. Details here.

Inuit Art Quarterly is a magazine dedicated to “Inuit and circumpolar arts, connecting Inuit Nunangat and readers around the world.” They pay $1,250 for feature articles and $250 for reviews that are published in their magazine. They pay $200 for web editorials or reviews. To learn more, refer to this page.

Food & Nutrition

Food52 is “the premier destination for kitchen & home enthusiasts offering a curated shop, industry-leading content and a vibrant community.” According to one payment report, they paid $0.20 per word for a 750-word feature. To contact them, refer to this page.

Imbibe is a magazine that is the “ultimate guide to drinks, from wine, spirits and beer to coffee, tea and everything in between.” They publish reviews, recipes, travelogues, and character profiles. Payment reports suggest that they pay up to $0.67 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Difford’s Guide is a website that offers engaging information on cocktails, wines, beers, spirits, liqueurs, bars, bartenders, and more. According to one payment report, they paid $0.29 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Taste is an online magazine for those who love to cook at home. They are looking for original recipes, reported stories (500 to 2,000 words), concise guides for the home kitchen, chef and cookbook author profiles that have a home cooking angle, photo essays, shopping guides, opinion pieces, and colorful stories from unique home kitchens. According to payment reports, they pay up to $0.60 per word. To pitch, visit this page.

High Steaks Media is a multidisciplinary arts collective. They publish content on food and identity. They are “interested in the different ways food can be used to delve into a myriad of topics and broader cultural phenomena.” They welcome pitches for essays, reviews, and interviews (800 to 1,500 words). They pay $150 per piece. Details here.

VinePair is a digital media company that offers expert guides, maps, and infographics that make learning about drinking fun and easy. According to one payment report, they paid $0.29 per word for an 850-word feature. To get in touch with them, refer to this page.

Gluten-Free Living is a bi-monthly publication that offers trusted and reliable information on the gluten-free diet and lifestyle. They cover medical research, recipes, ingredients, labeling, nutrition, and more. According to one payment report, they paid $0.35 per word for a 1,000-word feature. To contact them, refer to this page.

The Kitchn is a daily web magazine that inspires cooks and nourishes homes through recipes, tips, shopping guides, and kitchen designs. They are looking for submissions for their “grocery diaries” column. The purpose of the column is to show the readers how people across the United States spend money on food, drinks, groceries, snacks, etc. throughout the week. They pay $150 per diary. Details here.

Wine-Searcher is a website that offers information on wines. It is a place where users can find and compare wine prices, keep up with wine news, and learn about wine regions and grape varieties. According to one payment report, they paid $0.50 per word for a 1,000-word feature. To contact them, visit this page.

Environmental & Sustainability

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.

Wild Lot Press is a publisher and residency program that focuses on “the curious gray areas between the natural world and civilization, and the influence of the wild on people, characters, and the creative process.” They are looking for pitches for essays, photo essays, book reviews, and interviews. They pay up to $250 for essays. They pay $150 for photo essays, $50 for book reviews, and $50 for interviews. To learn more, visit this page.

The Revelator is “an online news and ideas initiative of the Center for Biological Diversity.” They cover climate change, endangered species, wildlife, conservation, pollution, and more. For about 1,000 words, they pay $300 to first-time contributors and $350 to returning contributors; they publish one freelance article per week at this rate. They also publish one slightly more involved story per month, for which they pay up to $500. Details here.

Trade Magazines, Professions & Professional

The Scientist is a magazine for life science professionals. They explore trends in research, latest scientific discoveries, innovative techniques, careers, and business. They are looking for writers who can tell the stories of life science across the globe. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.40 per word. To learn more, refer to this page.

The telos institute is a global consulting firm “where the world’s leaders in business and industry come to hone their leadership skills, optimize their business strategy, and embrace change as a strategic advantage.” They are looking for articles within the realms of leadership, strategy, or change. They pay $0.05 a word for shorter articles of about 800 words or less, and $0.07 a word (with a cap of $140) for longer articles of 2,000 words. Details here.

