Here are 10 websites and magazines seeking to pay LGBTQ+ writers. Most of these are publications specifically created for LGBTQ+ communities. All of these are paying markets. We’ve researched payment rates, contact information, and pitching guidelines for all of these publications. They’re listed in no particular order.
— Jacob Jans
Trans Writes is a trans led project that aims to platform trans voices. They’re accepting pitches on all kinds of topics e.g. current events, sports, news, entertainment, technology, and video games. They want pitches from people from a wide range of backgrounds and writing experiences. They pay around £100 for up to 1,000 words. To learn more, refer to their pitching guide and form.
Black Femme Collective is a digital activist community and quarterly anthology that features creative nonfiction including memoirs, essays, reviews, interviews, op-eds, and articles by Black Queer Femmes. They welcome submissions from both emerging and established Black Queer Femme writers for their themed quarterly anthologies. They pay $150 to $300 per piece. To learn more, refer to their submissions page.
The Gay & Lesbian Review is a bimonthly magazine. They publish essays, book reviews, movie reviews, and plays. Payment is a flat fee of $250 for features. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Autostraddle is an online sphere for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women. They cover everything from TV shows to activism to queer history, always from a progressive feminist perspective. Each article pays $25-$100. You can an learn more about their content and columns on the About page. To submit, you can visit this page.
Diva is a UK-based magazine for Lesbian and Bisexual voices. Topics include opinion pieces, news features, reviews and previews, interview features, fashion, short profiles, and British and international features. They pay for print articles only. Details here.
Pride Source is Michigan’s LGBTQ+ news source. They cover LGBTQ+ politics, relationships, sex, health, home, pop culture, celebrities, and more. They publish features, profiles, Q&As, essays, opinions, listicles, and video interviews. Though their focus is on Michigan, they’re open to national stories, especially those with a Michigan spin. They’re interested in stories of survival and perseverance. They pay $100 to $125 for columns/essays and $100 to $250 for news features and other news/pop culture reporting. To learn more, view their pitch guide.
Plenitude wants literature and arts created by LGBTIQ Canadian writers. Apart from book reviews, they also publish literary fiction, nonfiction, poetry, graphic narrative and short film – work that focuses on queer histories, cultures, experiences, and sensibilities. Query the editors for reviews. They pay $80 per prose contribution, including reviews, and $35 per poem. Details here.
Borderless Magazine is a nonprofit online publication that covers labor, justice, and advocacy issues affecting the Midwestern immigrant communities. They welcome reported feature story, comics, and as-told-to story pitches from freelance journalists. They also welcome personal essay pitches from immigrants. They encourage pitches from immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ community, and women. In 2020, 93% of their stories were written, photographed/illustrated by people of color. Their rate for reported stories starts at $250. Pitches should be sent to pitch@borderlessmag.org. To learn more, read their pitch guidelines.
Videodame features “writing and artwork about and inspired by videogames, produced by women and other marginalized groups in the gaming industry.” They invite pitches for “essays, fiction, poetry, comics, art, videos, and/or soundscapes (or anything else you can think up!) about or inspired by games and gaming culture.” They encourage everyone to pitch but give particular encouragement to “women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, and any members of other groups typically marginalized in the gaming industry.” They pay $50 per piece. To learn more, refer to this page.
What’s On Queer BC covers events, news, and general interest articles for the LGBTQ2S+community. They pay $50 per post, to local writers only. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
