Getting paid to write sounds like a dream job. What’s even more tempting is the idea of getting paid to write from the comfort of your home. Freelance writing has its risks and perks.
Wouldn’t your writing career catapult if you had an endless list of writing jobs at your disposal? Today we’ll cover online magazines and websites from different niches that pay at least $50 to write.
Before that, let’s address some of the key questions about freelance writing.
Related Reading: Freelance Writing Rates
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Paid To Write
Before I discuss the websites that pay at least $50 to write, let us take a look at some of the frequently asked questions about getting paid to write.
Many sites and magazines will pay you to contribute content. You can earn as much as $300 per article by writing for publications like The Chronicles of Horse, Woodenboat Editorial, etc.
How much should I charge for a 500-word article?
Most websites pay $30-$40 for a 500-word article.
How much can you make as a writer?
According to a report by New York Times, the median pay for full-time writers was $20,300 in 2017.
Sites That Pay You To Write About Travel
Here are some of the sites that pay you to write about travel and the outdoors.
Transitions Abroad
Transitions Abroad is a trailblazing travel magazine that publishes articles on work abroad, living and moving abroad, volunteer abroad, study abroad, student travel, vacations abroad, and more. They pay $75-$150 for an article in the 1250 to 3000+ word range. If the article is well-written and responds to their editorial needs, they will pay as much as $150/article. You can submit your work at [email protected].
Great Escape Publishing
Great Escape Publishing prints work in their newsletter, The Right Way to Travel. They publish articles on the craft and business of getting paid to travel, whether by writing, photography, tours, or other means. They also publish short interviews with readers and professionals working in the field which pays them to travel. You can earn up to $150 or more per article.
Wanderlust Magazine
This Britain based travel magazine features destination features, trip planners, dispatches, round-ups, advice articles, pocket guides, and more. They rarely publish narrative travel features, but do consider inspirational round-ups. They pay £220 per 1,000 published words and £90 for fact pages of approximately 750 words. You can reach them at [email protected].
ROVA
Do you consider yourself a US travel aficionado? ROVA magazine wants you to share your thrilling road travel stories of the USA. They pay a flat $200 to writers and photographers upon acceptance at the ROVA magazine website. You can fill-up the form to reach them.
DesertUSA
Are you a desert lover who loves to write about North American deserts and surrounding regions? DesertUSA is an internet-based, regional publication, focusing on travel, wildlife geology, desert lore, cultural and natural history related to North American desert regions. They pay $50 for each article with photos. You can reach them at [email protected].
Oregon Coast Magazine
OCM features stories of regional interest, written in a clear script style, that is rich in anecdotes and quotes. You can write about historical events, picnic spots, walking tours, and more of the Oregon region. You can earn as high as $650 for regional roundups. You can send your submissions at [email protected].
Sites That Pay You To Write About Politics
Here are some of the sites that pay you to write about politics and current affairs.
The American Conservative (TAC)
TAC wants your conservative view on politics. They look for pieces on a variety of political, social, economic, and cultural topics between 800-1,500 words. You can earn $150 or more depending on the assignment. You can submit your articles at [email protected].
High Country News
High Country News is an award-winning non-profit monthly magazine with a robust website that tells the story of the Western United States, through coverage of its people, community, and landscapes. Before pitching to High Country Magazine, ensure that you are a strong writer with a unique idea or perspective. To avoid cliches you must study their NAJA HCN bingo board. You can write on various topics like reportage and news analysis, features, essays, perspectives, and op-eds, reviews, and more. Pay and submission email varies according to the chosen topic.
The Washington Monthly
Washington monthly covers topics like government, politics, culture, and the media. They prioritize investigative, and system analysis journalism. If you want to write opinion based features, short news items, or even book reviews of political and cultural titles you can reach out to the editor. Their rate is $0.10/word.
Sites That Pay You to Write About Sports
Here are some of the sites that pay you to write about sports and games.
