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Submitting an Article to History Today

History Today accepts submissions for articles for inclusion in the magazine. Submissions should be original, exclusive to History Today and offer an engaging and authoritative take on a historical subject.

Prospective contributors should look through our online archive to ensure the proposal or subject area hasn't been written about recently.

The magazine carries three types of article:

• Feature-length articles, which are between 3,000 and 3,400 words;
• Mid-length articles, between 1,300 and 2,200 words;
• History Matters articles, broadly a range of polemics and short articles, of 1,000 words (these also appear in the History Matters section on this website);

Please send a brief email about your proposal, along with a few lines about your career / academic background, to:

[email protected]

Unfortunately we are unable to respond to all submissions.

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17 magazines that pay for writing about history.

It is no secret that breaking into history writing can take some time and patience, especially since there are a limited amount of online and offline places that publish history pieces. Using the following list of history publishers, you can find the right outlets for your writing style and favorite historical interests.

The magazines and websites require writers to provide reputable sources for their information. Photos and illustrations are also sometimes required. Make sure that you read through all of the writers’ guidelines before submitting an article or pitch to increase your changes of getting published.

American Spirit Magazine is a print magazine published by the Daughters of the American Revolution. They want articles that focus on American history, from the Colonial period to the 1820s. They are particularly interested in history that focuses on women and they accept queries that offer unique perspectives into the past. Length: No length requirements given. Pay: Pay is on acceptance for the amount agreed upon. Writers’ Guidelines: https://www.dar.org/national-society/american-spirit-magazine/writers-and-contributors

Archaeology is a print magazine that publishes articles about new historical discoveries and reevaluations of old theories relating to ancient and recent history. Most of their contributions come from freelance writers and they prefer to receive story pitches. They do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. Length: Discuss with editor. Pay: Pay is on acceptance for the amount agreed upon. Writers’ Guidelines: https://www.archaeology.org/writer-s-guidelines

An online resource that publishes original, well-researched articles about the history of different places and events. An editorial calendar is on their guidelines page that provides a basic list of what they are looking for. They prefer article pitches. Length: To be discussed with editor. Pay: Competitive rates. Writers’ Guidelines: https://docs.google.com/document/d/148yIs0J9bsmN3guV9arbundXjvZAL_OLUk4BywX9tm4/edit

Cracked publishes listicles online that cover a vast amount of subjects, including history. They prefer to publish articles that are humorous, shocking, and even gross. Fortunately, history provides us with plenty of examples in all three categories. Length: Work with editor for final word count. Pay: $150 per article. After you have published 4 articles, your pay increased to $250 per article. Writers’ Guidelines: http://www.cracked.com/write-for-cracked/

Early American Life is a print magazine that want history articles about life in early America, from America’s discovery to the mid-1800s. They seek articles about unusual events and want articles about the grit of early American life. They are not interested in dry retellings of history and want articles that are entertaining as well as factual. Length: 2,500 Pay: About $500 for writer’s first feature. Writers’ Guidelines: https://www.ealonline.com/editorial/guidelines.php

History Magazine is a print magazine. They do not want dry, academic writing. Instead, they want interesting articles written about historical events, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the 1950s. They accept queries only. Length: 2,000 Pay: $0.08/word Writers’ Guidelines: http://www.history-magazine.com/anotes.html

Listverse publishes Top 10 listicles that cover the bizarre, entertainment, lifestyle, science, society, and more. Many of their published history articles are about infamous people, strange happenings, and the gross parts of history that make readers shudder. They avoid dry material and actively seek the unusual. Length: 1,800+ Pay: $100 Writers’ Guidelines: http://listverse.com/write-get-paid/

Naval History is a print magazine published by the U.S. Naval Institute. They are a tough market to break into and prefer to receive queries from freelance writers. Length: Max. Length is 3,000 words. Pay: $60 to $150 per published page. Writers’ Guidelines: https://www.usni.org/membership/naval-history-author-guidelines#payment

A monthly print magazine that is geared towards tourists coming to New Mexico. They do publish history articles about New Mexico as long as there is information on how to visit the historical site in the present day. They prefer to receive proposals. Length: To be discussed with editor. Pay: $0.35 to $0.40/word Writers’ Guidelines: https://www.newmexico.org/nmmagazine/contributor-guidelines/

Our State is a print magazine that publishes articles on the “people, places, culture, and history of North Carolina.” They prefer to receive a 1-2 paragraph query about the article you would like to write. View their Editorial Calendar to create a proposal that will fit into their schedule. Length: 1,500 Pay: Pay is on acceptance for the amount agreed upon. Writers’ Guidelines: https://www.ourstate.com/contributor-guidelines/

