Public Books is “an online magazine of ideas, arts, and scholarship.” As per this post by their TV section editor, they pay an honorarium of $150 per piece to individuals who are not in secure academic positions. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
OkayAfrica is a media company that connects a global audience to Africa. They cover culture, music, dance, style, visual art, politics, and health. They have previously indicated the general formats they would like for stories to be interviews, service journalism, opinion pieces/personal essays, short features, longer features, and video/photo/socials. According to an old tweet from their director of editorial operations, in the past, they have paid $150 to $200 for straightforward pieces. As per a payment report from 2023, they paid $0.25 per word for a 1000-word news story. Their pitch guide has been removed, but you can contact them here.
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.
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.
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.
Mental Floss is a media brand that offers interesting facts, quizzes, trivia, and brain teasers to the audience. They are always seeking new voices to write about the diverse verticals they cover, whether that's history, science, entertainment, language, pop culture, art, or beyond. They accept pitches for lists and features. They have previously indicated that their rates started at $150 for lists, $125 for short features of 500 words, and $200 for longer features. Current pay rates are unclear. To learn how to send them a pitch, visit this page.
Cleveland Review of Books is “a regionally-focused journal of literary, cultural, and art criticism.” They welcome submissions of critical writing that prioritize formal vision and generous engagement with their subject matter, and look for writing that demonstrates a committed sense of style and perspective. According to their guidelines, their rates are $100 for online publication and $200 for print. To learn more, refer to this page.
ASEF culture360 is an online platform managed by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF). They bring “Asia and Europe closer by providing information, facilitating dialogue and stimulating reflection on the arts and culture of the two regions. They are always seeking writers to produce features and interviews for their magazine; the themes change annually, and they are not always open to submissions. The writer must be a national of an Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) member country. According to a previous call for pitches, they paid 250 Singapore Dollars per commissioned article. Refer to this page to see their most recent call for writers, but note that the information might be outdated, in which case you'll need to wait for them to update it.
Blade Magazine is about knives and knifemaking. According to their website: “What we need are stories that are brand new in scope and content. Knives being used for unusual purposes, in adventure settings, etc., are always good. New, state-of-the-art knife designs, steels and other knife materials and how they are made are good. The knife collections of celebrities are good. Stories on how to collect knives, what to collect and why, etc., are good.” According to their guidelines, they pay $150 for shorter stories, $250 for profiles and $300 for feature stories. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines.
Blue Mountain Arts is an established publisher of greeting cards. They want “contemporary prose or poetry written from personal experience that reflects the thoughts and feelings people today want to communicate to one another, but don’t always know how to put into words.” According to their guidelines, they pay $300 per poem for the worldwide, exclusive rights to publish it on a greeting card and other products, and $50 per poem for one-time use in a book. To learn more, visit this page.
The 51st is a worker-led local news source for D.C. Their focus areas include: guides that make living in D.C. easier, Reporting that holds accountable local government, nonprofits, businesses, and other folks in power, stories that showcase the people, arts, and organizations that make D.C. an awesome place to live. According to their rate sheet, their rates range from $125 to $1,000+ per piece. To learn more, refer to this page.
Seattle Met is a magazine about Seattle’s culture, lifestyle, arts, and more. They only accept pitches from freelance writers; they do not accept pre-written articles. According to a deleted tweet by their editor-in-chief, they pay $0.50 to $1.00 a word for narrative features. To learn more, 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.
ILY is an online magazine about love. They cover “all variations of love, from kinship to romance, ILY features essays, interviews, vignettes, photography, poetry, interviews, and other forms of art.” They are always seeking love/dating pitches. According to an old tweet, they pay up to $200 for reported stories/trend pieces (think less tik-tok trends, more larger studies) on self-love, dating, romance, friendship, parenthood and familial love. They don't accept personal essays. To contact them, refer to the email at the bottom of their about 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).
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.
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.
Modern Drunkard Magazine is a humor magazine that is dedicated to the art and culture of drinking. They are looking for pieces about drinking. They publish fiction (1,000 to 4,000 words) and articles (1,000 to 4,000 words). According to their guidelines, they pay 10 cents per word. For details, refer to their submission guidelines.
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.
Vancouver Boulevard Chinese Magazine is a west coast luxury lifestyle magazine serving the Chinese-speaking communities of Metro Vancouver. With 11 issues annually, it features the latest trends in home decor, high fashion, travel, real estate, arts, entertainment, food and drink, and more. They previously indicated pay of 25 to 30 cents for features, which are generally 850 words. Current rates are unclear. To contact them, refer to this page.
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.
Art & About is an art blog and resource for Portland. Although their focus is primarily in the Pacific Northwest, we are interested in publishing writing exploring relevant themes and conversations across art & culture. They are looking for reviews and interviews with artists, and gallerists. Their rates are based on industry standards set by the Working Artists and Greater Economy (W.A.G.E). For details, refer to their submissions page.
Flintside is a weekly online news magazine based in Flint. They cover arts, culture, diversity, community development, economic development, entrepreneurship, public health, education, sustainability, technology, and transportation in the city of Flint. They want pitches for articles, personal essays, and other content. According to a deleted tweet by editor, they pay $50 to $150 for short, community-focused pieces. To learn more, visit this page.
48 Hills is an online publication that covers San Francisco’s news, politics, arts, culture, music, nightlife, and more. According to an old tweet by their publisher, they pay $100 to $150 for reported and researched stories. To contact them, refer to this page.
Nashville Scene is an alternative-weekly newspaper that covers Nashville’s news, politics, film, music, art, culture, and food. Contributors are as comfortable with critical analysis as with political analysis. They accept freelance pitches for all sections of their paper and also for their online sections. According to an old tweet, they pay $0.15 to $0.25 a word for print pieces. To learn more, refer to their pitch guide.
Mundane Magazine is a Nashville-centric digital publication about music, fashion, art, culture, and sex. According to an old tweet by their executive editor, they pay $75 to $300 per piece. To contact them, refer to this page.
Coast Weekend offers information on the things to do in Oregon's North Coast and southwest Washington. They cover arts, entertainment, music, dance, theater, galleries, dining, hiking, and more. They have previously indicated to pay $50 to $75 per story and $10 per photo, but current rates are unclear. To contact them, refer to this page.
The Travel Tacoma + Pierce County Official Visitor Guide covers “the wealth of dining, art, culture, and outdoor adventure found in Tacoma and its surrounding Pierce County communities.” Our previous research indicated they were seeking pitches for fresh takes for first-time visitors and that pay was $0.70 per word. To contact them, refer to this page.
East Bay Express is an alternative weekly newspaper for Oakland, Berkeley, and the greater East Bay. They provide coverage of local politics, arts, culture, music, theater, events, and food and drink. According to a payment report, they paid $0.25 per word for a 2,000-word feature. You can contact them here.
Miami New Times is an independent source for local news, music, arts, culture, food, drink, and more in Miami. According to an old payment report, they paid $0.10 per word for a 800-word criticism, review, or arts/entertainment coverage. To contact them, refer to this page.