Gray’s Sporting Journal
Gray’s is always looking for good upland bird hunting, fly fishing, and big game manuscripts. They also look for:
- Waterfowls
- Turkeys
- Small games
- Sporting Adventures in exciting locales
- Yarns- tall tales or true
The pay scale varies depending on the type and quality of content. Here’s how the rates look:
- Features: $600-$1250
- Yarns: $600
- Poems: $100
- Expedition pieces: $850-$1000 plus $75 per picture published.
You can submit your work to editor-in-chief Russ Lumpkin at [email protected].
The Chronicles of Horse
The Chronicles of Horse is a bi-weekly magazine that focuses on dressage, hunters and jumpers, eventing, foxhunting, and steeplechase racing. They accept news stories and feature articles with the following pay range:
- News stories: $165-$220 for 1,500 words.
- Feature Articles: $150-$400 for 1,500-2,500 words.
Apart from reporting sports house news, they also cover horse care and profiles of prominent horse people. You can send your stories to [email protected].
Woodenboat Editorial
WoodenBoat Editorial is a bi-monthly magazine for wooden boat owners, builders, and designers. If you’re interested in writing about boat building projects and other how-to articles you can give WoodenBoat a shot. They pay $250-$300 for a 1000 word article. You can earn $20-$25 for a moderately detailed news report. To reach them you will have to fill up their submission form.
Sites That Pay You to Write About Fiction and Short stories
Here are some of the sites that pay you to write about writing short stories and fiction.
One Story
One Story is an award-winning literary publisher, committed to supporting the art form of the short story and the author who writes them. They are looking for literary fiction and accept stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. You can write on any topic and in any style. They also consider translation works. You can earn $500 and 25 contributor copies of First Serial North American Rights. You can submit your story by filling out their submission form.
The Arcanist
The Arcanist is a digital literary magazine that focuses on fantasy and sci-fi fiction. They specialize in flash fiction so they want stories in 1,000 words or less. The Arcanist is open to simultaneous and multiple submissions. Writers are paid before their stories go live and they pay a flat $50/story. You can submit your stories via their google form.
Craft
Craft focuses on the craft of writing and how the elements make a good story or essay shine. They feature new and republished fiction, creative non-fiction, interviews, critical pieces on craft, and more. They review simultaneous submissions as well. Here’s how their pay rate looks like:
- Flash fiction: $100 for up to 1000 words.
- Short Fiction: $200 for up to 6000 words.
- Flash Creative non-fiction: $100 for up to 1,000 words.
- Creative non-fiction: $200 for up to 6,000 words.
You can submit your stories on their submittable page.
Fireside Magazine
Fireside Fiction Company publishes short stories regardless of genres. They welcome unpublished work in English or Spanish from writers with different backgrounds from all over the world. Fireside accepts stories up to 3,000 words. They accept one story per author. You can earn $12.5 cents per word, which is $29.17 for 3,000 words. The online form is not available yet. You can access it on their website from 25th January 2021.
Reader’s Digest (RD)
RD asks you to send a true story about yourself in less than 100 words. If your story makes it to their favorites, then, it will appear on their site at RD.com. You can earn $100 if you make it past the editorial selection. Browse the website for more details and the submission form.
The Healthy Mummy
Are you a writer mom? Have you undergone a body transformation? If you are interested in telling your story, The Healthy Mummy is willing to publish it. Inspire other moms with your story and earn $100 cash. You can submit your story on their submission site.
Asimov’s Science Fiction
Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine publishes science fiction stories. They’re looking for character-oriented stories. They also publish borderline fantasy, slipstream, and surreal fiction. Asimov’s pays 8-10 cents per word for stories up to 7,500 words and 8 cents for each word over 7,500 words. You can submit your story at their online submittable system.
Sites That Pay You to Write About Business
Here are some of the sites that pay you to write about business and finance.
