For those who want to get paid to write about science, here’s a list of 26 publications that pay for writing on the topic.
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- Science Magazine covers news on science, science policy and issues that are of importance to the scientific community. They want “ a hot scoop or juicy scandal, a compelling profile of a scientist, or an original take on a science policy issue.” According to their guidelines, rates typically begin at $1 per word for online-only stories and $1.25 per word for print-only stories. Some articles are paid a flat rate. To learn more, refer to this page.
- Asimov Press features writing about biology and its impact on our world. They welcome pitches from “writers who can make sense of biology’s impacts on climate, energy, security, agriculture, materials, and medicine.” They publish essays; Moonshots; speculative fiction; interviews and photo essays. According to their pitch guide, they pay $1,500 for articles under 2,500 words, $2,000 for longer pieces, and $1,000 for fiction.
- Distillations is a magazine by the Science History Institute. Their articles reveal the impact of science on our world, both past and present. They’re actively looking for writers who can unearth little-told history and find historical angles to contemporary topics. According to their pitch guide, they pay $1.25 per word for features; a flat fee of $750 for argued essays, columns, and profiles; and $400 for interviews.
- The Xylom is a media outlet that creates “personal stories of science and humanity.” They are looking for personal essays (1,200-1,500 words) that are “at least tangentially related to science”, science analysis and opinion pieces (1,200-1,500 words), narrative-driven science feature stories, and 10-ish-word stories. According to their pitch guide, they pay every storyteller $200, with the opportunity to earn more.
- Science for the People is a magazine and website dedicated to “building and promoting social movements and political struggles around progressive and radical perspectives on science and society.” They welcome pitches from anyone who can offer their readers “reporting, analysis, or perspective on the struggle to ensure science serves the people, not profit.” According to their pitch guide, they pay $250 for feature-length stories (2000 words and above), $150 for shorter features, reviews, columns, and other articles with lengths of about 1200–1500 words, $100 for short pieces (600–1000 words) and interviews.
- Discover Magazine is a print and online science magazine for the general public. They cover topics ranging from “global warming and black holes to Neanderthals and robots.” Word length for columns/department is 1,200-1,500 words, short feature stories 600-1,000 words. According to their pitch guide, they pay $1/word for print. For the web, typically $300/story.
- Greater Good, the online magazine of the Greater Good Science Center, reports on scientific findings into the roots of individual and collective well-being, positive relationships, and compassionate behavior—what they call “the science of a meaningful life.” They are looking for experienced journalists or subject-matter experts, and don’t accept articles on spec, only pitches. According to their pitch guide, their base rate is 25 cents per assigned word. For certain types of pieces, they pay a flat rate: $220 for a research brief; $300 for a Q&A with an interview subject; $200-300 for pieces originally published elsewhere that require revision, and $300 for personal essays. To learn more, refer to this page.
- STAT delivers trusted and authoritative journalism about health, medicine, and the life sciences. They’re looking for ideas that check the boxes of a great STAT story: smart, compelling, original reporting that takes readers inside the world of health, medicine, and scientific discovery. They’re especially interested in features, trend stories, and in-depth analysis. According to their pitch guide, they generally pay $1 per word, and might pay more for a story in certain circumstances, such as if a piece requires an unusually extensive amount of reporting. To learn more, refer to this page.
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