Here’s the latest market news and research we’ve compiled – directly from editors. Also see this list of publishers seeking essays.
All of these publishers pay the writers they publish. Several of them pay $1 per word.
If you’re looking for more opportunities, The Paid Publishing Guidebook for 2020 is now completely free. Get your copy here.
Jacob Jans
PS: Don’t know how to take advantage of these opportunities? Watch this free webinar.
PPS: Please do not contact these publishers unless you are confident if your ability to send them a high-quality, relevant pitch. If you have any doubt, read this first.
Thanks for Fatima Saif for her research on this article.
The New York Times’ opinion editor is seeking “op-eds from college students about their experiences during the pandemic and what they think about schools reopening.” She is accepting pitches from college students from everywhere, not just the US. Their op-ed essays are typically 400 to 1,200 words. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $1 per word, though you should expect less for these essays. If you have a pitch, DM her on Twitter. Read her Tweet here and learn more here.
If you have a wellness, ayurveda, skin care or CBD pitch, send it to john@urbanasian.com along with your rate for a 500 to 800 word-article. They will pay at least $1 per word for this. For details, refer to this Twitter thread.
Nerd Much is a website that covers gaming, TV, movies, comics, tech, toys, and cool nerdy stuff. They are looking for “pitches for content in the video games space.” They pay about 8 cents per word. To learn more, refer to their Tweet and this page.
Level is a new platform for independent musicians. They are looking for new voices to write about music topics that matter to their artist community. According to payment reports, their rates start at $250. They pay more for longer pieces. Read their Twitter thread here and their blog here. To become a contributing writer for their blog, visit this page.
Future of Good covers “stories, innovations, and trends shaping social impact in Canada.” They are looking to expand their network of freelance writers. At the moment, they are “almost entirely focused on examining the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic on the social impact sector, the systems we live in, and on our society — from racism and philanthropy to social safety nets and volunteering.” Their rates start at a minimum of $0.50 per word. Send pitches to kylie@futureofgood.co. For details, refer to this Tweet and this page.
Passage is a Canadian leftist opinion/analysis publication. They are looking for a writer who believes that Postmedia’s columns (like this one: Fear of COVID-19 is overblown, it’s time to get the economy moving again) are morally reprehensible for the callous way that they advocate treating Canadian workers. They pay $100 CAD for shorter pieces (750-1,200 words) and $250 CAD for longer pieces (1,500-2,000 words). To learn more, refer to this Tweet. To pitch, refer to this page.
Better Life Lab is “leading the national conversation about the evolution of gender roles and norms, family policy, and how we work and live.” Their deputy director is “commissioning a series of stories on what it means to have or not have access to a paid family leave policy when you need one.” They will pay at least $350 per story. Send pitches to swenson@newamerica.org. To learn more, refer to this Tweet and this page.
GenderIT.org is “a groundbreaking resource site that provides feminist reviews and commentary on internet policy and culture.” They are “doing a series of articles that take a critical look at internet policies in the context of COVID-19, especially for women and LGBTQIA+ people.” They are accepting pitches at genderit@apcwomen.org. They pay $0.12 per word for pieces of 1,000 to 1,500 words. For details, refer to this Twitter thread and this page.
Contently is “a technology company that helps brands create great content at scale.” They are accepting more freelance work for The Content Strategist in order to support the freelance community during the coronavirus pandemic. The Content Strategist is their publication about content strategy and content marketing. They pay a flat rate of $500/story. They pay $300/Q&As (published occasionally). Read their Tweet here. Learn how to pitch them here.
Prism is a nonprofit that is working in tandem with Daily Kos. They cover voting rights, electoral justice, criminal justice, racial justice, workers’ rights, immigration, the environment, gender and LGBTQIA+ issues, and more. They are open to freelance pitches. They are currently focusing on domestic US issues. They publish reported features, profiles, op-eds, and personal essays. Pay: $0.40/word. To learn more, refer to their managing editor’s Twitter thread and this page.
