As a freelance writer, it can be a struggle to find high-quality paying work. In this article, we dive into how to get paid to write articles.
It often seems like the only options available are $5-per-article scams and works from content mills, which can seem like good opportunities — until you check your bank account balance and realize it’ll take ages before your hard work adds up into real earnings.
While finding quality paying work is difficult, it isn’t impossible. There are lots of publications that will pay you a premium to write for them. Making a living as a freelance writer means you’ll need to master how to get paid to write articles. When we say that it is strictly $500 and up which may seem like a dream to you especially if you are new to the field.
It isn’t necessarily easy to get into these publications, and it may take time and experience to build up your writing to a level that will help you get paid these rates. But you can take solace in the fact that writing work exists beyond content mills and low-paying gigs.
While there are probably tens of thousands of magazines that pay writers, a much smaller number compensate writers well. We’re here to make a living writing, rather than fall victim to the adage of the starving artist.
Get paid to write articles for these 10 magazines.
Early American Life.
History buffs, take heed. This print mag focuses on early American style, decorating, and traditions publishes seven times yearly, and welcomes the fresh voices of new writers.
You can submit both shorter stories and features, which run about 2,500 words. The editors estimate a $500 payment for “the first feature from a new writer,” with the opportunity for higher earnings as your skills develop.
Earth Island Journal.
Earth Island Journal wants “compelling and distinctive stories that anticipate environmental concerns before they become pressing problems.” It covers a wide variety of environmental issues including wildlife and land conservation, environmental public policy, climate and energy, animal rights, and environmental justice.
If you’re an international traveler, it’s a great opportunity: Earth Island is especially hungry for “On-the-ground reports from outside North America.” The magazine pays 25 cents per word for its print stories, which equates to about $750 to $1,000 for in-depth features (about 4,000 words).
You can also pitch a shorter online report, especially if you’re a newer writer. While they only pay $100 apiece, the journal publishes five days per week and is “always looking for fresh ideas.”
The Sun Magazine.
The Sun Magazine is looking for essays, interviews, fiction, and poetry. They prefer personal writing, but they also accept pieces about political and cultural issues.
The Sun pays $300 to $2,000 for fiction, essays, and interviews, and $100 to $250 for poetry. If your work is accepted, you’ll also get a complimentary one-year subscription.
Boys’ Life.
This general-interest monthly magazine has been published by the Boy Scouts of America since 1911. It pays its writers between $500 to $1,500 for nonfiction articles up to 1,500 words. Writing for one of its departments is also an option, where you’d make $100 to $600 for a 600-word article.
As far as what to write about, there aren’t too many limits. “We cover everything from professional sports to American history to how to pack a canoe,” read the submission guidelines. Most of all, it should be entertaining to the scouts it’s aimed at.
“Write for a boy you know who is 12,” the editors suggest.
The American Gardener.
The American Gardener is the official publication of the American Horticultural Society, and it caters to “experienced amateur gardeners.”
It seeks writers for horticulturalist profiles, and articles about innovative approaches to garden design, plant conservation, horticultural therapy, and biodiversity, among others.
It pays $300 to $600 for feature articles, which usually run 1,500 to 2,500 words. The magazine sometimes offers travel and expense reimbursement.
One Story.
One Story is a literary magazine that features one story per issue, and it is mailed to subscribers every 3 to 4 weeks.
One Story looks for literary fiction in the range of 3,000 to 8,000 words, and stories can be on any subject “as long as they are good.” It offers $500 and 25 copies of the magazine for every accepted contribution, but submissions are only accepted between September and May.
The American Scholar.
Quarterly magazine The American Scholar publishes everything from essays to fiction to poetry on public affairs, literature, science, history, and culture.
It will pay up to $500 for accepted pieces of no more than 6,000 words, and if you want to go the digital route, it will pay up to $250 for web-only pieces. Note, however, that The American Scholar does not accept pitches through email — only through the online submission's manager system submit table.
Long reads.
Want to write a 3,000- to 6,000-word long-form article for Long reads? Before you think “yes,” know this: These stories can involve multiple reporting trips, sources, and in-depth research. And while they don’t necessarily need to deal with current events, “they should have an excellent sense of story and purpose and be able to hold a reader’s attention with a compelling premise.”
Base payment begins at $1,500, and they’ll even work with you to pay you a solid fee and also cover expenses.
National Geographic Travel.
You know it. You’ve read it. And now, you can write about it. As the world’s leading brand in consumer travel, National Geographic Travel focuses on, “sustainable travel, national parks and wild places, UNESCO World Heritage sites, family travel, and stories that reveal the authentic qualities of places.” No hotel or product reviews here, folks.
Nat Geo Travel pays, but their website doesn’t confirm how much. But according to Who Pays Writers, they offer 50 cents per word for 1,000-word features.
Nation Swell.
Based in NYC, Nation Swell is looking for freelance writers to tell impactful meaningful solutions narratives and feature stories between 800 and 1500 words about people or organizations solving for America’s issues — like “the woman who took on gun violence by confronting gangs and her local mayor in street rallies, or the group that helps families of murder victims fight back against a system that unfairly punishes them.”
Pay is 50 to 65 cents per word depending on experience and subject, and you can submit your pitch here.
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