USA Today is a news and information media company. They are looking for columns for their opinion section, which publishes analysis, argument and essays on a wide variety of subjects. They prefer letters of 200 words or less. Their columns are usually 550 to 750 words long. They only accept pieces that are submitted exclusively to them. They don’t list pay rates publicly, but a payment report suggests they pay an average of $0.60 per word. To find out more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Cognoscenti is the opinion page of WBUR-FM (a public radio station owned by Boston University). They publish commentaries on a wide range of topics including “politics, culture, sports, law, medicine, innovation, religion, media, parenting and style.” Submissions should be between 750 and 1,000 words. According to an old payment report, they paid $0.07 for a 760-words article. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Overland is a magazine of cultural criticism, essays, and literature. They are interested in articles on economic inequality, housing, arts policy and governance, climate change, and environmental justice. They are looking for thoughtful, provocative and argumentative articles, pieces that will provoke discussion and debate. Articles should be 800 to 1200 words. According to their pitch guide, they pay $170 per published online piece.
The Diplomat is a news site that covers the Asia Pacific. They publish a variety of pieces, from original reporting to news analysis and commentary that address the full spectrum of topics from security to economics. Blog articles are 400-800 words, while features are 1200-2000 words. They generally only pay guest authors for original feature articles. Writers must indicate clearly in their pitch that they are seeking compensation. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Youth Today is a trade newspaper for people who work with children and youth. Think social workers, youth workers, administrators, policy directors, etc. They have previously indicated to welcome pitches from experienced and emerging journalists, including journalists with disabilities or other lived experience in the areas they cover, and that pay was $1 per word for reported stories (800-1,200 words) and $500 for "less densely reported assignments." Their pitch guide is no longer available, but to contact them, you can refer to this page.
AARP The Magazine accepts submission from freelance writers on a variety of topics, including personal essays. They want “thoughtful, timely, new takes on matters of importance to people over 50.” According to a payment report, they have paid $1.50 per word. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
The Christian Science Monitor is an international news organization. They’re looking for in-depth, journalistic pieces that display “quality of thought.” They also publish personal essays in their "Home Forum" department. They've previously indicated pay of $400 for an essay and $200-$250 for poetry submissions. Current rates are not clear. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
The Sun Magazine is a beautiful magazine with a literary bent and a very loyal following. They have no ads, and they pay their writers well. They have no formal word limits, but tend not to publish work longer than 7,000 words. According to their essays, fiction and poetry guide, they pay $200 and up, based on page length, for those types of work. To learn more, refer to their full submission guidelines.
High Country News is a non-profit magazine covering the Western US. They seek diverse narratives and original reporting that help illuminate the wonders and challenges of living in the Western U.S. in the 21st century. Features range from 2,500 to 8,000 words and essays from 600 to 2,500 words. According to their pitch guide, they pay $1 per word for reported content and $0.50 per word for essays and reviews. To learn more, refer to this page.
The Sierra is the magazine of the Sierra club, the non-profit environmental activist organization. Their readers are "are environmentally concerned, politically diverse, and actively enjoy the outdoors." They pay up to $1.50 a word for feature articles. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.