Healio.com is a medical news, education, and information website for health care practitioners. According to one payment report, they paid $0.13 per word for a 500-word news story. To contact them, visit this page.

Woodworker’s Journal is a bi-monthly print and digital magazine for and about woodworking and woodworkers. They “accept submissions for projects; how-to’s and techniques; tool reviews; and features.” For project articles and tool reviews, payment starts at $225 per page. For how-to’s and techniques articles that are addressed to their “tricks of the trade” department, payment ranges from $50 to $150. For feature articles (1,000 words), payment starts at $150. For details, read their writer’s guidelines.

Archinect is a website for “progressive-design oriented students, architects, educators, and fans.” They are a source for news, event listings, discussions, and job opportunities. According to one payment report, they paid $0.15 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

History

Contingent is a nonprofit online magazine for “everyone who asks questions about the past.” They pay a base rate of $500 for features (2,000 to 3,000 words), $250 for shorts (800 to 1,500 words), $250 for field trips, and $350 for reviews. To learn more, refer to this page.

Hobbies & Crafts

Yazirwan Sewing provides solutions to the sewing endeavors of people. They are looking for articles of at least 2,000 words. They pay $50 to $250 per article. Fresh authors are normally paid $50 to $125 per article. To learn more, refer to this page.

Pets

Doggypedia is a website that helps families raise happy and healthy dogs. They are accepting guest posts for their website. They pay $50 to $1,000 for long form, well sourced pieces written by professionals. To learn more, visit this page.

Philosophy and Culture

Bright Wall/Dark Room is an online magazine that is dedicated to “exploring the relationship between cinema and the business of being alive.” They publish profiles, interviews, personal essays, cultural criticism, formal analysis, and humor pieces. Their critical essays are generally 1,500 to 3,000 words long. They pay $50 per essay. For details, refer to this page.

Antithesis is a graduate run arts and humanities journal that is published annually in association with The University of Melbourne’s School of Culture and Communication. Contributors do not have to be students at the University to be published in the journal. They want scholarly essays, reviews, creative nonfiction, short fiction, poetry, artwork, and more. They pay $50 per piece. Details here.

American Theatre is a magazine that offers news, interviews, editorials, and features about theatre in the United States and abroad. They publish 10 times a year. Payment reports suggest that they pay up to $0.25 per word. To contact them, visit this page.

Miscellaneous

New Music Connoisseur (NMC) is a bi-yearly magazine that is devoted to “the works of composers of the 20th and 21st centuries.” Most of their pieces are no longer than 1,500 words. They pay an honorarium of $50 to $200 per piece. To learn more, refer to this page.

The Unseen Zine is looking for “innovative writing around current and future scholarship in the fields of disability studies, biotechnology and genetics, accessibility, consumer technology, fashion, universal design, education, politics, policy and law, philosophy, and topics of historic importance that are relevant today.” They accept pieces of 500 to 1,500 words. They pay $135 per piece. For details, visit this page.

Freelance Video Collective is a “UK network for film, TV and video production jobs.” They are looking for freelancers (with a background in film and TV) to write guest posts for their video production blog. They want articles of 800 to 900 words. They pay £50 per article. To learn more, visit this page.

The Truth About Cars is a website that features automotive news, reviews, and editorials. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.45 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

TopTenz is a website that provides unusual top 10 lists every day. They are looking for writers who can contribute 2 to 3 articles per month. Their articles are usually around 1,800 to 2,200 words long. They pay $75 per article. To learn more, refer to this page.

Film Quarterly publishes articles, reviews, and interviews about “all aspects of film history, film theory, and the impact of film, video, and television on culture and society.” They pay $50 for articles (of 1,000 words or less) for the Quorum section of their website. For details, refer to this page.

Public Discourse is the online journal of the Witherspoon Institute (a research center in Princeton, New Jersey). They pay an honorarium of $200 for original essays (1,500 to 2,000 words), first-person stories (800 to 2,000 words), and review/response essays (1,500 to 2,000 words). They pay $50 for book notes (300 to 500 words). For details, visit this page.

