Here are 14 publications that work with freelance writers, and publish content related to the Western United States. Some of them are local to cities, while others, such as High Country News, cover the American West in general.
High Country News is a non-profit magazine covering the American West. They pay between $.50 and $1.50 a word. Their feature articles can be more than 2,400 words. They accept article pitches on an ongoing basis. They do not generally accept pre-written articles. To learn more and to pitch them an article, be sure to read their submission guidelines.
Outdoor California Magazine is part of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Editors are looking for “the best in both writing and photography” – articles focusing on CDFW efforts to protect and preserve the state’s natural resources and wildlife. Payment is $250-$1,000 for 500-2,000-word articles. To learn more, read the submission guidelines here.
Outside Bozeman is a regional publication that covers the outdoor world of southwest Montana. They cover outdoor recreation, natural beauty, as well as the issues surrounding the natural resources of the region. They pay 15-25 cents/word for features between 800-2,000 words. Departments pay anywhere from $25 to $150, based on length. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Variable West is a platform for West Coast art, and they favor pitches from West Coast-based creatives. They have several pitch categories:
-Love Letters: Micro essays of 200-250 words on artists we can’t stop thinking about. Rate: $50
-The Why: Stories of 200-300 words on what inspires West Coast creatives. Rate: $50
-Pairings: “Art that makes us think of food and food that makes us think of art.” Rate: $75 for 400-450 words
-Exhibition Reviews and Artist Interviews: for exhibition reviews (600-800 words) and interviews (2,000 words), they are accepting pitches on the theme of “Stretching out for the future.” Rate: $150
-Dispatches: “Exhibition reviews of West Coast artists on view outside the West Coast (1,000 words). Rate: $200
For more information, read their call for pitches.
Comstock’s is a monthly business magazine in California’s Capital Region. They cover business, trends, and quality of life in Sacramento and the 9 surrounding counties. They accept pitches for print as well as web-exclusive stories. Their print features are 1,600-2,200 words; Taste stories are 1,300 words; and web stories are 600-1,500 words. A tweet by their senior editor indicates that they pay $200 to $300 for web stories. For more information, read their submission guidelines.
1859 Oregon’s Magazine publishes pieces that celebrate the region’s unique history, destinations, and more. They’re accepting queries for articles that demonstrate a love for Oregon and an appreciation for its culture. They pay 30 to 50 cents per word ($150 to $250 for a 500-word article), though web-only articles are paid at a lower rate. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Colorado Life Magazine is Colorado’s only statewide general interest publication. Published six times on a bimonthly basis, the magazine uses anecdote-based storytelling to paint a vivid picture, and they’re accepting queries for articles that do so. They pay $75 to $125 for departments and $130 to $975 for features. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Raising Arizona Kids is a local publication that is targeted toward “caring, open-minded, and intellectually curious Arizona parents within the 25-59 age range.” They only work with writers who are based in Arizona. For feature submissions (1,000 words or more), they pay $100 and up. For departmental submissions (300 to 600 words), they pay $50 and up. For web-exclusive posts (300 to 600 words), they pay $50 and up. To learn more, refer to their writer guidelines.
edibleSeattle is a quarterly print and online magazine regional food magazine covering the food scene in the Puget Sound region. They are largely freelance written and accept new stories between 300 and 1,500 words, essays, poetry, and recipes about food, land, and life in Western Washington. Pay is 30 cents per word. They do not publish restaurant reviews. Instead, their focus is on getting behind the scenes. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Sandpoint Magazine covers the Sandpoint, Idaho region. They’re 75 percent freelance written. They publish two issues a year. They pay 20 cents per word for regular stories and 25 cents per word for almanac stories. Features are up to 2,000 words. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Bay Nature is a quarterly magazine that is “dedicated to the intelligent and joyful exploration of the natural places, plants, and wildlife of the San Francisco Bay Area.” They welcome queries from people working in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their articles and features are generally 700 to 3,000 words long. Payment is a flat fee that works out to $0.20-$1.00/word based on the writer’s experience and article difficulty. Further details can be found here.