A print magazine covering the history and heritage of Pennsylvania. Articles can be about local archaeology, architecture, historic sites, military history, natural history, and even oral history. They prefer to receive completed manuscripts. Length: 2,000 to 3,500 Pay: $250 to $500 Writers’ Guidelines: https://paheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Pennsylvania-Heritage-Submission-Guidelines.pdf

Renaissance Magazine is a print magazine that publishes history articles covering the Renaissance and Middle Ages. They accept queries and full submissions. A feature article need at least 6 images to be published with the article. Length: 1,200 – 2,000 Pay: $150 Writers’ Guidelines: https://renaissancemagazine.com/submit-content/

The Smithsonian accepts proposals from “established freelance writers.” When sending in your pitch for a history article, you must supply links to previously published works. Length: Generally around 800 to 1,800 words. Pay: While no pay is listed on their website, other sources say they pay $0.17/word or more. Print Magazine Pitches: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/contact/article-submit-print-magazine/ Website Pitches: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/contact/article-submit-website/

Today I Found Out publishes interesting history facts. They do not want dry material and the article must appeal to a wide range of readers. Length: No length is listed on their website, but a word count check on recently published articles shows that they typically published articles that are 1,500 to 1,800 words. Pay: If interested in your article, they will buy it from you. Writers’ Guidelines: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/write-for-us/

A print magazine that publishes history articles about the American West, from 1800 to 1912. They want articles that are exciting and dramatically real. Article proposals are accepted via Dropbox. Length: 1,500 Pay: $0.25/word Writers’ Guidelines: https://www.truewestmagazine.com/submission-guidelines/ Wartime

A print magazine that specifically focuses on Australian history during times of war. They accept articles from both amateurs and professionals, and demand an engaging writing style. No dry content. Requests proposals. Length: 1,000 to 2,000 Pay: $300 per 1,000 words Writers’ Guidelines: https://www.awm.gov.au/wartime/submissions/ Wonderful West Virginia

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The newsmagazine of the american historical association.

Perspectives  welcomes articles on all aspects of the practice of history and by all kinds of historians, at all degree levels, and of all professional ranks. We strive to be a place for historians across the discipline to share their ideas and enthusiasm. All articles for  Perspectives on History  should be written in a style that can engage a wide audience, and all article submissions are subject to review by the  Perspectives  editorial board.

Submission Guidelines

Please see our full guidelines for detailed article types and word counts.

Sending a pitch prior to an article’s submission gives us a better understanding of the topic and your viewpoint as an author by quickly establishing the nature of the story you’re proposing, its relevance to our readership, your point of view, and the sources you’ll consult. A good pitch also gives the editors a sense of your writing style.

Pitches to Perspectives should include the following elements:

• The topic of the story, the underlying problem or conflict behind it, and your angle on it.
• The reason why this story is worth publishing now. What makes it newsworthy, timely, or important for the historical community?
• The “so what”? What’s the big picture? Its relevance to historians is important, and often how it fits into society at large.

Important Information

Potential authors should search our archives to see if we’ve published any articles on the same topic, and review our copyright policy. Please note that Perspectives on History does not publish book excerpts or book promotions, and that all manuscripts must be original and not submitted elsewhere

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Guidelines for Submitting Manuscripts to the AHR

As of June 15, 2020, all submissions to the  American Historical Review  must be made through our editorial management system, Scholar One. The submission site can be found at  https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ahrev . Please follow the instructions there to see if you are already in our database, or else begin by creating an account. We no longer can consider manuscripts submitted by email attachment. Manuscripts should be submitted as a Microsoft Word document. They should be written in English and ideally not exceed 8,000 words in length, not counting notes, tables, and charts. A typical published  AHR  article of 8,000 words contains 4,500-5,500 words of notes; a ratio of 2:1 is a good guideline for an initial submission, since references often get added in revisions. Please follow our house style for submitted manuscripts: 8 ½ x 11 page size, Times New Roman 12 pt. font, double spaced, and with numbered pages. Formatting the manuscript in this fashion, and masking the author's identity, will speed up the processing of your submission. Inquiries for the AHR Editorial Office, including correspondence regarding manuscript submissions and books for review, should be addressed to Editor, American Historical Review, 914 E. Atwater Ave., Bloomington IN 47401-3600. Our e-mail address is [email protected] .