Crossroads is the official publication of the Utah Genealogical Association. They publish “case studies, family histories, Utah history, articles on genealogical methodology and technology, how-to articles, news items, and book reviews.” They pay $75 for articles of more than 1,500 words. To learn more, read their contributor guidelines.

Filter is a nonprofit publication committed to “rational and compassionate approaches to drug use, drug policy, and human rights.” They seek pitches for feature-length articles, including op-eds, essays, interviews, and investigative reports. According to one payment report, they paid $250 for a 2,000-word feature. To learn more, refer to this page.

Survival Dispatch offers “no nonsense survival solutions and tips for a dangerous world.” They pay $25 for most posts, plus $5 for each image provided with the content. As they aim for 10 or more images per post, the total amount comes out to about $75 per post. To learn more, visit this page.

Paradise is the in-flight magazine of Air Niugini (the national airline of Papua New Guinea). They welcome submissions from writers and photographers, especially from those who are based in Papua New Guinea. According to one payment report, they paid $0.43 per word. To contact their editor, refer to this page.

DJ TechTools (DJTT) is a “resource for DJ technology, digital DJ tips, tutorials, and news about DJ controllers and devices.” They want articles, tips, reviews, interviews, and videos. They pay $100 cash or $150 store credit per article to their “contributing writers” (i.e. the writers who are responsible for a monthly or bimonthly column). They pay $50 via PayPal or $100 store credit per article to their “guest writers” (i.e. the writers who cannot contribute on a regular basis). For details, refer to this page.

HomeHoldz is a “tools and home improvement blog where you will get information about home gate hardware and tools.” They are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. They are looking for informative and review type articles of over 1,000 words. They pay $50 per article. For details, refer to this page.

MisinfoCon is a global movement focused on the challenge of misinformation. They want “pitches for original reporting or opinion pieces focused on solutions to the problem of misinformation, rumours, propaganda, and f-news.” They pay an honorarium of $100 per piece. They want the stories to be at least 700 words long. To learn more, refer to this page.

American Way is a free, inflight magazine of American Airlines. They publish on a monthly basis. According to one payment report, they paid $1.00 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Book Riot is “bookish site covering all things literary, from book news and commentary to reading recommendations across every genre.” Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.07 per word. To contact them, visit this page.

Defiance Forum is a website for news and discussion on Defiance (an online game developed by Trion Worlds) and other games. They are looking for gamers and writers who want to share their favorite game’s strategies with other game enthusiasts. The games that they accept include “shooter games, survival games, RPG games, artillery games, RTS, RTT, tower defense, TBT, TBS, other action, adventure, and action-adventure games.” They pay their writers $0.03 per word. For more information, visit this page.

SAPIENS is a digital magazine committed to popularizing anthropology to a wider audience. They “only consider scholars who are currently enrolled in an anthropology degree program, have a degree in anthropology, and/or have an appointment in an anthropology department.” They publish essays (1,000 to 2,000 words), comments (600 to 800 words), snapshots (400 to 1,200 words), debates (400 to 600 words), reviews (400 to 1,500 words), photo essays (6 to 12 images), videos and podcasts. They pay an honorarium of $100 per piece. Details here.

Oatmeal Studios is a humorous greeting card company. They are seeking humorous greeting card ideas. It is not necessary for writers to draw a visual but they should provide a brief description of it. Their rate for writer copy is $100 per idea. For details, read their writers’ guidelines.

Daring Abroad is a blog that offers work from home jobs, investment opportunities, business ideas, and more. They also offer reviews of home appliances. They are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. They are looking for contributors who are “passionate about writing on life and travel tips.” They pay $100 per article (1,500 to 2,000 words). To learn more, visit this page.

MultiLingual is a magazine, newsletter, and website that covers global business, localization, language technology, and translation. According to one payment report, they paid $0.09 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.   

Cardthartic is a greeting card company that is looking for “passages messages”. They “welcome messages that sound like you — just as natural, conversational and personable as possible.” They pay $50 for each published message. For details, refer to this page.

