25 Websites That Pay $500+ Per Article

While you can easily find hundreds of websites that will pay you to write, only a handful of them pays more than $500 per article.

Such websites are established and only publish the best content from reputable writers. Often they require experienced writers with impressive writing portfolios.

This is not to say that websites that pay $500+ per article cannot publish pieces from new writers without an impressive portfolio to speak on their behalf.

It all boils down to the uniqueness of your topic idea and the quality of your writing. Do not hold back if you have a good idea worth $500+.

Magazines and websites that pay $500+ per article

Below are the best websites that pay writers at least $500 per approved article submission.

1: Honey Badger

Pay: $500

Are you an advanced Ruby, PHP, or Python developer who can create in-depth blog posts or tutorials? Honey Badger pays writers $500 for an article about 2,000 words long. You should have a PayPal account when sending your pitch.

Submission Guidelines: Honey Badger.

2: The Open Notebook

Pay: $1,000-$1350

The Open Notebook is a non-profit organization that helps health, science, and environmental journalists with tools and resources to sharpen their skills.

They pay $1,000 for interviews (1,500-2,000 words) and $1,350 for reported features (1,500-2,000 words).

Submission Guidelines: The Open Notebook.

3: Early American Life

Pay: $500

Early American Life covers multiple topics centered around America from its founding through the mid-1800s. They pay for guest articles on travel, crafts, history, antiques, architecture, and decoration.

Submission Guidelines: Early American Life.

4: Scout Life Magazine

Pay: $500-$1,500

Boy’s Life covers various topics for boy scouts aged 6 to 17. It also has several sister magazines you can pitch to. The pay range between $500 and $1,500

Submission Guidelines: Scout Life.

5: The Sun

Pay: $100-$2,000

The Sun is a reader-supported publication that accepts guest contributions on thought-provoking pieces about culture, politics, and current issues.

Submission Guidelines: The Sun.

6: Meredith

Pay: Varies

Meredith’s FamilyFun magazine targets families with kids between 3 and 12. It publishes pieces on different topics, including food, crafts, games, holiday destinations, travel,  educational projects, simple DIYs, and parties.

It pays $1.25 per word for features 850-3,000 words long, $750 for the idea of the month (600 words), and $1.25 per word for explorative pieces.

Submission Guidelines: Meredith.

7: The Boundary Waters Journal

Pay: $200-$500

The Boundary Waters Journal is a quarterly magazine that publishes content on nature, recreation, and conservation topics. 

It publishes informative and entertaining pieces. Subjects you can pitch include wilderness canoe trip tips, how and where to fish, camping activities & advice, hiking trips, and wildlife profiles.

Submission Guidelines: The Boundary Waters Journal.

8: LiisBeth

Pay: $250-$2,000

LiisBeth is an online magazine that publishes pieces by feminist writers about feminism, innovation, enterprise, and critiques of systems and policies that contribute to inequality.

They describe themselves as “trans-inclusive and intersectional feminists” and prioritize submissions from womxn, trans, queer-identified writers, journalists, and community voices.

Submission Guidelines: LiisBeth.

9: The Contemporary Sportsman

Pay: $450-$700

The Contemporary Sportsman is a quarterly online magazine that publishes fly-fishing and wing-shooting feature stories. They only accept creative and imaginative pieces and not predictable stories.

Submission Guidelines: The Contemporary Sportsman.

10: Maine Boats

Pay: $250-$500

The Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors Magazine is a magazine about the coast of Maine that focuses mainly on boating. It pays $250 for short pieces (800-1,000 words) and between $400-$500 for long feature stories (2,500-3,500 words).

Submission Guidelines: Maine Boats.

11: Hidden Compass

Pay: $500-$800

This online publication publishes original, compelling, and true stories that blend travel and discovery with science, art, and history. The Hidden Compass pays between $500 for the usual stories and $800 for photo features. Each story should be between 2,000 and 3,000 words.

Submission Guidelines: Hidden Compass.

12. Atlas Obscura

Pay: $300-$600

Atlas Obscura is another travel publication that pays writers up to $600 for submissions. Submissions are divided into two entries – the “Places” section for pieces about places and the “Stories” section for unique and surprising stories about travel adventures.

Submission Guidelines: Atlas Obscura.

13. Cruising World

Pay: Up to $1,000

As the name suggests, Cruising World accepts submissions on cruising-related topics. The publication accepts three types of submissions – short news or general interest stories (500-600 words), feature articles (2,000-2,500 words), and non-feature articles (1,200-1,500 words). Cruising World pays $25 to $200 for short, newsworthy submissions, $300 to $1,000 for technical non-feature stories, and $800 to $1,000 for feature articles.

