51 Publishers that Pay $1.00 Per Word

A huge variety of magazines and websites that pay professional rates to freelance writers.

Writers! Here’s a huge list of publications that work with freelance writers, and pay up to $1.00 per word, and sometimes more.

We’ve included links to contact information and research payment rates for all of these publications, to make it easier for you to connect with the right opportunity.

A quick reminder: Please don’t contact any of the editors for these publications without first carefully studying their publication, and crafting a pitch that closely fits their needs.

If you’re new to pitching, please keep in mind that the most important part of the process happens before you even come up with an idea: It happens through the careful study of the publication, so that you can develop a clear sense of what they publish. This is something that happens in increments, so don’t worry if you aren’t perfect. As you gain experience with pitching and freelancing, your understanding of an editor’s needs will grow. It takes time to learn the ropes, and the best way to get there is by taking action. :)

Nikki Vargas, the editor of Unearth Women, and Fodors Travel, has some wonderful and very actionable advice for new freelance writers. If you haven’t yet seen it, I recommend watching my discussion with her here. It’s focused on travel writing, but much of it is relevant to freelancing in general.

Without further ado, here’s today’s list of opportunities:

1. Audubon publishes journalism, photography, and illustrations to "to celebrate the joy and wonder of birds and to inform its readers about the natural world, inspire them to care passionately about that world, and motivate them to take action on its behalf." They prefer freelancers to write articles up to 1,200 words. They pay $0.50 to $1.50 per word. They particularly like if there's a "solutions" element. To learn more, read their pitching guide here.

2. Ori Magazine is a twice-a-year travel magazine that publishes stories by talented local journalists. They would love to receive pitches from writers. As per their editor, features pay $0.50-$1.00/word and single page department pieces pay $200. If you want to contribute a story, then refer to their contributor inquiries page.

3. Eos is a science news magazine by American Geophysical Union (AGU). They publish “news and features reported by science journalists” and “research updates, opinions, and features written by scientists.” According to a payment report, they paid $1/word for a 900-word news story. For more information, refer to their submission guidelines.

4. American Craft is the magazine of the American Craft Council. They want good storytelling that explores a craft artist’s struggles, doubts, determination, and triumphs. They like to read about how craft shows up in modern life. When touching on craft theory or history, writers should write clearly and for a non-academic audience. Their guidelines list a number of topics that could be of interest, including artists who use unusual materials, who’ve traveled unusual paths in their work, handmade goods that are stylish, innovative, and affordable, craft that reflects values of sustainability and community, people who’ve collected craft and art objects in a beautiful living space, or U.S. or foreign locales that offer a number of interesting craft destinations for travelers. They pay $0.50 to $1.00 per word. They have several departments that accept specific kinds of features (see guidelines). Query first. Details here.

5. Science Magazine covers news on science, science policy and issues that are of importance to the scientific community. They want “ a hot scoop or juicy scandal, a compelling profile of a scientist, or an original take on a science policy issue.” According to their guidelines, rates typically begin at $1 per word for online-only stories and $1.25 per word for print-only stories. Some articles are paid a flat rate. To learn more, refer to this page.

6. The Intercept is a nonprofit news organization that is devoted to holding the powerful accountable through its fearless, adversarial journalism. According to payment reports, they pay up to $1.00 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.

7. Hakai Magazine explores "science and society in coastal ecosystems." They accept queries for feature articles. When they first launched, their guidelines said they pay $1/word. Pay is not listed on the guidelines anymore, but should still be similar, as many reports from 2023 still indicate pay of $1 per word. Features range from 1,000 to 3,000 words. Shorter articles are around 350 words. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

8. Chatelaine is a Canadian magazine that covers the topics of health, fashion, and beauty. They publish briefs, how-tos, and features. For seasonal articles there is a four to six month lead time. They pay $1 per word. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

9. Wired is a magazine that covers the current and future trends in technology. Payment reports indicate pay that varies quite widely -- from $0.33 cents per word, up to $2.50 per word. To learn more, read their pitching guide here.