ComstockMarKetPlace is a greeting card company that is best known for its “adult humor cards – ranging from mildly risque to rude and crude.” For gaglines, they pay $50 per idea. To learn more, refer to this page.

GrammaBurp is a family-owned humorous greeting card company. Their cards feature vintage photos. They want freelancers to first request them to be placed on their freelancers list. When they have projects available, they will send the freelancers one or more photographs that need text captioning or gaglines for. They pay $50 per gagline. To learn more, read their freelance writer’s guidelines.

Kalan LP supplies innovative and trendy gifts and novelty items to retailers across the United States. They are always seeking fun and original ideas for their products. They encourage contributors to submit their ideas: “from greeting card copy to one-liners for magnets, shotglasses, and other product lines.” They compensate the chosen ideas. To submit ideas, visit this page.

Blue Mountain Arts is an established publisher of greeting cards. They pay $300 for exclusive worldwide rights to use poetry in greeting cards and other products. They want “contemporary prose or poetry written from personal experience that reflects the thoughts and feelings people today want to communicate to one another, but don’t always know how to put into words.” To read their complete submission guidelines, visit this page.

AnswersForMe is a website that “offers support and encouragement for every-day life.” They accept unsolicited stories, articles, and essays. They pay $50 for first-person stories (300 to 800 words) that have a spiritual element, and $75 for short articles (300 to 500 words) about human motivation, passion, and discovery. They also pay for articles (800 to 1,500 words) about health but do not mention the payment rate (they ask writers to contact them in order to find out the rate for a particular topic). For more information, refer to their writer’s guidelines.

Places Journal is a resource for “contemporary architecture, landscape, and urbanism.” They are looking for lively and original writing. They publish interdisciplinary scholarship, essays, narrative journalism, criticism, multimedia work, and photography. Most of their articles are 1,000 to 6,000 words long. According to one payment report, they paid $0.30 per word for a 4,000-word feature. For details, read their submission guidelines.

Ideas on Fire is “an academic editing and consulting agency offering book editing, indexing, and mentoring services for interdisciplinary academics.” They are seeking pitches for blog posts that give “practical advice for building interdisciplinary, social justice-oriented careers within and beyond the academy.” They pay $70 per post (1,000 to 2,000 words). Details here.

Green Scene Marketing is a cannabis-focused digital marketing agency. They are seeking experienced freelance writers for articles on the following categories: “medical marijuana, concentrates & dabbing, legal news & information, product reviews, strain reviews, cannabis business, culture.” They pay $12 to $50 per article. For more information, visit this page.

New Dream works to empower “individuals, communities, and organizations to transform the ways they consume to improve well-being for people and the planet.” They welcome story ideas from young people regarding their “personal experiences, opinions, and critiques of consumption—from the products we buy and the content we take in from screens, to the air we breathe and the food we eat.” They pay $100 per story, and $50 per phone or online interview where the contributor tells his/her story to New Dream. Details here.

The Plain Communities Business Exchange is a monthly mailed paper that connects plain communities across the United States. They are seeking business related and educational articles of 1,000 words or more. Some of the articles of interest to them include: “furniture building, woodworking, hydraulics, engine repair, logging, sawmills, welding, dairy farming, produce farming, masonry, construction, how to articles,” and more. They pay at least $125 per article. They pay extra for illustrations and pictures that are submitted with the article. Details here.

Timeless2Wheels.com is a website that covers timeless motorcycles including choppers, bobbers, cafe racers, and scramblers. They are seeking budding writers for their website. In the beginning, they will come up with headlines for the articles that they want written. They generally want articles of around 2,500 words, and pay 3 cents a word which comes out to $75 per article. As the writers gain experience, they increase their pay and give them more flexibility in choosing their own topics. To learn more, visit this page.

Marine Corps Gazette is the professional journal for U.S. Marines. They are looking for articles for their newly re-established department, The Observation Post. They welcome “frank opinions, rebuttals to published articles, and imaginative ideas.” They pay $50 per article (800 to 1,000 words). To learn more, refer to this page.