No manuscript will be considered for publication if it is concurrently under consideration by another journal or press or if it has been published or is in submission, under contract, or in press elsewhere. Both restrictions apply to the substance as well as to the exact wording of the manuscript. If the manuscript is accepted, the editors expect that its appearance in the AHR will precede republication of the essay, or any significant part thereof, in another work. Final decisions regarding publication are up to the discretion of the editors.

In considering submissions for publication in the AHR , the editors look for articles that are new in content and interpretation and make a fresh contribution to historical knowledge. Our primary criterion, however, is the appropriateness of each article for our distinctive audience. Because our readers embrace all fields of history and are located throughout the world, the AHR has a responsibility to publish essays that reach beyond the specialties that have enlivened yet also fragmented the discipline in recent years. Consequently, we seek manuscripts that can engage the common interests of as many historians as possible.

We realize that historical scholarship likely to interest a large and diverse readership can be written in many ways. The editors try to identify those submissions that not only demonstrate an author's command of a specific subject but also have the potential to communicate their implications to scholars working in other fields. Even a manuscript with a very precise focus can be framed in a way that broadens its appeal to readers outside a particular field. It may, for example, effectively demonstrate a methodology that other scholars might find useful even though the subject matter of the essay itself is not directly in their field. Or it might add fresh insights into a historical experience in ways that would interest other historians concerned with the same experience in different spatial or temporal contexts. Manuscripts likely to engage common concerns may also be explicit discussions of historical methodology; or they may be review essays that analyze current trends in particular fields of historical inquiry. We also encourage historiographical essays that synthesize emerging trends in non-English-language scholarship and/or in areas of the world currently underrepresented in a scholarly discourse long dominated by academics based in Anglo-American universities.

Given our mandate to engage the interests of the entire discipline, we also seek articles that address the spatial, temporal, and thematic dimensions of contemporary historical inquiry. For much of its history, the AHR published essays primarily on the history of North America and Western Europe, largely because they constituted the bulk of our submissions, but also because of a Western bias as to what was considered historically of value. Although we certainly still welcome submissions in those fields, the editors have in recent decades actively encouraged, and continue to encourage, the submission of manuscripts on Africa, Asia, Oceania, Latin America, and the Middle East. We now also renew our commitment to understanding the past broadly not just in terms of geography but also in terms of time and periods. In an era when academic and popular conceptions of history are increasingly presentist in focus, a situation reflected in the preponderance of submissions to the AHR on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, we especially seek manuscripts in ancient, medieval, and early modern history. Thematically, an earlier concentration on political history has been broadened in the AHR (as elsewhere in the discipline) with a diverse array of topics. Cultural history and historiography now have a more prominent place in our pages than they once did, as do the history of race and gender and, more recently, LGBTQ, environmental, digital, transnational, and global history, to name but a few vibrant areas of inquiry. While we continue to welcome submissions on these and other emerging topics of interest, we remain open to fresh approaches to more traditional sorts of scholarship, such as political, diplomatic, military, and economic history.

As we strive to fulfill our mandate to a diverse readership with a balanced presentation of fields and subjects, the editors construct the article section by applying these standards to the approximately 360 manuscripts that are submitted to the AHR each year. The vast majority of those essays are unsolicited, but we do on occasion commission articles on particular topics, as well as essays and commentaries for AHR Forums, Roundtables, and Exchanges. We are able to publish approximately 8-10 percent of the manuscripts we receive. These articles are selected through a rigorous review process. Every manuscript is evaluated by the AHR staff. Those with the greatest promise are sent anonymously to members of the AHR Board of Editors for further review. Upon recommendation by board members, essays are then sent to specialists to undergo double-blind peer review. All reviews are designed not only to evaluate each manuscript's suitability for publication in the AHR but also to help authors clarify their argument and explain their essays' broader implications. Approximately one-fourth of the manuscript submissions go through this entire evaluation process. Those that we select to publish then are subject to several rounds of further revision and reevaluation. As a consequence of these evaluation methods, every article published in the AHR has been reviewed by at least six scholars, and sometimes more. However, the editors remain committed to a timely reviewing process. We do not maintain a lengthy backlog of articles, and we try to reach a decision about each manuscript within six to eight months of its submission. Though the process is rigorous, most authors are pleased with the results of these procedures, and the large number of prizes that AHR articles have won over the years attests to their value. Although the journal is openly available only to AHA members and institutional subscribers, published AHR authors will receive a free link to the full text of their article on the Oxford University Press website. They may transmit that freely open link to others or post it to their own website or in an institutional repository, provided there is no charge for access to that site. The AHR does not accept author processing fees.