The Temper is “an online publication that explores life through the lens of sobriety, addiction, and recovery.” Their managing editor is seeking a few pitches on sobriety/recovery from the perspective of LGBTQIA. According to payment reports, they pay $100 per piece. Send pitches to nicole.slaughter-graham@hipsobriety.com. For details, refer to this Tweet and this page.
Refinery29 is a global media company that focuses on young women. They are open to all submissions for R29 Unbothered (their sub-brand for Black women, by Black women). They especially want pitches/clips from experienced fitness or education writers. According to payment reports, they pay an average of $0.26 per word. Submit pitches to stephanie.long@refinery29.com. For details, refer to this Tweet. To learn more about them, visit their website.
SFGate features news and entertainment from the Bay Area and beyond. Their culture editor is seeking Bay Area freelance culture stories specifically “profiles on local art/entertainment/cultural businesses/communities adapting to you-know.” Pay is $100 to $300 per story. Contact their culture editor at dan.gentile@sfgate.com. Read his Tweet here. Find more contact information here.
The Correspondent is “an online platform for unbreaking news, committed to collaborative, constructive, ad-free journalism.” They are looking for transnational story pitches that will knock their socks off. They pay $0.40 per word which means that writers will get $600 for 1,500 words and $1,000 for 2,500 words. For details, read their Tweet and their pitch guide.
Healthline is a health information website. Their editor is looking for pitches about your unusual ways of handling everyday mental health challenges. Pay is $200 for 1,000 words. Send pitches to choshaw@healthline.com. Read their editor’s Tweet here. Contact them here.
Lady Science is a monthly magazine about “women and gender in the history and popular culture of science, technology, and medicine.” They are looking for pitches for their Queer Science series. They want pieces that explore “the intersection of science and sexuality, from a historical, contemporary, or pop culture perspective.” Payment reports indicate that they pay $100 per piece. Send pitches to kj@ladyscience.com. For more information, refer to this Twitter thread and this page.
Pitching Deadline: May 13th, 2020
Gumbo curates “content, community, and services to expand the narrative of Black life.” They are developing a small-scale digital zine in direct response to COVID-19. The theme of the project will be Afrofuturism which they “define as ‘looking forward’, exploring a world that is our own and that centers Black experiences and Black life.” They are accepting pitches for this digital zine. They are open to all mediums including essays/nonfiction (up to 5,000 words), fiction (up to 5,000 words), journalism, poetry, photography, art, comics, video, and podcasting/audio. They will pay $150 per piece. For details, refer to their editor’s Twitter thread and this page.
Pitching Deadline: May 15th, 2020
This Magazine is a Canadian progressive magazine of politics, arts and culture. They are seeking pitches for their fashion & beauty issue. The pitches should have a clear angle. They accept contributions from Canadian residents only. According to payment reports, they pay an average of $0.07 per word. Send pitches to editor@this.org. Read their Tweet here. Learn more here.
Pitching Deadline: May 15th, 2020
Sisters From AARP is a weekly newsletter that celebrates Black women. They cover style, health, relationships, culture, work, money, and more. Their contributing editor would “love service and essay pitches for June and beyond.” She is accepting pitches for all sections. Pay is generally $500/post. Send pitches to lesliequander@gmail.com. Read her Twitter thread here and contact them here.
Cleveland Review of Books is “a regionally-focused journal of literary, cultural, and art criticism.” They are looking for reviews of recently released and forthcoming 2020 books. They pay about $50 per review (1,000 words). Details here and here. Their history editor has also posted a call for pitches on Twitter, view that here.
Remezcla is an independent media brand that covers emerging Latin music, entertainment, and culture. Their film & TV editor is looking to assign a piece about Santa Muerte. Pay is $150 for 700 to 800 words. For details, refer to their editor’s Twitter thread. To contact them, refer to this page.
CityMetric is the New Statesman’s cities site. They exist “to explore architecture, transport, technology, and all the other topics affecting that growing slice of humanity.” Their editor is actively commissioning new work. According to one payment report, they paid £50 per piece. Contact their editor at sommer.mathis@citymetric.com. To learn more, refer to this Tweet and this page.