The Urbanist is committed to publishing a diverse array of op-eds, articles, and essays on improving the ‘quality of city life’ and ‘urban planning’. According to their pitch guide, deeply reported long articles can earn as much as $400.
Final Gravity tells personal, human-centered stories about beer. They publish writing focused on people, places, ingredients, sensory experiences, cultural intersections, and the holistic ways we interact with and around beer. They have previously indicated their rates to be $125–$175 for short pieces, $175–$250 for short features, $225–$300 for longer features, $100 for art features, $50 per poem, and an extra $25 for quality photography. Current information on submissions is unclear. To contact them, refer to this page.
Pittsburgh City Paper is an alternative newspaper that covers news, restaurants, food, culture, arts, and entertainment in Pittsburgh. They publish reported pieces, profiles, essays, op-eds, etc. According to their pitch guide, rates range from $250 to $750.
Nieman Storyboard is an "online resource" on the art and craft of nonfiction storytelling. They're published by The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. They accept pitches from professionals and students. They publish articles on the craft of nonfiction. They want "stories that go behind the reporting, writing, editing, production and ethics of story work produced across platforms — or about the people producing that work." According to their guidelines, rates start at $200, and can vary depending on time and level of effort required. To learn more, refer to this page.
Darklight Digital is an online platform featuring fresh voices in photography culture. They like stories that have a strong photographic lean. Writer’s fees are negotiated depending on the type of feature, but that they are able to offer a higher rate for longer thought pieces than for visual essays. According to an old tweet, their rates begin at £125. To learn more, refer to their pitching guide.
Polyester is an intersectional feminist fashion and culture zine. The Dollhouse, their digital membership platform, releases weekly creative content including personal essays, creative writing, researched features, art, and photography. According to an old tweet by their editor, they pay £50 for 1,000 words. To contribute, refer to this page.
The Leicester Gazette is a not-for-profit local newspaper in Leicester. They’re seeking “investigations, solutions-focused features, news features, human-interest stories, arts and culture features, history features, voices (comment/opinion), photo essays, podcasts, fiction and poetry, and much more!” As they’re a local newspaper, the pieces should be about Leicester. According to their commissioning policy, they pay £75 to £300. To learn more, refer to this page.
Noema is a magazine that explores the transformations sweeping our world. They publish “essays, interviews, reportage, videos and art on the overlapping realms of philosophy, governance, geopolitics, economics, technology, and culture.” They do not list pay rates, but payment reports indicate they may pay from $0.10 to $1.00 per word. They want pitches or drafts for essays, reported features, interviews, or fiction short stories. To pitch them, refer to this page.
whynow is an online magazine and production studio that features stories from both emerging and established people in arts, music, and entertainment. They’re seeking features, interviews, stories, and reviews related to arts and culture. According to their pitch guide, they pay £50 to £120 for the majority of pieces. Reviews are at the £50 end of the scale for 350-word pieces.
Layered Butter is a magazine about “art, design and the movies.” They build each issue of the magazine around a particular abstract theme/genre/director/actor. They have previously indicated to be open to “other aspects of formal analysis and cultural criticism, interviews, essays, etc.” According to a deleted tweet, they pay $100-$500. To learn more, refer to this page.
The Sask Dispatch is a Saskatchewan-focused news publication by Briarpatch Magazine. They publish “articles about Saskatchewan on a range of topics, including provincial and municipal elections, grassroots activism, Indigenous rights, arts and culture, economic justice, ecology, gender equity, harm reduction, and more.” They welcome pitches from anyone with a story to tell. According to their pitch guide, rates are $100 for profiles, short essays, and reviews (less than 1,000 words); $200 for feature stories (1,000-1,500 words) and photo essays; and $300 for research-based articles and investigative reportage (1,500-2,000 words). To learn more, refer to this page.
Mexico News Daily is an English-language news source for Mexico. They accept pitches and submissions (800 to 1,100 words) on travel, culture, history, the arts, and lifestyle. They have previously indicated to pay freelancers 3 pesos (about $0.15)/word for 1,100 words maximum. For details, refer to their submission guidelines.
The New York Review of Architecture is “a cooperative of working writers, architects, and artists who review architecture in New York.” They are “particularly interested in pieces that break down architecture’s silos, tying together academia, practice, and the public we all serve.” They value writing that is critical and engaging. In general, they run “profiles, reviews of buildings, books, trends.” According to their pitch guide, their rates for essays and reportage start at $0.25 per word. Rates for commentary and review pieces start at $500. They also publish short, pithy reviews of shows, books, music, art, buildings, and other miscellany of between 100 and 200 words, for which they pay $100.
Vulture is an entertainment news website for the culturally obsessed. They cover TV, movies, comedy, music, theater, art, books, and more. They’re open to pitches for several of their sections. According to their editor’s old post, rates generally start at $200, and they pay $150 to $300 for TV recaps. To learn more, refer to their pitch guide.
The Flatlander provides detailed information about important issues impacting Manitoba and Saskatchewan. They have previously indicated to welcome pitches for stories and that topics that they were interested in covering included “the arts, culture, politics, the environment, health, technology, agriculture, education, history, and all things important to people living in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.” Pay was listed as 50 cents a word. Current pitching information is unclear. To contact them, refer to this page.
The Independent produces award-winning journalism for those who care about Newfoundland and Labrador. They are looking for “reporting that captures the real stakes of real life in Newfoundland and Labrador, warts and all, with a focus on solutions—not just problems.” They are particularly interested in pieces about what’s going on in areas outside of St. John’s. They welcome emerging writers. According to their contributor guidelines, they pay $125 for reported pieces (1,500 words or less); $0.10 per word for longform (up to 3,000 words); and $50-$150 for art/illustration.
