25 Publications that Pay for Writing About Mental Health

Today, for our latest roundup of publishers, we have a list of 25 publications that pay for writing about mental health. 

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 1,500 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. Well+Good covers fitness, cutting-edge nutrition, natural beauty, travel, and more. They accept pitches for health and mental health, food and nutrition, lifestyle, travel, beauty, and fitness. According to their pitch guide, rates for reported pieces are $150-$350 (500-800 words, 0-2 sources), $350-$500 (800-1,200 words, 3-4 sources), and $500+ (1,200+ words, heavily reported). For personal essays and op-eds, rates are $200-$400 (600-1,000 words) and $400+ (1,000+ words). To learn more, refer to this page.

2. OC87 Recovery Diaries is an interactive website which features stories on mental health recovery, empowerment and change. They feature stories that inspire others and generate discussion and awareness, and they accept only submissions for those mental health recovery stories. According to their guidelines, they offer an honorarium of $250 for accepted stories.

3. The Phoenix Spirit is a “bi-monthly publication for people actively working on their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.” They prefer articles of 800 to 1,500 words. They want “stories that address one of our themes, fit one of our columns, or deal specifically with recovery from addictions and 12 Step programs.” According to their writer’s guidelines, they pay $35 per article and $100 to $150 per lead article.

4. Transition Magazine, published by the Saskatchewan Division of Canadian Mental Health Association, covers mental health issues, including personal stories. They publish fiction, non-fiction, poetry, book reviews, and visual art. According to their pitch guide, they pay $50 per page. They have a cap on contributions of $200/author. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.

5. Scarleteen is focused on directly providing sex⁠, relationships and bodies information and support for and to young people. They welcome all kinds of voices, and are especially seeking queer⁠ and LGBTQA+ writers. Some of the topics they are interested in are content by and for fat readers, and reads by and for mentally ill people about the interactions between anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions and sexuality, gender⁠, and relationships. They expect a minimum of 1500 words. According to their pitch guide, they pay $200. To learn more, refer to this page.

6. Verywell Mind is a resource for mental health information. They are always looking for experienced and qualified writers with expertise and credentials in health, medicine, and wellness. According to an old tweet by their senior editor, they pay a flat rate of $200/piece. They don’t accept unsolicited guest-authored content. To learn more, refer to this page.

7. Monarch is an online directory that connects therapy seekers to clinicians. They look to create and publish clear, honest, and actionable mental health articles. They have high journalistic standards. They prize science-backed information with a minimum of 1 to 2 quotes from licensed experts as well as references to a minimum of 2 peer-reviewed studies. They previously indicated to pay a flat rate of $500 per article (1,000 to 3,500 words), but current pay rates are unclear. For details, refer to their writers’ guidelines.

8. The Cut publishes stories that address their readers’ lives head-on, with generous wit, honesty, and power. They are in a dynamic conversation with women about the issues that matter to them most — politics, feminism, work, money, relationships, mental health, fashion, and issues relating to equality — and they’re always looking for ideas that add to that conversation. They are looking smart, generous, funny writing for their four verticals: POWER, SELF, STYLE, and CULTURE. According to their guidelines, they pay $500 minimum for essays and columns (1,000–1,500 words) and $600 minimum for features (1,500–2,000) words. To learn more, refer to this page.