29 Publications that Pay for Writing Short Articles

Here’s our latest research — a list of publications that accept submissions of short articles and 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.

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

1. Intervenxions is a publication of the Latinx Project at New York University committed to “exploring contemporary Latinx art, politics, and culture.” They publish “reviews, criticism, reporting, interviews, and essays on U.S. Latinx art, politics, and culture between 1,500 and 2,500 words.” According to their guidelines, they pay $300 for reviews, interviews, and short essays, and $400 for articles, profiles, and long-form content. To learn more, refer to their editorial guidelines.

1. Deceleration is a San Antonio-based environmental justice journal serving the South Texas bioregion. They welcome “proposals for short- and long-form news articles, community op-eds, personal or creative nonfiction essays, theoretical/political analysis, calls to action, multimedia content, and hybrid concepts (documentary poetry, photo essay), and more.” According to their guidelines, pay ranges from $150 for opinion columns and reviews, $250 for shorter explanatory stories, videos, or photo essays, and $0.50 per word (or more) for longer-form investigative and time-intensive features. For more information, refer to this page.

1. The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal is a “nonprofit institute dedicated to improving higher education in North Carolina and the nation.” They accept unsolicited article submissions on topics including “higher education administration, finances, governance, academic standards, efficiency, enrollment, employment, pedagogy, and the curriculum, as well as exposure of bias, politicization, corruption, and poor practices.” According to their guidelines, for full-length articles (1,200-1,600 words), they pay an honorarium that starts at $200 and increases depending on the amount of web traffic. For short (500-word) reactions to breaking higher-ed developments, they pay $100. Details here.

1. The Public Eye Magazine is published by the Political Research Associates, a social justice research and strategy center devoted to supporting organizations, civic leaders, journalists, and social sectors that are building a more just and inclusive democratic society. They publish original, long-form features, research-based analysis, and commentary on the U.S. and Global Right. They welcome pitches for long-form features, commentaries and short articles, interviews and reviews. According to their guidelines, they pay $350-$1,500, depending on the type of article. To learn more, refer to this page.

1. Hyperallergic is an art blog, covering visual artists from around the world. They look for “fresh perspectives from freelance contributors, especially those who come from historically marginalized communities.” They publish art reviews, reported stories, interviews, photo essays, opinion pieces, and more. According to their pitch guide, their standard base rates are $250 for short reviews, essays, and articles (400-600 words) and $500 for longer reviews, features, essays, and reported stories (800+ words).

1. Refinery29’s mission is to help women see, feel, and claim their power. Their Canadian edition aims to shine a spotlight on the Canadian stories and issues that resonate with their Gen-Z and millennial audience. They publish everything from personal essays to reported trend pieces to features on race, reproductive rights, and pop culture. According to their pitch guide, they typically pay $150 for short market roundups and $350 for a thorough news explainer with interviews. Personal essays and shorter reported articles start at $350 and increase from there, depending on the piece. To learn more, refer to this page.

1. Fly Tyer Magazine wants articles describing new flies for catching trout, bass, panfish, and saltwater species across the U.S. and around the world. They are also interested in articles describing new tying materials and techniques, or new applications for older tying materials and techniques. They take articles on a query-first basis, and response time is unspecified. Word count for features is 2,000-2,500 for features and 1,200-2,000 for columns. According to their submission guidelines, they pay $450 for features and $200-$400 for short features and columns.

1. Midwest Living is a quarterly regional magazine covering the 12 states of the Midwest U.S. They have a circulation of 925,000. Their articles focus on topics like travel, gardening, food, and home. According to their guidelines, new writers should expect $200 for a short assignment or website article. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.