Edify is Edmonton's premier lifestyle magazine. They tell stories about food, arts, culture, and people of Edmonton. They welcome pitches for stories from both established and new writers. According to an old tweet by their editor, they pay at least $0.50 per word. For more information, refer to their writer guidelines.
SICK is a magazine by chronically ill and disabled people. They publish personal essays, creative and experimental nonfiction, reported features, op-eds, interviews, book & film reviews, poetry, and visual art. They prefer full draft submissions but consider pitches from writers who share relevant examples of their work. According to their guidelines, they pay 12 cents per word, and $90 for poetry and artwork. For details, refer to this page.
Variable West is a platform for West Coast art, and they favor pitches from West Coast-based creatives. According to their pitch guide, they pay $50 for micro essays of 200-250 of their ‘’Love Letters’’ category; $50 for ‘’The Why’’ (200-300 words); $75 for Pairings (400-450 words); $150 for exhibition reviews (600-800 words) and artist interviews (2,000 words); and $200 for Dispatches (1,000 words).
Bella Caledonia is a Scotland-based online magazine that explores independence, self determination, and autonomy. They are always accepting ideas and submissions. They are interested in the following themes: “independence, autonomy, self-determination, ecology, community, social justice, innovation and media, international affairs and movements, and arts and culture.” According to an old tweet, they pay £90 for 900 words. To pitch them a story, refer to this page.
lock-on is a gaming journal by Lost in Cult (an indie publisher and design studio). They focus on long-form explorations of a range of industry topics, essays that delve into personal experiences in relation to gaming, and discussions on games, narrative themes, hardware, etc. According to an old tweet, their rates start at around £165 for 2,250 words with the possibility of increased pay based on the length and complexity of the piece. To submit your pitches, refer to this page.
Give Me Astoria covers Astoria's culture, dining, events, lifestyle, fashion, art, music, and more. According to an old tweet by their editor, they pay around $100/article. To contact them, refer to this page.
The Drift is “a magazine of culture and politics.” They want “socially engaged cultural criticism; class-sensitive analysis; pieces that point out what’s being avoided or talked around in politics, media, arts, or even academia; upbeat cynicism; un-self-serious screeds; generous takedowns; entries from the margins; fiction; poetry; 1-3 sentence book/ movie/ TV/ art reviews.” According to their guidelines, they pay $2,000 for essays, $500 - $1,000 for short stories, $150 for poems, and $25 for Mentions. To learn more, refer to this page.
The Abundant Artist (TAA) offers online courses and training to artists on how to sell their art online. They are looking for skilled writers and/or video creators. They are interested in articles/videos about what’s working in sales right now, stories of artists transitioning from offline to online sales, how to sell on Instagram, emerging platforms (e.g. Clubhouse, TikTok), etc. They have previously indicated to pay $150-$300/article. They are not always open to submissions. To learn more, refer to their write for us page.
NUNAR Magazine is a DMV-based youth culture magazine. They connect readers to “powerful human stories and raw emerging talent within the DMV.” They “pursue expressions and perspectives that offer a refreshing narrative in the world of music, visual arts, fashion, athletics, community involvement, and the web.” According to a deleted tweet by their editor-in-chief, they pay $100 flat for 2 pages. To pitch them, refer to their contact page.
Epicurious is a resource for home cooks. They publish “stories about cooking better, faster, and more creatively, sustainably, and affordably.” They are interested in pitches about cooking tips and techniques, recipes, affordable cooking, sustainability, cooking and equipment trends, tabletop/design, tools and ingredients. According to a deleted tweet from their senior editor, they pay about $400 per piece (700 to 800 words). For details, refer to their pitching guidelines.
Momus is an art publication and podcast that stresses "a return to art criticism." They seek out writing that looks critically at contemporary art and bridges its relationship to larger contexts. According to their pitch guide, they pay between $400-600 USD for reviews (800-1,500 word) and features (1,000-2,500 words) get paid $550-750 USD.
Failed Architecture (FA) is “a research platform that aims to open up new perspectives on urban failure – from what it’s perceived to be, what’s actually happening and how it’s represented to the public.” They are looking for fresh and compelling perspectives on urban or architectural issues. They are not always open to pitches, but they may make exceptions for urgent or timely articles. Submissions can be general reflections, case studies, opinion pieces, reviews, interviews, photographic essays, etc. According to their pitch guide, they pay €150 per article (around 1,500 words).
Portland Monthly is a magazine that covers food, style, shopping, arts, culture, travel, and more in Portland, Oregon. On their website, they accept pitches for their 7 major channels: Eat & Drink, Style & Shopping, Arts & Culture, News & City Life, Travel & Outdoors, Home & Real Estate, and Health & Wellness. For their quarterly print magazine, they accept pitches for the following departments: Dispatch, Show & Tell, Spaces, and Arts & Culture. They also accept pitches for full-length feature stories on news, culture, or lifestyle. According to an old tweet by their editor, they pay about 60/70 cents per word. To learn more, refer to their writer’s guidelines.
Trucha is an independent multimedia platform that covers stories, culture, and social movements of migrant and queer communities in the Rio Grande Valley. This includes topics such as immigration, reproductive justice, LGBTQ issues, climate justice, regional arts and culture, racial justice, and more. They accept pitches "from people who live or grew up in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and the Northern Mexican side of the border region, including Reynosa, Matamoros, etc." According to their guidelines, the content formats that they publish include long-form feature articles (800-1,200 words at $0.50/word), op-eds/commentary (600-800 words at $0.40/word), Q&A features/interview highlights (600-800 words at $0.40/word), and instagram articles (300-350 words at $.30 per word). For more information, refer to their pitch guide.