Horse Illustrated is a magazine for horse lovers. They offer horse health and care advice, training tips, lifestyle features, and more. They are seeking “reader-friendly pieces with a conversational tone, shorter word counts (500 to 1,200) and topics to add dimension to the magazine’s regular training and horse care features—human interest, lifestyle, fashion, travel, equestrian issues—both large (welfare) and small (boarding barn drama!)—plus humor, first person stories, and more.” They previously indicated payment of $25-$150 per article, but current pay rates are not clear. To learn more, refer to their writer’s guidelines.
USDF Connection is the publication of the United States Dressage Federation. They previously indicated to accept queries and unsolicited submissions that cover any area of dressage or USDF programs and members; in particular, pieces that discuss adult amateur riding, and that pay was $40 to $400 depending on length and complexity. Their pitch guide is no longer available, but you can contact them here.
The Chronicle of the Horse is a national weekly magazine that focusses on the equestrian world. They address a variety of topics, from dressage and horse care to eventing and steeplechase racing. According to their guidelines, they pay $165 to $220 for news stories (1,500 words) and $150 to $400 for features (1,500-2,500 words). To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Horse & Rider publishes articles on Western riding. It provides both competitive and recreational riders with information on training, care, and techniques. They accept queries for well-informed articles that discuss any aspect of horse and rider life. According to their guidelines, they pay $25 to $400 depending on length and complexity. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Hoof Beats Magazine is one of the top harness racing publications. They exclusively cover harness racing and the Standardbred industry, and freelancers are welcome to submit queries for such articles. The magazine is 70 percent freelance written. According to their guidelines, they pay $100 for departments and $500 for features. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
The Horse Network is a “digital platform for impassioned horse lovers.” According to their guidelines, they pay $50 for blog posts, plus a potential bonus of $100 if the article goes viral. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Mount Baker Experience Magazine covers the people, sports and activities, and the gear of outdoor recreation in the Pacific Northwest. They welcome articles on skiing and snowboarding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, hiking, kayaking, biking, and scuba diving – any sport or activity that takes place outdoors. They occasionally run out-of-area stories. According to their guidelines, they pay $25 to $50 for briefs (300 - 600 words), $100 for articles (650 - 1,000 words) and $125 to $150 for features (over 1,000 words). To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Powder is a magazine for skiers. Their "mission is to come as close as possible to the expert skiing experience through words, photos, graphics, and humor." They have a circulation of 150,000. Payment is negotiated. They are interested in news, essays, interviews and profiles, travel pieces, opinion, and other pieces for their exclusive columns. Read their old contributor guidelines here.
Pilot Magazine is a quarterly, 64-page, full color magazine dedicated exclusively to unpowered free flight. published by US Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USPHA). Its content includes information about the association's activities and articles covering all issues related to free flight. The magazine’s readers are knowledgeable and active participants in hang gliding and paragliding, and articles must be well-researched and well-written. All article submissions must include photographs or illustrations, or information about where editors can find supporting photography/artwork. They previously indicated to pay $35-$150 for 100-2,500-word articles, but current pay rates are unclear. To learn more, refer to their contributors guidelines.
The Ringer is a major website covering sports and pop culture. They are owned by Vox Media. They also host a wide variety of podcasts. According to an old payment report, they paid $0.60 for a 8000-word feature. You can pitch them here.
OutdoorsNW seeks articles about outdoor recreation, adventure travel, health and nutrition, outdoor fitness product reviews, and more. They publish four times a year and not just in print form but also “engaging articles, interactive media, and stunning photography, extends the storytelling beyond the printed pages”. To pitch, you can find their email address on the bottom of their website, in the "About Us" section.
Nebraskaland Magazine is published by Nebraska's Game and Parks Commission. They cover "all varieties of outdoor recreation including camping, travel, canoeing, hunting, fishing, Nebraska’s state parks and recreation areas, wildlife, natural history, unique personalities, art, culture, history and personal reminiscence." Most stories are 2,500 words. According to their submission guidelines, they pay 15 cents per word.
Virginia Wildlife Magazine is published bi-monthly on subjects such as hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, wildlife habitat, hiking, camping, outdoors safety and ethics, natural history, and environmental stewardship and education. According to their submission guidelines, articles of 800-2,000 words are paid $500 ($100 re-use fee), and articles of 350-800 words are paid $200 ($50 re-use fee). Visit their website here.
Gripped is a Canadian climbing magazine that covers routes, events, and climbing gear, and profiles of prominent climbers. Word count for features is 1500 and 2500 words. According to their submission guidelines, they pay $250 for features, plus $50 to $200 per photo. Their Northern Faces columns pay $150 for 500-1000 words, and for Area Profiles pieces of about 500-1000 words, they pay $150. To learn more, refer to this page.
Alpinist Magazine is a print magazine about "alpinism and adventure climbing in the simplest, most beautiful manner possible." They publish first-person accounts from alpine adventures from around the world, as well as investigative reports, documentaries, and photography. According to an old payment report, they paid $0.25 per word. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
BirdWatching Magazine is a bimonthly magazine for people with an interest in wild birds and bird watching. Our previous research indicated they accept submissions on a variety of topics, including “first-person accounts”, birds in the news, hotspots near you, and photo essays. For more information, reach out to them through their contact us page.
Field & Stream is an American magazine that focuses on hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities, with history dating back to 1871. Their mission is to inspire by ‘storytelling—in print, online, and around campfires’; to guide adventurers and teach essential survival skills, to conserve wildlife and to pass down ‘ heritage, legacy, and culture of our sporting traditions’. Payment rates are not mentioned on their site. To learn more, reach their editor via their contact us page.