As a final guide to publishing articles in the AHR , the editors would like to repeat the advice our predecessors printed on these pages forty years ago: "The AHR does not stand at the top of a pyramid of scholarly prestige, automatically to be tried first by an ambitious author before he moves on to a 'lesser' journal. Rather, the AHR , with certain other general periodicals, has another purpose than the specialized journals, defined in both a limiting and a liberating sense by its readership. It is concerned with large, persistent themes and genuine, broadly interesting innovation; it is a vehicle for general scholarly communication or for specialized studies that transcend the normal boundaries or expectations of their fields. It therefore stands as testimony, however fragmented and isolated the various fields of history sometimes seem, to the essential unity of the profession" ("Articles for the AHR : An Editorial,"American Historical Review 75, no. 6 [October 1970]: 1580).

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Incorporating alt text (alternative text) when submitting your paper helps to foster inclusivity and accessibility. Good alt text ensures that individuals with visual impairments or those using screen readers can comprehend the content and context of your figures. The aim of alt text is to provide concise and informative descriptions of your figure so that all readers have access to the same level of information and understanding, and that all can engage with and benefit from the visual elements integral to scholarly content. Including alt text demonstrates a commitment to accessibility and enhances the overall impact and reach of your work.  

Alt text is applicable to all images, figures, illustrations, and photographs. 

Alt text is only accessible via e-reader and so it won’t appear as part of the typeset article. 

Detailed guidance on how to draft and submit alt text . 

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Historical Transactions

Royal historical society, blog and online resources.

Ten Tips for Getting Published in Academic Journals

by Administrator | Aug 17, 2021 | General , RHS Work | 0 comments

On Wednesday 21 July 2021 the Royal Historical Society hosted the first in a new series of training workshops for Post-Graduate and Early Career Historians: ‘ Getting Published: a guide to first articles and journal publishing’ .

The event brought together journal editors and publishers, recent first-time authors, and early career historians. Its aim was to demystify the process of journal publishing and provide practical advice and tips on how best to succeed. We recently released the event video which contains numerous tips and insights.

Here we pull out a ‘Top 10’ from the panel and discussion: 10 key things for historians to bear in mind when writing and submitting a first journal article.

Thanks again to our panellists and audience on 21 July and, also, to Dr Sarah Johanesen for choosing and summarising these 10 Points to Remember in this post.

1. Choose a self-contained section of your research (watch the discussion at 1:07:57 in the video)

ECR panellist Sasha Rasmussen took her first article from a section of her thesis ‘which didn’t need a lot of theoretical scaffolding, it was pretty self-contained. It made a concrete point’. While in your thesis you can lead a reader in, an article needs ‘to hit them with the point, and 8000 (ish) words is a lot shorter than you think it is.’

2. Use Journal websites (discussion at: 14:23)

Professor Sandra den Otter, co-editor of the Journal of British Studies , discussed the importance of researching which journals would be the best fit for your research – and using their websites to do so.

‘Sites provide information about the overarching mandate or aims of the journal, and they might signal openness to new methodological approaches that particularly suits your research, or preference for certain kinds of research. If you dip into the table of contents of recent issues of the journal, you’ll develop a sense of the tone of the journal too, you can sample articles to become more familiar’.

Other important information can also be found online such as length limits, style guides, submission instructions, and contact details for the editors.

3. Consider your goals and publishing beyond academia (discussion at: 1:27:00)

ECR panellist Dr Diya Gupta advised that if you don’t want an academic career, or feel as if one isn’t working out, ‘then it might not be worth the time investing in publishing in a top-rated journal’. You might want to consider other ways of getting your research out into the world, ‘turn it perhaps into a trade book and have more of a popular readership’.

‘Publishing in journals is one type of approach, and it’s about weighing up that type of type of approach with many other types of approaches you could also take’.

4. Position your work as making an intervention in current debates (discussion at: 08:17)

Professor Emma Griffin, President of the Royal Historical Society, has only recently stepped down from her position as co-editor of the Historical Journal . As an editor, she explained they are looking for ‘how relevant’ your work ‘is to other people who are working in broadly cognate areas’, and ‘how you’re going to intervene’ in scholarly conversation. She urged junior scholars to, ‘think in terms of an intervention, as well as in terms of the conversation.’

Panel 1 brought together journal editors and publishing specialists. Clockwise from top left: Professor Emma Griffin, Editor of ‘Historical Journal’ and RHS President; Professor Sandra den Otter, Editor of the ‘Journal of British Studies’; Dr Rebekah Lee, Editor of the ‘Journal of Southern African Studies’; and Professor Jane Winters of the School of Advanced Study, University of London

5. Your abstract is ‘your calling card’ (discussion at: 30.09)

Dr Rebekah Lee, co-editor of the Journal of Southern African Studies , explained that abstracts are often the only thing reviewers see before volunteering to review your paper, ‘it’s your calling card’.