B.Michelle Pippin
If you have a strong grasp of the English language with first-hand experience of being a women entrepreneur, then B. Michelle Pippin is the site for you. They look for people who know the time, marketing, or profit hack that can increase their income and influence readers. Ensure the articles you write are savvy, snarky, and interesting with actionable takeaways. Payment per piece will range from $50-$150 and will be paid one month after its publication. You can reach them through their website.
iWorkwell
iWorkwell is always looking for expert HR professionals/consultants/academic and employment or labor attorneys with deep expertise in any area of HR to write/edit instructional articles that are action-oriented include checklists and help the reader complete the task. You can earn $257.40/article. You will have to fill out this google form to reach them.
Income Diary
If you are an expert at creating websites, driving traffic, social media, or making money online then IncomeDiary is looking for you. They are currently looking for an SEO expert to write an in-depth blog post about keyword research using tools such as Ahref or Semrush. You can earn anywhere between $200-$500/article. To submit your article idea you must fill-up the form available on their website.
Smart Business Trends
Smart Business Trends is a growing and active blog focused on sharing the latest trends in online marketing including email marketing, WordPress, and Amazon FBA. Before pitching your idea, you must study its content. You can earn anywhere between $200-$500 for well-researched tutorials, case studies, and product reviews. If you know it’s in your court, then pitch them your idea.
CopyHackers
Copywriting is one of the most critical elements of marketing. Copyhackers cover classic topics related to copywriting. They accept guest posts as well as paid content. They select 1 in 30 pitches and if you’re lucky you may earn anywhere between $300- $1000 for every completed post. To pitch your idea contact [email protected].
Sites That Pay You To Write About Lifestyle and General Interests
Here are some of the sites that pay you at least $50 to write about general interests and lifestyle.
Vibrant Life
Vibrant Life is a bi-monthly magazine that promotes physical health, mental clarity, and spiritual balance from a practical Christian perspective. The magazine focuses on articles on health, exercise, nutrition, family, self-help, spiritual balance, and more. Articles should be written in an informal and easy-to-read manner to help people live a happier and healthier lifestyle. Short articles must be between 450-650 words and feature articles should not exceed 1,000 words. Vibrant life accepts republished articles under certain conditions. Payment for articles ranges from $100-$300. You can contact the editor for the submission of your article.
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Extraordinary stories of ordinary people. A Chicken Soup for the Soul is an inspirational true story of people with unique experiences. If your story can open the heart, rekindles the spirit and evokes all the five senses, then you must turn it in. Make sure your story fits within the frame of 1,200 words. You can reach them at [email protected]. If Chicken Soup magazine decides to publish your story, you will earn $200 one month after the publication of the book.
Guideposts
Guideposts, much like the Chicken Soup magazine, publishes true stories of people who have attained a goal, surmounted an obstacle, or learned a spiritual lesson. The story can be yours or someone else’s. But ensure that the story has a spiritual angle. Payment for full-length (1,500 words) stories is made when the story is accepted for publication. They haven’t mentioned a specific amount on their website.
Bitch Media
Bitch Media is a magazine looking for a feminist analysis of culture. For Bitch, culture includes attitudes, myths, health, politics, science, life, religion, and more. They welcome first-person essays but also look for other types of articles including non-fiction essays and more. The guideline for the online article submission is inexplicit. Print articles range from 2,200-3,000 for features, and 1,200 for culture and dispatches. The payment ranges as follows:
- Features: $700-$1000
- Dispatches: $350
- Culture articles: $250-$700
You can submit your pitches and articles through their submittable page.
Book Browse
Book Browse is seeking freelance writers who review adult fiction, non-fiction, and some young adult books. If you are an avid reader and writer, here is your chance to showcase your talent. It can be a great source of full-time income. The pay range varies according to the review. They haven’t mentioned anything explicitly. You can submit your story by filling up the form available on their website.
Two Plus Two
Two Plus Two magazine accepts any article related to poker or gambling. However, they have some high-priority topics:
- Immediate to advanced level discussion of poker strategy.
