25 American Publications that Work with Freelance Writers

Here’s our latest research — a list of American publications that work with freelance writers.

We’ve researched payment rates, pitch guidelines, and more, to help you connect with the right editor.

If you want to browse even more opportunities, be sure to check out our database of over 1,500 publishers that pay writers. It’s easily searchable, and includes thousands of listings just like the ones below.

1. Trails is a quarterly, print-only magazine for “backpackers and people who sleep in the dirt.” The focus of the magazine is on “backpacking and other human/naturally-powered means of sleeping outdoors: bikepacking, canoe camping, even things like rafting or mountaineering are fair game.” The main emphasis of the magazine is on North American destinations. They’re always looking for story ideas from writers, photographers, etc. Feature length can be between 1,000 to 5,000 words. According to their pitch guide, they pay writers anywhere from $0.50 to $2 per word, depending on the difficulty of the story, the writer’s experience, and the commitment required. They can pay $35 to $400 per photo.

2. Roadtrippers Magazine “celebrates road culture, Americana, and the great outdoors.” They are occasionally seeking new contributors to tell stories from the North American road. They are not always open to submissions. According to their pitch guide, they typically pay $100 to $600, based on length, article type, and how much reporting is required.

3. Institutional Investor is an international business-to-business publisher that focuses mainly on international finance. They look for stories that feature conflict, narrative, access, and disclosure, international content that will resonate with American readers, cultural stories about the financial industry, and more. The pieces should ideally be 1,000 to 2,000 words long. According to their pitch guide, they pay $1 per word, plus reasonable expenses.

4. The American Scholar covers public affairs, literature, history, and culture. They have been around since 1932. They are published quarterly by the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Non-fiction submissions are expected to be no longer than 6,000 words. According to their submissions guidelines, they pay up to $500 for print articles, and up to $250 for articles only published on their website. To learn more, refer to this page.

5. Scout Life (Formerly Boys’ Life) is a monthly magazine published by the Boy Scouts of America. Articles should interest and entertain scouts aged 6-17. They cover a broad range of non-fiction, from professional sports to American history. Department pieces include nature, aviation, health, pets, history, and music. Fiction is assignment-only. Articles run 500-1,200 words for major non-fiction articles and up to 600 words for departments. According to their guidelines, pay is $500-$1,200 for major non-fiction articles and $100-$600 for departments. To learn more, refer to this page.

6. American Theatre is a magazine that offers news, interviews, editorials, and features about theatre in the United States and abroad. According to their pitch guide, they pay $250 minimum and $1,200 maximum for most stories, depending on the word count, demand, and medium. To learn more, refer to this page.

7. The Threepenny Review is an American literary magazine founded in 1980. Maintaining a quarterly schedule, it offers fiction, memoirs, poetry, essays and criticism to a readership of 10,000. They only accept submissions through January 1 to April 14. According to their guidelines, they pay $400 per story or article, and $200 per poem or Table Talk piece. To learn more, refer to this page.

8. 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 up to $2,500 for narrative features and investigative reports. They generally pay $1.00 to $1.25 per word. They also have grants to cover travel expenses, up to $2,000.