My Favorite Publications to Work with as a Freelance Writer in 2020
Top 5 Best Publications for Freelancers
I stumbled into becoming a freelance writer. After graduating college in May 2020, I planned to do a year (or two) of service. However, the pandemic spoiled my plans. Because I couldn't find a job, I decided on a whim to submit some of my pieces to a few publications. I have a Bachelor's degree in Writing and one of my favorite Writing professors encouraged me to get something published. I wasn't so sure my writing was good enough, but I gave it a shot. My first dozen or so pitches were either flat-out rejected or ignored (many publications cannot respond to every submission, which is understandable given the volume of submissions). Although I understand that publications cannot accept every piece sent to them, I still suffered a wounded ego. It hurts when a piece I poured time, energy, and emotions into is turned down. But facing rejection has forced me to be resilient and persistent--both in continuing to write and putting myself out there. Publications aren't going to stumble upon my work, so I constantly have to pitch them.
I've compiled this list of my favorite publications to work with as a beginner. When I was first starting out (a mere seven months ago), I scoured the internet for publications willing to take a chance on an inexperienced (translation: unpublished) writer. There are a few lists out there, but I figured I would write my own list to help beginners like me. Keep in mind that I am still new to the freelance writing game. I presume that there are many publications I haven't come across yet. This list only includes publications I've had the privilege of working with (and I hope you'll have that opportunity too!).
1. Well+Good
Well+Good is a health and wellness publication that caters to women. They write pieces on mental health, fitness, sustainability, and more. They don't look for "perfectionistic fitness" like advice on how to attain six-pack abs or how to make your body "bikini-ready." Instead, they use a wholistic approach to health and wellness; one that understands that dieting and obsessively exercising is just as unhealthy as eating too much and not moving at all. They aim to empower readers and help them find what works for them.
I pitched them an idea for an article about limited mobility workouts, and to my surprise it was accepted! It took a couple rounds of edits and a couple months for my piece to be published, but it was worth it. They pay between $150 and $500 depending on how long the piece is and how much research it entails. I'd recommend browsing their site before pitching to get a sense of the tone they use and the type of content they publish.
Rooted in Rights is a disability rights organization with a blog that features articles from freelancers. They post empowering opinion pieces and powerful (not to be confused with inspiring) personal essays. They only accept pitches from disabled writers, so if that doesn't describe you, feel free to skip to the next publication.
Rooted in Rights was the first publication I was published in, so naturally I have a soft-spot for them. I pitched them a personal essay about my experience with an eating disorder as a visibly disabled woman. Rooted in Rights has a pay scale that starts at $100.
Sorry nondisabled writers. Audacity Magazine is another publication for disabled writers. They cover a variety of topics that affect young, disabled people including responsive news stories, opinion pieces, and personal essays.
My article on Audacity is about inaccessibility on college campuses. Audacity Magazine pays $100 per article.
4. Bitch Media
Okay, I have yet to write for Bitch Media, but I had to mention them because I am a fan of their publication. Bitch Media analyzes pop culture, news, and culture phenomena through a feminist lens. They pay between $250 and $1000, which is a wide range, but as with other publications, Bitch pays according to the length and work (i.e. research) of the piece. Periodically, Bitch Media has themes for their print magazine.
5. PopSugar
PopSugar is primarily an entertainment publication, but they also publish short personal essays, articles about fitness, product reviews, and more. I work as a freelance writer for PopSugar's Voices program, which is a program that allows freelance writers to pitch to the editor team or accept prompts. For most articles, they pay $50, but for ones that require you to recreate a recipe or something else more hands-on, they pay $100.
About the Creator
Erica Mones
Bylines in The Progressive, PopSugar, Well + Good, New Mobility, Rooted in Rights, Audacity Magazine, and Cripple Magazine. Disability and mental health advocate.
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