Here are 10 publications that, according to our research, pay up to $0.75 per word.
These publishers cover a wide variety of topics, including fashion, neurology, public media, distilling, climate, news, and entertainment.
Keep in mind that the rates listed may need to be negotiated, and are not set in stone.
Looking for freelance opportunities? Check out 100 Publishers that Pay Freelance Writers
Vainqueur is a Canadian fashion culture and lifestyle platform. They’re looking for pitches on the following topics: fashion, beauty, living, and culture. They pay $0.75 CAD a word for articles that are over 500 words and $1 CAD a word for articles that are less than 500 words. They’re not currently accepting pitches. However, you can contact them here.
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.
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.
Distiller Magazine is a publication of the American Distilling Institute. They cover the art and business of craft distillation. They welcome queries for articles. For print stories, they pay $0.50 per word, or $0.75 per word if photos are included. They pay $100 plus $25 per image for online articles. For details, read their submission 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 their editors, refer to 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.
Capital Daily is an independent news startup that is a source for news, analysis, longform, and investigative stories from Victoria, B.C., Canada. They cover science, politics, business, history, crime, and more. They are always looking for writers. According to their managing editor, they pay $0.40 to $0.80 CAD per word. To learn more, refer to this page.
Grist is a non-profit online publication that covers climate and sustainability. They welcome “a wide range of freelance pitches, from reported essays to in-depth investigations to changemaker profiles and Q&As.” Their “core topics include clean energy, sustainable food, environmental justice, livable communities, and reinventing the economy through cutting-edge science and cleantech.” Pay starts at $0.80 per word. Details here.
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 and visit this page.
