7 Magazines That Pay You $500 to Write

 How good is your writing skill? Do you want to make money writing?

The following is a list of seven print and digital magazines that pay up to $500 per article, sometimes more, sometimes less. Some of the payment information is gleaned from payment reports; some it is clearly found by the publisher on their submission guideline pages. Keep in mind that you may still need to negotiate the rate of pay.

MEL is a men's website created by the Dollar Shave Club. They cover "sex, relationships, health, money and culture from a male point of view even though we're not all male (and aren't always sure what that means)." Payment reports indicate rates between 30 and 50 cents per word. Though it appears the editorial assistant's email address is the only one listed. It's a foot in the door, at least.

The New Food Economy is a nonprofit website. They are interested "in new business and funding models, food safety, nutrition, economics, policy and the great, wide-open middle of the food supply chain: everything that happens between farm and fork." One payment report indicates a rate of around $500 for a feature article. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

Racked covers shopping, with a particular interest in "the intersection of politics and fashion and beauty." They also pay for personal essays. Reports indicate they pay over $500 for feature articles. To learn more, read their contributor guidelines.

YAM Magazine is a regional magazine covering the greater Victoria, B.C. area. They pay 40 cents per word for features between 1,200 and 3,000 words. To learn more, read their submission guidelines. This is just the type of local magazine many writers build their career with --to learn more about breaking into this type of publication, I recommend searching How to Become a Local Freelance Journalist.

Boys' Life is a monthly magazine published by the Boy Scouts of America. Articles should interest and entertain boys of 6-17. They cover a broad range of non-fiction, from professional sports to American history. Department pieces include nature, aviation, health, pets, history and music. Fiction is assignment-only; do not query. Query by mail for non-fiction. Word count: 500-1,500 for major non-fiction articles; up to 600 for departments. Pay: $500-1,500 for major non-fiction articles; $100-600 for departments.

HOW is a magazine for graphic designers that discusses the business and industry. Since it's 675% freelance written, the publication is always seeking articles that discuss industry figures, trends, issues, and more. They accept both queries and unsolicited manuscripts via postal mail. According to a previous version of their submission guidelines, they pay $250 to $800, depending on complexity and experience. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

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