- Discussions on the mathematics related to poker or gambling.
- Articles related to poker or gambling to a similar context in a different field.
- Interviews with or biographies of ‘off the beaten track’ poker personalities.
They accept articles ranging from 1,000-2,000 words. Once accepted they will pay $200 after the publication of the articles. You can submit your work at [email protected].
Hakai Magazine
Teaching Tolerance provides several opportunities for writers to contribute freelance magazine feature stories, short articles, and curriculum materials. Readers of Teaching Tolerance are K-12 educators interested in social justice and anti-bias topics. You can earn $1 per word. To submit a pitch you can mail them at [email protected].
Teaching Tolerance
Teaching Tolerance provides several opportunities for writers to contribute freelance magazine feature stories, short articles, and curriculum materials. Readers of Teaching Tolerance are K-12 educators interested in social justice and anti-bias topics. You can earn $1 per word. To submit a pitch you can mail them at [email protected].
Lighthouse
The Lighthouse for the blind and visually impaired is looking for writers who are blind or have a low vision to contribute stories for publication. They are also open to writers with a fine vision. This online publication seeks to publish dynamic personal essays, memoirist reflections, travel writing, incisive commentary, humor, insightful analysis, and anything else with verve and honesty. You can earn $100 for essays published on their blog. Email your pitch at [email protected].
Sites That Pay You To Write About Technology
Here are some of the sites that pay you to write about science and technology.
Clubhouse.io
Write.Earn.Give is Clubhouse’s program that pays software engineers to write tutorials and how-to articles. With each writer’s payment, they also donate to a tech-focused charity, non-profit or open-source project of the writer’s choosing. You should be able to write about various software topics including software development, software engineering, comparison of popular tools, managing tech teams, and more. Let’s look at their payout structure:
- How-to/tutorial: $400 ($600 with working code examples)
- Blog post: $350
You will have to submit the application form and choose a topic you want to write about.
Sitepoint
Sitepoint is interested in helping people understand the next wave of web technologies such as Jamstack workflows and tools like Gatsby and Eleventy to Deno, WebAssembly, and beyond. If selected, you will have to produce 40 pieces of content in a month. Sitepoint pays its writers $150-$300 for tutorials. You are required to fill a form to submit your pitch.
Linode
Linode is an open-source cloud platform for developers. The company’s library is hosted on Github and is maintained under doc-as-code-methodology. They are looking for writers with technical knowledge of topics such as socket.io, game servers, NoSQL databases, open change, and webRTC.
Linoded also needs writers to create tutorials and guides regarding Linux use and the cloud. They are currently accepting freelance applications with any of these subjects and documentation formats with a higher priority on Kubernetes, Linux essentials, and databases. They pay a minimum of $300 for original guides. Apply now by filling up the application form available on their website.
Auth0
Writing technical articles is the best way to learn about a particular topic. Auth0 as a service provider has a deep passion for sharing technical knowledge. They look for writers with in-depth knowledge of programming languages. Their top priority topics are Node JS, Java, Authentication, Modern Js, Go, Ruby on Rails, Asp.net Core, and Python. You get hands-on guidance and feedback from their experienced editors. They pay $300 as compensation for every article. All you have to do is answer three questions to get started.
A-List Apart
Can you redefine web design? A-list Apart is looking for writers who can challenge the reader’s mind and present new ideas related to web designing. You can submit articles between 600-2,500 words. You can submit a rough draft, a partial draft, or a short pitch paired with an outline. The submission must be in a google document and should be sent to the email available on their website. You can earn up to $200 per article.
Photoshop Tutorials
Photoshop Tutorials is seeking writers to write instructional tutorials educating the users of Photoshop. From Photoshop installation to creating a web layout, Photoshop Tutorials cover every aspect of Adobe Photoshop. You need to fill up a form and attach 3 of your writing samples. Their payout structure looks like this:
- Articles:$25-$50
- Quick Tips:$50
- Full Tutorials: $150-$300
If you think your work is a good fit, then fill up their form and get started.