Submission Guidelines: Cruising World.

14. Seattle Magazine

Pay: Up to $1,000

Seattle Magazine is an online publication that accepts submissions on multiple topics, including travel, food, culture, lifestyle, and relationship, although they emphasize that you pitch regional travel stories. The focus of your pitch story should be Seattle City and surrounding regions.

Submission Guidelines: Seattle Magazine.

15. Sport Fishing Mag

Pay: $200-$1,500

Sport Fishing Mag focuses on saltwater fishing around North America and releases nine publications yearly (monthly between January and June and bimonthly between July-December). Your sport fishing idea should be new, fresh, different, and covered in detail. You can also focus on an old idea from a fresh and unique angle.

Submission Guidelines: Sport Fishing Mag.

16. Sight and Sound

Pay: £120-£500

Sight and Sound welcome pitches about film stories, including news reports, features, reviews, and video essays. They have a magazine as well as a web version. According to their writer guidelines, they encourage writers of all experience levels and backgrounds, including Black, Asian, and minority ethnic writers. Writers with disabilities and those in the LGBTIQ+ community are also encouraged to pitch.

Submission Guidelines: Sight and Sound.

17. Smart Business Trends

Pay: $200-$500

Smart Business Trends publishes content on the latest trends in online marketing, including email marketing, Amazon FBA, and affiliate marketing. They publish long-form content of at least 1,000 words, including tutorials, guides, and comprehensive product reviews.

Submission Guidelines: Smart Business Trends.

18. Refit Guide

Pay: $300-$1,000

Refit Guide is the go-to website for boat owners (or those planning to purchase a boat) to get information about the best techniques and gear to improve their boats. The pay depends on article length and complexity, and you can earn as high as $1,000 if your article is approved for publishing.

Submission Guidelines: Refit Guide.

19. Reef to Rainforest

Pay: Up to $600

Can you create in-depth, authoritative, cutting-edge, and trustworthy information on aquatic topics such as aquarium fishes, invertebrates, aquatic plants, aquaculture, aquarium technology, and more? You can contribute to CORAL, a leading marine aquarium magazine, or AMAZONAS, a leading freshwater-only aquarium magazine. The two magazines are published six times a year.

Submission Guidelines: Reef to Rainforest.

20. Honolulu Magazine

Pay: $100-$1,800

Honolulu Mag publishes Honolulu-related content, such as trending news and features. Topics you can pitch on include personality profiles, sports, history, culture, politics, and lifestyle trends. Please note that this is not a travel magazine and that any pitch must be about something related to Hawai‘i.

Submission Guidelines: Honolulu Magazine.

21. SOURCE

Pay: $200-$500

Are you a developer or designer building new apps, designing interactive app features, or doing any other coding-related job? You can document your progress and findings in written form and get paid in return. That’s where SOURCE comes in to lend a helping hand by paying you up to $500 per approved submission.

Submission Guidelines: SOURCE.

22. CopyHackers

Pay: $300-$1,000

CopyHackers is a top website for copywriters and freelancers. You can submit pitches on over twenty topics, including freelance copywriting techniques, conversion copywriting, A/B testing, UX vs. UI vs. Copy, the startup lifestyle, copywriting and freelancing tools, copywriting and freelancing hacks, marketing, and growth hacks.

Submission Guidelines: CopyHackers.

23. Codeless

Pay: Up to $500+

Codeless accepts guest writers for content on topics such as SaaS, B2B, e-commerce, fintech, and project management content. You can be a part-time or full-time contributor. Some writers also work under contracts and can earn at least $5K a month for a start.

Submission Guidelines: Codeless.

24. WellBeing

Pay: AU$150-AU$1,700

WellBeing is a famous website that pays writers over $500 per article. You can pitch ideas on many topics, including natural health, spirituality, natural therapies, fitness, environment, whole food cooking, animal care, natural beauty, travel, and real-life experiences. WellBeing pays AU$600-$700 for long feature articles (about 2,000 words), AU$750 for travel articles, AU$1,700 for special reports, and AU$150 for real-life experiences (800-1,000 words).

Submission Guidelines: WellBeing.

25. Gastro Obscura

Pay: $300-$600

If you love food and drinks and can create awesome content, consider pitching to Gastro Obscura. Their main focus is on little-known food gems and trends in the industry. Do not pitch ideas about restaurant reviews or interviews with famous chiefs because your efforts will be in vain.

Submission Guidelines: Gastro Obscura.

Final thoughts

Many websites and magazines pay $500+ per submission. Review the submission guidelines of the ones we’ve highlighted to see if you can send a pitch and get paid for your contribution.