25 Publications that Pay for Writing About Literature

Today, for our latest roundup of publishers, we have a list of 25 publications that accept submissions about literature.

We’ve researched payment rates and found contact information for all of these publishers, to make it easy for you to connect with the right opportunity.

If you want to browse even more opportunities, be sure to check out our database of over 1,600 publishers that pay writers. It’s easily searchable, and includes thousands of listings just like the ones below.

If you’re new to freelancing, I also very much encourage you to take our course on pitching. You can get the details here.

So, without further ado, here’s today’s list…

1. 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 accepted pieces. To learn more, refer to this page.

1. Overland is a magazine of cultural criticism, essays, and literature. They are interested in articles on economic inequality, housing, arts policy and governance, climate change, and environmental justice. They are looking for thoughtful, provocative and argumentative articles, pieces that will provoke discussion and debate. Articles should be 800 to 1200 words. According to their pitch guide, they pay $180 per published online piece.

1. The Yale Review is a renowned journal of literature where readers can discover new literature by the best writers of our era alongside engaged, passionate criticism that is beautifully written and powerfully thought. They accept submissions of poetry, fiction, essays, review essays, and translations during their annual submission period from September 1 through September 30. They consider nonfiction pieces (both criticism and essays) of up to 3,000 words for online publication, and pieces of up to 6,000 words for their quarterly print issues. In addition to accepting submissions, they have a separate process for pitching, which is not via Submittable. According to their pitch guide, they pay between $250 and $1,000 for prose, and $150 for poems online or in print. To learn more, refer to this page.

1. Ploughshares has published quality literature since 1971 and has been based at Emerson College in downtown Boston since 1989. They welcome unsolicited submissions of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction during their Regular Reading Period. Ploughshares is published four times a year: blended poetry and prose issues in the winter and spring, a prose issue in the summer, and a special longform prose issue in the fall. They accept up to 6,500 words of prose, and 1-5 pages of poetry. If you are submitting to their Fall Longform issue, they accept up to 15,000 words. According to their guidelines, they pay $45/printed page, $90 minimum per title, and $450 maximum per author. To learn more, refer to this page.

1. Western Pennsylvania History Magazine is a regional journal that covers a number of subjects including archaeology, history, architecture, railroading, sports, literature, and folk art. They are looking for articles “based on primary resources or original analysis of current or historical events with a strong connection to Western Pennsylvania.” Their feature articles are 3,000 to 4,000 words long. According to their guidelines, they pay $250 upon publication. For details, refer to their submission guidelines.

1. Electric Literature is a nonprofit digital publisher with the mission to make literature more exciting, relevant, and inclusive. They accept submissions of short stories, personal narratives, cultural criticism, poetry, flash prose, and graphic narratives through Submittable during designated submission periods two to four times a year. Pitches for critical essays, humor pieces, interviews, and reading lists are accepted via email year-round. According to their guidelines, they pay $300 for fiction, $100 for poetry, flash prose, graphic narratives, and essays, and $75 for interviews and reading lists. To learn more, refer to this page.

1. Established in 2009, Paper Visual Art (PVA) has been publishing journals, books, and online texts that focus on visual art, contemporary culture, and literature. They consider a variety of texts for publication, such as reviews, personal essays, and other forms of writing. According to their pitch guide, writers who contribute to their hardcopy journals will be paid a minimum fee of €225 per text. Review writers and interviewees will be paid a minimum fee of €175 (for both hardcopy and online). To learn more, refer to this page.

1. Broad Sound is “a journal of arts and culture.” They’re always seeking new work on film, music, literature, visual art, and more. According to their pitch guide, they pay $100 per piece. If interested, email your pitches to broadsoundmag@gmail.com. To learn more, refer to this page.