Australian Shooter, Australian Hunter, Australian & New Zealand Handgun and The Junior Shooter Magazines are published by the Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia (SSAA). They accept letters, stories, and reviews. They pay contributors for first-use publication but not for subsequent use of work. Word length is preferred around 1500 words for Australian Shooter and 2000 for Australian Hunter (less for reviews). Stories submitted to the SSAA should not be submitted to other Australian shooting or hunting publications. According to their submission guidelines, they pay 30 cents per word and $30 per photo published. They pay $250 for a main photo used on the front cover of one of their magazines. To learn more, visit their write for us page.
Shotgun Sports Magazine publishes articles on hunting, trapshooting, and other areas of shotgunning. They look for full article submissions for their five departmental categories: test reports, think pieces, round-ups, historical pieces, and interviews. They prefer a length of 1,500-2,000 well-written articles. Payment rates are not mentioned. For more information, refer to their writer’s guidelines.
Traditional Bowhunter is "dedicated to preserving and advancing the rich tradition of hunting with the longbow, recurve, and selfbow". Their short features run up-to 1500 words, long feature articles run between 1500 to 3000 words and 800-1500 words for columns. According to their submission guidelines, they pay $150 to $250 for unsolicited short features, $300 for assigned columns, and $300 to $400 for assigned features.
Backcountry Magazine is all about skiing and snowboarding in the backcountry. Each issue of Backcountry is packed with high-definition photography and stories, trusted avalanche safety skills and reliable, unbiased gear reviews. They are always looking for Feature ideas, Destination stories for their On Location department, Profiles and Newsworthy items, Mountain Skills pieces and Accounts of avalanches and other mountain mishaps. According to their submission guidelines, they pay $0.35 cents per word.
Backpacker publishes articles that target the backpacking and hiking communities. They have a variety of reader’s categories like Velo, Climbing Yoga, Clean Eating and more. Their pieces cover foot-based travel, backcountry experience, North American destinations, and other topics that they highlight. According to an old payment report, they paid $0.60 per word. To learn more, visit their submission guidelines page.
Kayak Angler is a quarterly magazine. Its content covers “the intersection of fishing and paddlesports,” and its scope includes North America and regional fisheries (the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Gulf). Editors look for articles on “the latest news in conservation and fishing tackle, and accounts of incredible catches or pioneering trips.” These well-written articles must be accompanied by quality photos and contain practical advice and take-away value for readers. Payment rates are not mentioned. To learn more, refer to their writers’ guidelines.
Paddling Magazine publishes existing adventures based on ‘people, politics, expeditions, art, and boats and gear of paddlesports for kayakers, canoeists, whitewater boaters and standup paddleboarding enthusiasts.’ Word count for features is 1,500 to 3,000 words and for other articles 400 to 1000 words. According to an old payment report, they paid $0.20 per word. For more details, refer to their submission guidelines.
Bass Angler Magazine is a quarterly bass-fishing magazine on the lookout for unique educational articles. They run features of approximately 1200 words and payment rates are decided upon negotiations. They are open to both emerging and seasoned writers. According to an old payment report, they paid $0.10 per word, but current pay rates are not clear. For more details, refer to their writer’s guidelines.
Bugle Magazine is the magazine of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. They accept submissions in a variety of categories, including conservation, natural history, wildlife management, hunting, human interest, and "women in the outdoors, " which are personal essays or stories about elk/hunting/etc. Word count is 1,000-3,500 words. Payment rate is decided upon negotiations with editors. Women and others underrepresented in hunting are encouraged to submit.To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Fly Tyer Magazine wants articles describing new flies for catching trout, bass, panfish, and saltwater species across the U.S. and around the world. They are also interested in articles describing new tying materials and techniques, or new applications for older tying materials and techniques. They take articles on a query-first basis, and response time is unspecified. Word count for features is 2,000-2,500 for features and 1,200-2,000 for columns. According to their submission guidelines, they pay $450 for features and $200-$400 for short features and columns.
Gray’s Sporting Journal is a journal for hunters and anglers. They are always looking for features on hunting and fishing, and publish four themed issues a year. They publish Expeditions – travel pieces of hunting and fishing locations, Yarns – campfire tales that can be fact or fiction, and poetry. According to their submission guidelines, pay is $850-$1,000 for Expeditions (2,500 and 3,000 words) plus $75 per picture; $600-$1,250 for features (750 to 1,500 words; pay based on quality, not length); $600 for yarns (750 to 1,500 words); and $100 for poems (shorter than 1,000 words).
Deer & Deer Hunting is a specialized magazine (published 8 times per year) offering practical information about white-tailed deer and deer hunting techniques. Its readership includes people hunting with bow, gun, or camera. Editors look for articles on “white-tailed deer biology and behavior, management principles and practices, habitat requirements, natural history of deer, hunting techniques and hunting ethics.” Rates were previously listed as $150-$600 for 1,000-2,000 word articles and $25-$250 for “Deer Browse” department (200-500 words). Current rates are not clear. To learn more, refer to their submissions guidelines.
The Flyfish Journal is a Washington-based publication all about fly-fishing culture, they publish four journals per volume. They put out colorful, story-based content for fly-fishing enthusiasts. Their features run anywhere from 1200-4000+ words. Payment rates are not mentioned on their website. To learn more, check out their submission guidelines.