30 Publications that Pay for Writing About Christianity

Today, for our latest roundup of publishers, we have a list of 30 publications that pay for writing about the Christian faith. 

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. Sojourners is a magazine and an online publication that covers faith, politics, social justice, war, peace, community and art from a biblical perspective. Their feature articles are typically 1,800-2,000 words. According to their website, they pay $50 per poem. They also say they “pay for reported pieces, based on depth of reporting, and for strongly researched analysis pieces.” An old payment report suggests that they pay $0.14 per word, but current pay rates for articles are not clear. To learn more, read their contributors guidelines page.
2. National Catholic Reporter (NCR) is a biweekly newspaper that reports on “the Catholic Church and justice issues.” They want hard news and sharp features, book reviews, and commentaries. Their features are typically 1,200 words and commentaries are around 700-1,200 words. They don’t publish poetry or fiction. Query first. According to a previously deleted tweet from their opinion editor, they normally pay $150 to $250 for 800 to 900 words. For details, refer to their submission guidelines.
3. Relevant Magazine covers the intersection of faith, culture and life. Their readership is mostly “Christian 20 and 30somethings who are looking for purpose, depth and spiritual truth.” According to an old payment report, they pay $0.20 per word, but current pay rates are not clear. They do not pay for web articles. To learn more, refer to this page.
4. U.S. Catholic publishes topics related to Catholicism and social justice and has been working in this area since 1935. They publish a variety of content, including features that range from 2,500 to 3,500 words, essays between 800 and 1,600 words, and opinion pieces that are roughly 1,400 words in length. They also have a “Practicing Catholic” column with articles around 1,100 words and “IN PERSON” essays, which are approximately 800 words. While the exact payment rates are not specified, U.S. Catholic offers financial compensation for both commissioned and on-spec content. For more details, refer to their submission guidelines.

5. LIVE is a take-home story paper distributed to Christian adults in Sunday School classes. The paper seeks to “encourage Christians in living for God through stories which apply biblical principles to everyday problems.” They publish true stories, nonfiction, how-to articles, and fiction. However, they do not accept Bible fiction or sci-fi. According to their pitch guide, payment is $0.10 per word for first rights, $0.07 per word for reprint rights, and $35-60 for poetry. To learn more, check out the submission guidelines.
6. St. Anthony Messenger is a Catholic monthly magazine published by Franciscan Media. Editors look for inspiring uplifting material reflecting Catholic views and values. Editors do not accept simultaneous submissions and reprints from publications outside of Franciscan Media. Feature articles are 2,000-2,500 words, and they publish shorter pieces as well. According to their pitch guide, payment is $0.25 per word for articles and fiction. To learn more, read their writers’ guidelines.
7. Guideposts is an inspiration-focused magazine about “people who have attained a goal, surmounted an obstacle, or learned a helpful lesson through their faith.” They typically publish first-person narratives. They publish full-length stories (1,200 – 1,500 words) and shorter features (300 – 600 words). Our previous research indicated they may pay $250 or more for stories, but current rates are not clear. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
8. Gather is the magazine for women members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (the ELCA). They publish “theological reflections, devotions, and stories of comfort and challenge that help readers grow in faith and engage in ministry and action.” They’re published 10 times a year. They do not list pay rates publicly, but our previous research indicated they may pay $20 per 100 words. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.