This is a directory of paying freelance writer's markets. You can browse the writer's markets by category below or search if you're looking for something specific. All markets included in this directory are paying markets. Payment details are included in summaries where possible.
What are you waiting for? Build a better writing career, one market at a time!
This is a directory of paying freelance writer's markets. You can browse the writer's markets by category below or search if you're looking for something specific. All markets included in this directory are paying markets. Payment details are included in summaries where possible.
What are you waiting for? Build a better writing career, one market at a time!
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine publishes all types of mystery short stories. They prefer stories in the 2500-8000 word range but sometimes publish longer works. Flash fiction "minute mysteries" of around 250 words are also considered. They pay $.05 - $.08 per word for original stories. They don't accept reprints.
Ladybug
Ladybug is a magazine for ages 3 to 6. They look for short works of fiction (maximum 800 words), rebus stories (up to 200 words), and nonfiction (maximum 400 words) that pay up to $0.25/word. They also accept poetry (up to 20 lines) that pays up to $3.00/line with a $25 minimum payment.
Our Times
Our Times is a Canadian magazine covering independent labour. They accept features of 1500-3000 words, commentaries of 850 words, reviews of 600-1000 words, poetry, and submissions to its "Working for a Living" short story series (2000 words or less). Published poems pay $50, short stories pay $100, and for nonfiction small items pay $25, reviews pay $50, and features pay $200-300.
Pseudopod
Pseudopod is an "audio magazine" in the horror genre. Writers can submit their stories to have them read and recorded by voice actors. They pay $20 for flash fiction reprints and $100 for short story reprints, or $.08 per word for original fiction.
Story Unlikely
We publish both fiction and narrative nonfiction (memoir) short stories, preferably around the 2,000 word length (or under), but we do occasionally publish stories up to 10k in length. We publish a wide array of styles and genres, and are more concerned with the quality of the story than the genre itself. A monthly e-zine, Story Unlikely pays 5 cents a word for stories up to 2,000 words, and cap payment at $100 for anything over. We welcome and accept reprints, and pay 1 cent per word capped at $50 for all reprints.
This Magazine
This Magazine accepts pitches from Canadian freelance writers. Themes for its bi-monthly issues can be found in the linked guidelines. In addition to nonfiction pieces, This Magazine accepts poetry and fiction submissions. Pay for short stories up to 2500 words is $125 CAD. Pay is $60 per flash fiction story under 1000 words, and $50 per accepted poem.
Three-lobed Burning Eye
This online magazine focusing on horror and dark fantasy is published twice a year. Every other year they also release a print anthology. They accept short stories of 1000-7000 words and flash fiction of 500-1000 words. Stories of 2000-5000 words are preferred. They pay $100 for short stories or $30 for flash fiction, plus one print annual.
U.S. Kids
U.S. Kids runs several magazines for children including Humpty Dumpty and Jack and Jill. The magazines accept poetry at Humpty Dumpty (starting at $25), fictional short stories (starting at $30 for Humpty Dumpty and $25 for Jack and Jill), short nonfiction articles at Jack and Jill (starting at $25), and crafts for Humpty Dumpty at $40 and up.
Writer's Digest
Writer's Digest is a magazine for writers. They accept a variety of freelance submissions including for the Inkwell upfront section (1600-word lead stories and shorter 1200-word stories), 800-1200 word author profiles, 1200-word WD101 columns, and writing technique articles of 1200-2500 words. Writer's Digest pays $.30-.50 per word on acceptance. They do not pay for unsolicited online-only contributions and guest posts (and when they do in rare cases, they pay $50-100).
More About the Writers' Markets
All of the freelance writers' markets listed here include a link to writer's guidelines offered on the publication's website. All Freelance Writing does not currently accept writers' markets without this information published. This is to protect the freelance writers using the directory, ensuring that they're accessing the latest publicly advertised rates and writer's guidelines released by the hiring publications.
If you run or are associated with a paying writers' market, and you'd like it to be considered for the directory, please use the market submission form.