Protocolized is the Summer of Protocols (SoP) research program’s year-round publication. Members of the protocol research community﹣SoP alumni, hobbyist researchers, and guest lecturers alike﹣write every essay, case study, and sci-fi story you will find there. They publish three types of pieces: stories, studies, and science. Writers should aim for a lenght of 1,500–2,500 words. According to their guidelines, they pay USD $750 upon publication. To learn more, refer to this page.
The Scientific Inquirer is “dedicated to exploring the junction where science and life meet, whether it’s in the lab or the studio or the diamond.” They’re accepting “submissions for feature stories, profiles, and daily news stories.” They pay $50 for 750 to 1,000 words. If interested, send your pitches to submissions@scientificinquirer.com. To learn more, refer to this page.
STAT delivers trusted and authoritative journalism about health, medicine, and the life sciences. They're looking for ideas that check the boxes of a great STAT story: smart, compelling, original reporting that takes readers inside the world of health, medicine, and scientific discovery. They're especially interested in features, trend stories, and in-depth analysis. According to their pitch guide, they generally pay $1 per word, and might pay more for a story in certain circumstances, such as if a piece requires an unusually extensive amount of reporting. To learn more, refer to this page.
BrainFacts is an editorially independent source of brain and nervous system information presented by the Society for Neuroscience. It tells the story of scientific discoveries, the people behind them, and how it relates to our everyday lives. They're looking for freelance science writers, journalists, and multimedia creators with a strong portfolio in science communication to pitch them story ideas about the brain and nervous system. They assign long (1000-1200 words), medium (700-900 words), and short-form (500-800 words) written and multimedia stories. According to their pitch guide, they pay a flat rate for assignments based on roughly a dollar (USD) per word. To learn more, refer to this page.
Greater Good, the online magazine of the Greater Good Science Center, reports on scientific findings into the roots of individual and collective well-being, positive relationships, and compassionate behavior—what they call “the science of a meaningful life.” They are looking for experienced journalists or subject-matter experts, and don't accept articles on spec, only pitches. According to their pitch guide, their base rate is 25 cents per assigned word. For certain types of pieces, they pay a flat rate: $220 for a research brief; $300 for a Q&A with an interview subject; $200-300 for pieces originally published elsewhere that require revision, and $300 for personal essays. To learn more, refer to this page.
IFLScience is dedicated to demystifying the world of science and making it accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Their editors are looking for contributions in the form of feature-length pieces on any subject with a STEM angle. All features are paid opportunities, and rates for features will be discussed with commissioned pitches. To learn more, refer to this page.
Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) is a weekly print magazine and an online publication that covers chemistry news. They’re always accepting stories (new, features, etc.) from Sci-Comm freelancers. According to their editor’s post, rates for news stories start at $650, briefs at $360, and mid-length reported science features at $2 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.
Asimov Press features writing about biology and its impact on our world. They welcome pitches from “writers who can make sense of biology’s impacts on climate, energy, security, agriculture, materials, and medicine.” They publish essays; Moonshots; speculative fiction; interviews and photo essays. According to their pitch guide, they pay $1,500 for articles under 2,500 words, $2,000 for longer pieces, and $1,000 for fiction.
Distillations is a magazine by the Science History Institute. Their articles reveal the impact of science on our world, both past and present. They’re actively looking for writers who can unearth little-told history and find historical angles to contemporary topics. According to their pitch guide, they pay $1.25 per word for features; a flat fee of $750 for argued essays, columns, and profiles; and $400 for interviews.
Nautilus is a magazine about science, culture, and philosophy. They want stories that "take you into the depths of science and spotlight its ripples in our lives and cultures." According to an old tweet by one of their editors, they pay $0.50 to $1.00 per word. To pitch them, refer to this page.