Ventana Monthly wants sophisticated, tightly focused articles related to Ventura County. Articles run from 400 to 1,500 words. Sections include Personality, Giving Back (philanthropy), Culture, Nesting (home/architecture), Table Talk (food/drink), Sporting, Shopping, and Travel (not restricted to the local area). According to their guidelines, they pay $0.20/word. Details here.
Kentucky Monthly features articles on Kentucky’s culture, food, history, lifestyle, outdoors, travel and human interest. They prefer writers who possess a bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications or related field, or commensurate writing experience. Features typically run between 1,000 and 2,500 words. According to their contributor guidelines, payment is 15 cents a word, and they will negotiate package prices for freelancers who provide both story and photography.
Goldenseal is published by the State of Virginia, Division of Culture and History. They welcome articles on West Virginian folklife, traditional farming practices, industry and commerce, holiday and community celebrations, immigrants, music, crafts, herbs, women’s history, or similar. They prefer stories about living West Virginians, based on direct, recent interviews. Feature articles generally average 1,500-2,000 words in length, though shorter features are also accepted. According to their guidelines, they pay $200. Details here.
Wonderful West Virginia is a monthly magazine published by the Division of Natural Resources. Its content includes articles on a wide spectrum of topics: wildlife and nature, state history and cultural heritage, special places and tourist attractions, and profiles of interesting people. Editors prefer to receive queries, but also assign stories to writers. According to their guidelines, payment is $150 for 1,500-word features. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Smoky Mountain Living Magazine covers the southern Appalachians and its environment, people, crafts, music and art. They previously indicated to pay $250-450 for features (1,500-3,500 words), $200 for non-fiction/personal essay (1,000-1,500 words), and $125 for Mountain Views essay and departments (700-850 words), but current rates are unclear. Details here.
Washington City Paper is a source for local news for D.C. natives and newcomers. Stories should be about the city and its surroundings, and narratives with a conflict of some sort at the center are preferred. They publish a variety of journalistic genres, including profiles, investigative pieces, polemical essays, stories about local institutions, and an occasional first person narrative. They have news, arts and food departments that accept shorter pieces, an arts blog, and reviews. No op-ed pieces or ‘service journalism’. The word count is 2,500-5,000 for cover stories; 900-2,000 for departments; 500-2,000 for reviews; 150-250 for City Lights. Pay rates are not mentioned, but according to a payment report, they paid $0.19 per word for a 800-word profile or interview. Details here.
Seattle Magazine wants news-related stories about the city and region, civic and social issues, local travel, food news, home, interiors, and other lifestyle stories, arts and culture, home and garden, and front-of-book features. Rates were previously listed as $400-$1,000 for features; $350 for departments; $50-100 for very short pieces. Current rates are unclear. Details here.
Northern Virginia Magazine is a monthly regional lifestyle glossy magazine that reaches thousands of residents from Arlington and Alexandria to Fairfax, Loudoun, Fauquier, Prince William, and Stafford counties through their print and digital platforms. They primarily want profile stories with interviews of the region’s most prominent or notable figures. Other topics of interest are getaways, home, entertainment, and business targeted at Northern Virginians. They previously indicated to pay $50-$1,000, but current rates are unclear. Details here.
Texas Highways is the official travel magazine of Texas, published by the Travel Information Division of the Texas Department of Transportation. Articles should document Texas destinations for readers in the US and across the world, through descriptive and evocative language. According to their guidelines, their standard print rate is $1.20/word plus travel expenses. Digital rates vary based on the scope of reporting. To learn more, refer to this page.
Lake Superior Magazine focuses on the Lake Superior region, including its history, current events, lifestyle and tourism. According to their guidelines, pay is $200-400 for features (1,600 to 2,000 words) and $75-200 for departments and columns (800 to 1,200 words). Details here.