23 Popular Magazines That Need Freelance Writers

Here are some magazines that may occasionally accept both writing and artwork/photography submissions. Some of these are very well known, while others are fairly small.

You’ll need above-average writing and photography skills to get your work accepted, and there might be a lot of waiting.

With this kind of work, you will spend a lot of time sending query letters to editors to see if they’re even interested in an article before you write it, then more months to see if your article is up to their standards.

You might even need a decent portfolio of previous work to prove your professionalism before they’ll even take you seriously.

BUT if you’re willing to wade through all the upfront difficulty, the pay rates are fantastic, and getting articles published with these magazines can help your career in a big way!

Read on for a list of magazines that are currently accepting submissions.

Popular Magazines Looking For Freelance Article Submissions

Animals – Pets

• Animal Wellness Magazine – Welcoming unsolicited articles and story outlines. Articles may range in length from 500 to 1,500 words.
• Reptile Magazine – A monthly publication that caters to reptile and amphibian hobbyists. Pays about $200 for 2,000 to 2,500 words.
• The Bark – About life with dogs. Pays upon publication. On their contact page, choose “write for us” from the dropdown to send them a pitch.
• The Horse – A monthly magazine devoted to horse care. They prefer “how to” and technical topics.
• Tropical Fish Hobbyist – They accept both articles and photos. Guidelines listed on site.

Business – Career

• Family Business Magazine – Family Business Magazine publishes only five times a year — thus, the opportunities we offer are few and far between. We accept very few of the dozens of writer queries we receive every day.
• Working Money – About investing. Flat rate payment made upon publication, about $180.

Children – Young Adult

• ADDitude Magazine – This publication is for parents raising children who suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. They pay up to $200.00 per article.
• Fun for Kidz – They are looking for lively writing that involves an activity that is both wholesome and unusual. We are looking for articles around 500 words as well as puzzles, poems, cooking, carpentry projects, jokes, riddles, crafts, and other activities that complement the theme. They pay five cents a word for both fiction and non-fiction.
• Girl’s Life – Girl’s Life magazine will pay for your freelance articles, but pay amount is not listed.
• High Five – High Five (affiliated with Highlights for Children) will be accepting freelance submissions from May 15th to June 30th, 2024. They are most interested in stories and non-fiction.
• Pockets Magazine – For kids aged 6-12, Christian magazine offering fiction, scripture, puzzles, games, etc. Pays 25 cents a word for stories and $25 and up for other types of submissions.

Crafts

• American Craft Magazine – They work primarily with experienced arts journalists who are able to write with depth and nuance, and value freelancers who can write for a general creative audience with clarity and insight. They pay $.50–$1.00/word, depending on the assignment.
• Threads Magazine – Bi-monthly, how-to magazine. Interested in articles about construction and embellishment techniques, materials, tools, and design. They claim to accept submissions from inexperienced writers and say that submissions do not have to be perfect. It is your know-how they are most interested in. Pay is not mentioned, but that doesn’t mean they don’t offer payment if they publish your work.

Education

• Teacher Magazine – Teacher magazine may take your commentary submissions, but amount of pay is not listed.

Family

• Family Fun – This publication is looking for articles about games and fun outdoor activities that families can enjoy. According their submission guidelines, they pay $1.25 per word. They require 850 to 3,000 words.

General Interest

• Reader’s Digest – You can submit jokes to Reader’s Digest. They pay $25 for any joke, gag, or funny quote, and $100 for any true funny story they publish.
• Cosmopolitan – This is one of the big-time women’s magazines, with a long and prestigious history. You can submit articles through email, and will usually hear back from them within a month. Submitted articles for the print version earn $200.00 to $400.00. They also accept submissions for their online magazine, but they only pay $100.00 per article.
• Good Housekeeping – This well known publication allows for unsolicited submissions, but they’re only looking for articles in certain very limited categories. Check their submissions page to see what they’re accepting at any given time. The pay rate is reportedly around $1.50 per word.

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

If you have an interest in jumping into the higher end freelance writing market, the above links should give you a good set of starting points.

Anna Thurman is a work at home blogger and mom of two. She has been researching and reviewing remote jobs for over 13 years. Her findings are published weekly here at Real Ways to Earn.