Sites That Pay You To Write About Food And Beverages
Here are some of the sites that pay you to write about food and beverages.
WineFrog
Wine Frog aims to help readers better understand the wine business and the technology involved in winemaking. You may not work as a sommelier but you need to be a wine connoisseur to work for WineFrog. This company offers an exciting opportunity for freelancers to develop a following and be a leader in your field. Articles must be between 600 to 1,200 words in length and must follow their guidelines. The pay varies according to the article. If you think you are the right fit, then fill up their contact form or send your pitch to [email protected].
Midwest Living
Midwest Living is a bi-monthly lifestyle magazine that focuses on food, travel, home, and garden. They strive for a tone that is fresh, knowledgeable, fun, and sophisticated. Solid photography skills are a big plus. Midwest Living seeks articles between 100 to 1,000 words. You can earn up to $150 by sending them your pitch at [email protected]. They accept pitches and stories throughout the year.
Edible Seattle
Edible Seattle is run by food aware, health-conscious, local food eaters, and creative cooks. Its mission is to support, educate, and cater to the foodie and community. Generally, writers generate their own topics. On occasion, the editor makes specific assignments based on goals for an issue. Articles may range from 750 to 1000 words and the payment depends upon publication. You can send them an email or contact them through their website.
Eating Well
Eating well is the only food magazine focused on healthy food, weight loss, recipes, meal plan, and more. Readers of Eating Well are interested in the origins of food and social issues related to food networks. The magazine is published 10 times a year. If you haven’t worked with them before, you can start by the pitching front of the book ideas. They pay $1/word. You can submit your pitch via different emails available on their website.
Here’s How To Use The Above List Of Websites That Pay…
Every website has a different set of guidelines, however, here are some of the common ways to use the list of websites mentioned in this article.
Study The Guidelines
Study the submission guidelines of the publications that interest you and find out what’s needed to pitch them your idea. Every website has a properly drafted set of guidelines telling you the number of words they accept, the payment style, the writing style, and more. For instance, here are the guidelines for One Story:
- One Story accepts submissions from January 15 to May 31st and from September 7th to November 14th.
- Stories previously published online will not be considered, but those published in print outside North America are open to submissions.
- One Story accepts PDF, RTF, and TXT files that are less than 500 KB.
- Include the story title and writer’s contact information on the first page of the submittable file.
- You need to create a One Story account and visit the Submission Manager page to turn in your work.
- Submit the stories using their submittable form.
The guidelines clearly mention the type of pitching format they accept, the details required, and ways to submit your pitch.
Get Acquainted With Their Style
Read the kind of writing the website/magazine publishes and get acquainted with their writing style. Websites accept articles that follow their style. It is always advisable to study their style guide and extensively go through their website to get a feel of their technique. However, there are some websites like One Story that do not require you to follow a particular style.
Write A Query Letter
Develop an outline for a blog post or write a query letter. Most of the websites require pitches or query letters before sending a completed manuscript. For instance, One Story prefers all incarcerated submissions to be sent via paper mail and all others must use their submission form. Some websites require pitches via email and others use a submittable form. In case you’re emailing your pitch to the editor, your query letter should usually includes your name, contact information, the outline of your article, and other details that are mentioned in the guidelines.
Wait For The Feedback
Every website has a different lead-time because they get tons of submissions and queries, they do not reply to individual requests. One Story’s lead time is three months. They ask the authors to be patient and wait for their reply. However, most websites ask for follow-up in a week or two. In case they reject your pitch, work on it and send it again unless stated otherwise.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, a comprehensive list of online magazines and websites that pay at least $50 to write. It isn’t a walk in the park and websites may reject your pitches if they do not meet the publisher’s standards. All things considered, you may land some high-paying writing gigs if you put in the required amount of work with proficiency. So are you ready to skyrocket your writing career? Let me know if this list helps you in landing paid writing jobs.
