Want to get paid to write? Then this is for you! A list of publications that pay up to $2,000 or more per article.
However, if you want to actually get paid by these publications, you’ll need to learn how to write a good pitch. The good news, is you can easily learn how to write a good pitch, if you have the right guidance.
And you can get that guidance for free, with a free trial to Litworth. Sign up for a free trial, and take their pitching course here.
If you’re already confident in your pitching skills, then I encourage you to check out the list below.
Signal Hill
Signal Hill is an audio magazine that publishes audio documentaries of all kinds, including reporting, essays, shorts, profiles, dispatches, and reviews. They accept story pitches through their pitch form. They review pitches on a quarterly basis. According to their pitch form, rates range from $500 to $3,000 for stories. They do not accept pitches for previously published work. To learn more, refer to their pitch form and website.
Asterisk
Asterisk is a quarterly magazine that covers “science, emerging technologies, economics, politics, culture, global health, threats to human development and flourishing.” They’re always seeking new contributors. As per an old post, they pay $2,000 per story up to 4,000 words. To submit, refer to this page.
Asimov Press
Asimov Press features writing about biology and its impact on our world. They welcome pitches from “writers who can make sense of biology’s impacts on climate, energy, security, agriculture, materials, and medicine.” They publish essays; Moonshots; speculative fiction; interviews and photo essays. They have previously indicated to pay $1,500 for articles under 2,500 words, $2,000 for longer pieces, and $1,000 for fiction. To learn more, refer to their pitch guide.
The Sunday Long Read
The Sunday Long Read is a newsletter that shares the week’s best longform journalism with readers every Sunday. They are looking for longform nonfiction in its many forms. They want ”you to do reporting and talk to people.” They also produce their own stories. They publish 5 to 10 original longform articles a year. According to their guidelines, their floor for reported longform stories (over 2,000 words) is $2,000. They might cover the expenses too. For details, refer to their pitch guide.
Type Investigations
Type Investigations is a nonprofit investigative newsroom. They cover the “most urgent issues of our time, including racial and economic justice, climate and environmental health, and civil and human rights.” Their written features are generally 4,000-5,000 words and, according to their pitch guide, they typically pay $3,000-$6,000 (including travel and reporting expenses). For more information, refer to their pitch guide.
The Drift
The Drift is “a magazine of culture and politics.” They want “socially engaged cultural criticism; class-sensitive analysis; pieces that point out what’s being avoided or talked around in politics, media, arts, or even academia; upbeat cynicism; un-self-serious screeds; generous takedowns; entries from the margins; fiction; poetry; 1-3 sentence book/ movie/ TV/ art reviews.” According to their guidelines, they pay $2,000 for essays, $500 – $1,000 for short stories, $150 for poems, and $25 for Mentions. To learn more, refer to this page.
Economic Hardship Reporting Project (EHRP)
Economic Hardship Reporting Project (EHRP) is a nonprofit organization that produces compelling journalism about income inequality and poverty in America. They commission “news stories, narrative features, short and feature-length documentaries, nonfiction comics, illustrated works, photo essays, podcasts and radio features about economic inequality in the United States. Personal essays are welcome only if they are completed or close-to-completed. According to their pitch guide, they pay $750 to $1500 for news stories and personal essays or op-eds, and up to $2,500 for narrative features and investigative reports. They also have grants to cover travel expenses, up to $2,000.
Runner’s World
Runner’s World is a magazine and website that publishes “stories about every aspect of running, from tips on how to get started to human interest pieces to training plans for competitive runners aiming for a new PR, and everything in between.” They accept story pitches from writers, including pitches for features, service (nutrition/health/training), news, and human interest/culture. Rates vary and depend on story length, required research/reporting, turnaround time, and more. According to a deleted tweet by their health and fitness director, they pay $350 to $5,000 per story. For more information, refer to their pitch guide.
Faith & Leadership
Faith & Leadership is a biweekly, online magazine that is a learning resource for Christian leaders. They are always seeking new writers and stories. Their feature articles are 1,500-2,000 words, essays are 800-1,000 words, and Q&As are 1,000-1,500 words. According to their pitch guide, they pay $2,000 for feature articles and $400 for essays. They also pay for mileage, parking, and other expenses. For details, refer to their submission guidelines.
The Atavist Magazine
The Atavist Magazine is a digital-only publication that releases one blockbuster nonfiction story every month. Atavist stories can be historical or current; they can be about crime or science, adventure or romance; they can be rooted in investigative reporting or in first-person experiences. What unites them is their narrative approach. The stories should be 8,000 to 30,000 words long. According to their submissions page, they pay at least $6,000 per story plus expenses. They pay kill fees upfront. For more information, refer to this page.
The Real News Network
The Real News Network is an independent, nonprofit news network that is focused on providing uncompromising and fact-based journalism. They cover politics, prisons and policing, racial justice, climate crisis, and economy and inequality. According to their pitch guide, they pay $250–$400 for Short News Article / Dispatch; $400–$600 for Standard Reported Story; $600–$1,200 for In-Depth Feature; $1,200–$2,000+ for Investigative Series or Special Assignment; and $200–$350 for Op-Ed / Commentary.To learn more, refer to this page.
Wirecutter
Wirecutter is a product review site owned by The New York Times Company. They cover electronics, home appliances, travel gear, home and garden tools, kitchen and dining products, money management and personal finance, office gear and supplies, and much more. According to their guidelines, they pay $500 for shorter pieces, $300 for scout reports, and $500 for light updates. More involved updates earn up to $1,500, while new reviews or substantial rewrites range from $2,500 to $4,000. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Yellowhead Institute
Yellowhead Institute is “a First Nation-led research centre based in the Faculty of Arts at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario.” They publish Yellowhead Briefs (800 to 1,000 words), Yellowhead Special Reports (4000-8000 words), and Yellowhead Features. They “encourage submissions from Two-Spirit, trans and youth communities on Indigenous policy.” According to their submission guidelines, they pay $400 for accepted Briefs and $1500 – $2000 for Special Reports.
Logic(s) Magazine
Logic is a print and digital magazine about technology and society. They publish 3 times a year. They have previously indicated to be looking for reported articles, features, essays, and profiles, and that pay started at $1200 and went up to $4000. To contact them, refer to this page.
Popular Woodworking Magazine
Popular Woodworking Magazine is a woodworking magazine that provides resources, techniques, how-to articles, artist features, and much more. They publish 6 times annually. They accept article pitches from people of all backgrounds. According to their guidelines, they mostly pay $1,000 to $3,000 per feature (about 2,500 words, 20 photos, and 1 or 2 illustrations). To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.