Top 10 Literary Magazines That Pay Freelance Writers

In this article,  we are going to focus on Literary Magazines that pay their content writers well for articles submitted. Some of the magazines also extend this to amateur writers who want to make some money out of their submissions while they hone their literary skills.

We have largely tried to focus on top-paying publishing sites and have included the genre of articles that they largely support.

List of 10 Literary Magazines That Pay Freelance Writers

It is an unfortunate fact that though there are a lot of literary magazines that accept articles from contributors but do not pay well or not pay at all. We have done extensive research and found a list of top literary magazines that pay a good amount to freelance contributors. Find below the selected list for your ready reference:

1. The Sun

Are you good at empathetic writing and feel strongly about human trivia and its solutions? The Sun has been around for 30 years and it encourages freelancers to contribute articles on human challenges in the form of essays,  short stories,  poetry, and interviews.

Essays with 500-7000 words are paid approx of $200-3000. Poetry attracts a lesser sum. All subject to publication.

Suggested Read: How to Start a Book Review Blog & Make Money

2. Sub Tropics

A popular magazine that publishes essays, poetry,  fiction, and non-fiction. Each genre has a specific word count expectation.  This is clearly detailed on the site.

Poetry would get a remuneration of approx $100 whereas essays and stories can get a handsome pay of $1000.

3. Gulf Coast Magazine

As diverse as its namesake, Gulf Coast invites writers across the globe to write on a genre of topics like short stories,  essays,  poems, and reviews.

They also host a yearly competition on Literature with the winner walking away with a grand prize of $1500. Submission guideline is given in detail on their site. 

4. The Fugue

Another publication that hosts a yearly literary contest consisting of a grand prize of $1000. Run by the English department at the University of Idaho, Fugue charges a nominal fee for the annual submission.

Also, Read Top 16 Regional Magazines That Pay Freelance Writers

5. The Fiddlehead

Walk away with a generous prize of $2000 for your short story and poetry albeit of course that you earn your worth. Submissions should be less than 6000 words and are accepted via email only. The dates of the competition are updated on their site.

6. Boulevard

This publication encourages only writers whose work is Par excellence. Even amateurs who believe their work is the best that they can deliver are encouraged to contribute.  Accepted work is paid around $50-500 or more in case of exceptional contributions. Max word count of 8000 accepted.

7. The Threepence Review

One of those rare sites that pay well for poetry.  Essays,  stories with a word count between 1200-2500 are paid around $400. Poems should be less than 1000 words and are paid as much as $200. They have only online submissions and strict guidelines around them.

8. Glimmer Train

Publication for contemporary work not only pays a handsome remuneration but also encourages new writers on the block to contribute. Individual submissions are paid around $700 with a max word count of 12000 words.

Competitions carry prize money of around $3000. Guidelines for submissions included online. Do read it carefully before you submit your work.

9. Jaggery

A publication dedicated to work from South Asian writers. Essays,  short stories,  poems are generally invited. The flavor of the written word should reflect the intense culture of the South Asian regions.

Storied are paid around $100 and other works around $25. They have clear guidelines around resubmission,  simultaneous submissions, etc.  Go through their guidelines which list the complete details.

10.  Colorado review

If you have an interest in writing poems,  short stories,  essays without the boundary of a restricted word count then Colorado review is your destination.

Freelancers are paid around $ 200 for published articles. They only look for unpublished work and have clear and specific guidelines around the submission.

We hope you found this article in literary magazines useful.  All the best and take the first step to join the online momentum of literary publications.