29 Magazines & Websites that Pay for Writing on Art & Design

Publications paying for writing on visual arts, artist profiles, crafts, ceramics, photography, design, and more.

Writers! Here’s our roundup of publications that pay for writing on visual art and design.

We’ve researched payment rates and found contact information for all of these publishers, to make it easier for you to find the right opportunity.

A few thoughts, before we dive into the list. I’ve been thinking a lot about the ideas in my recent interview with travel editor and writer Nikki Vargas.

One idea stood out in a big way. Editors can tell when you’ve put the work in, in terms of reading the types of articles you want to write, and honing your craft, so that you understand the process for writing those articles.

For those who are new to freelance writing, this means that before you write a pitch, you should spend significant time reading the types of publications you want get published in. Learn their style. Learn how their articles are crafted. Then work on your pitch.

If you want to learn how to build a long-term career as a freelance writer — even if it’s not as a travel writer — I highly recommend watching the rest of my discussion with Nikki Vargas. It’s chock full of many ideas you can use to propel your career forward. Check it out here.

Without further ado — here’s today’s roundup of publishers that pay for writing on art and design…

1. Hyperallergic is an art blog, covering visual artists from around the world. According to their guidelines, 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. 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). To learn more, visit their how to pitch page.

2. Momus is an art publication and podcast that stresses "a return to art criticism." They pay between $400-600 USD for reviews (800-1,500 word) and features (1,000-2,500 words) get paid $550-750 USD. For more information, visit their How to Pitch page.

3. Artsy is a platform for collecting and discovering art. It is “used by art lovers, museum-goers, patrons, collectors, students, and educators to discover, learn about, and collect art.” According to an old payment report, they paid $0.20 per word for a 1000-word feature. To learn more, visit their Contact Us page.

4. Artforum is a magazine focused on the world of contemporary art. They also focus on film, photography, music, fashion, and architecture. According to a payment report, they paid $0.27 per word for a 750-word criticism/review article. To learn more, visit their Contact Us page.