Londonist covers everything that happens in London. They feature news, reviews, events, culture, food, pubs, and the history and future of London. Payment reports indicate that they pay $0.13 per word. To contact them, visit this page.

UBER Driver Things is a blog and community where UBER and LYFT drivers get the latest rideshare tips, tricks, news, and opportunities. They are seeking experienced drivers (with a minimum of 3 months of paid driving experience) who can “offer advice, guides, their take on interesting topics, current events and personal experiences as it pertains to driving for a living.” They pay $75 to $200 per article. For details, visit this page.

The Nautical Research Journal is the quarterly journal of the Nautical Research Guild. The journal contains “feature articles on ship model building, merchant and naval shipbuilding, naval architecture, maritime trade, nautical history, and maritime arts.” They publish about 24 in-depth features each year. They pay $250 per modeling article ($500 for a multi-part article), and $50 per ship note article. To learn more, read their editorial guidelines.

Creative Revolt is a blog that offers tips to bloggers, creative entrepreneurs, and freelance writers. They are looking for list-style and how-to posts of 1,000 to 2,000 words. They are interested in posts on the following topics: round-ups of freelance writing websites that pay $100+ to write, how to travel full-time as a freelance writer, and an inside look into a specific freelance writing website. They pay $100 per blog post. For details, visit this page.

Brain World is “the only magazine dedicated to the nature of the brain, consciousness, behavior, and how health will transform human life in this century.” According to one payment report, they paid $0.25 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

Coax is “the digital magazine for people who love projects.” They are seeking short and long-form articles (of 750 to 3,000 words) on the highs and lows of life and projects. They are also seeking feature interviews or creative writing pieces. For long-form articles, they pay $100 per accepted submission. While for other content, they pay $50 per accepted submission. Details here.

Waging Nonviolence is a non-profit media platform that offers news and analysis on social movements around the world. In general, they are looking for stories that offer their “readers an inside look at movements and how they organize to build power.” They pay $150 for reported features (about 1,500 words) and $75 for breaking news (about 1,000 words). For details, visit this page.

Mothers of Angels 2 is “an anthology of reflections about living through the grief of losing a child.” They are seeking essays (1,500 to 3,000 words) and poems (minimum 12 lines). They want true stories, not fictional tales. They pay $75 per essay and $25 per poem. For more information, refer to this page.

Findingtop is a website that features top 10 lists on everything including people, politicians, animals, cities, products, and services. They are looking for original lists for their website. They pay $50 per list. To submit a list, visit this page.

Nothing to Say is “a place where some artists write about things they care about.” They welcome submissions from artists of all backgrounds, especially those that belong to racial, ethnic, gender, or sexual minorities. They pay $200 for an essay of 1,500 to 2,000 words. For more information, visit this page.

Freelance FAQ #12: A Simple Trick to Expand Your Network

Posted on April 24, 2019 by in Uncategorized

Building a professional network is one of the best things you can do for yourself as a freelance writer, but it can often be intimidating and sometimes tricky.

Here’s one technique you can use to easily add to add to your network. If you’re regularly getting clients, then you’ll be able to put this tactic to good use.

Here’s an example of what this technique looks like in practice. Imagine you’ve written a wrapup/goodbye email to your client. You can add something like this either at the end or as a postscript:

Also, if you happen to know anyone who’s in need of some writing, would you mind passing along my name? I’m always looking to work on exciting new projects, so I’d really appreciate it.

This might sound too simple, but it can really work wonders. Even if your client doesn’t have anyone specific in mind, you’ll likely be the first person on their mind when they hear the word “writer.”

It’s also important to understand the impact of word of mouth. People trust those in their networks and are likely to hire others based on a simple recommendation from a trusted source. Believe it or not, it’s much easier to get a job via a recommendation from a former client than from a brand new client you’ve never worked with before.

Next time you’re winding down a project, give this technique a try. It’s harmless, takes seconds, and could end up getting you a wealth of new work.

Your turn: Have you ever used this technique? How has word of mouth benefited you as a freelancer?