‘so often I find that Junior scholars don’t spend enough time with actually getting their abstract quite right, and so it’s important, particularly in our case it’s an interdisciplinary journal’.

Make sure the abstract clearly indicates the debates your article intervenes in, your disciplinary, regional, and chronological focus, your source base, and your key arguments. If it ‘misrepresents or doesn’t fully represent what it is your papers about, then you’re not getting your paper sent to the best possible’ reviewer.

6. Rejection is not reflection (discussion at: 23:54)

Journal publishing is about fitting the right article with the right audience. So, as Professor den Otter reminded us:

‘it’s important not to leap to conclusions about the quality of your life’s work if your first approach to a journal is discouraging or does not run smoothly. Everyone has received discouraging news from journals, but persevere, and your work, with persistence and with an eye to its quality, will reach the audiences and join the conversations with which you’d like to engage.’

7. Review before the Reviewers (discussion at: 1:14:15)

Our third ECR panellist, Dr Jonah Miller, explained that even before sending his article to a Journal he received extensive advice from his supervisor, and got ‘feedback from a group of peers,’ through a reading group where they shared their work. He strongly suggests doing something like this as you ‘get lots of different perspectives, and it’s a kind of preliminary to the reviewers’ reports. And I think if I hadn’t done that then the reviewers reports would have been a lot harsher’.

8. Don’t panic about Open Access fees (discussion at: 41:40)

Our final editorial expert and Vice-President of the RHS, Professor Jane Winters, gave some valuable insight into Open Access publishing – particularly for those who must publish Open Access due to their funding – explaining the difference between Green Open Access and Gold Open Access.

‘A key point to remember is that you don’t ever have to pay a fee, the Green route to Open Access is absolutely fine. And it’s allowed by the vast majority of journals.’

Even where Gold access is absolutely required, ‘Your host institution will have a dedicated open access fund that you may be able to call on depending on demand.’ Although this is not an option for those without institutional affiliation, this is one of the ‘clear inequalities in the system, which the Royal Historical Society has been doing work to try and raise awareness’ of, so that it can be changed.

Though it came just too late for our event, UKRI has just announced its new policy on Open Access publications based on research it funds – e.g. via the Arts and Humanities Research Council. A separate RHS blog (10 August) explains what the UKRI decisions mean for historians: don’t worry, the AHRC funding does not refer to doctorates and publications arising from doctoral research.

Panel 2 brought together three recently published authors in conversation with Emma Griffin. Clockwise from top right: Dr Jonah Miller, Dr Diya Gupta and Sasha Rasmussen.

9. Check the Journal’s Open Access compliance (discussion at: 43:42)

Professor Winters added that when researching which journal you wish to send your article to, there is a useful online tool which allows you to check their Open Access policies.

‘It’s called, slightly oddly, Sherpa Romeo … and you can just enter a journal or publisher name, to find out more information about what they offer, and it’s very up to date and it’s tied to particular funders and their funding mandate.’

10. Just email and ask!

Throughout the panel on the Editors’ perspective and the Q&A session at the end this came through repeatedly. Journals are incredibly diverse, and what’s true for one may not be true for another.

Perhaps you have questions about support for authors who are neuro-divergent, non-native English speakers, or have other access requirements? You might want to know whether the journal would accept a translated piece, or allow re-publication elsewhere in a foreign language? Do you have queries about getting the rights to images, or want to know what level of support the journal can offer in getting funding for that?

If you cannot find the information you are looking for, simply email the editors. You may just be the first to ask, and you may be surprised by the support they can offer in fully realising your research

Where next?

You can check out further resources at the bottom of this page, and the articles of our ECR panel at the following journals:

• Dr Diya Gupta , ‘Bodies in Hunger: Literary Representations of the Indian Home-Front During World War II’, Journal of War & Culture Studies , 13: 2 (2020), pp. 196-214. [URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/17526272.2019.1644274 ]
• Dr Jonah Miller , ‘The Touch of the State: Stop and Search in England, c.1660–1750’, History Workshop Journal , 87 (Spring, 2019), pp. 52-71. [URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/hwj/dby034 ]
• Sasha Rasmussen , ‘Musicians, Students, Listeners: Women and the Conservatoire in pre-war Paris and St Petersburg’, Cultural and Social History , 18: 2 (2021), pp.221-42. [URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/14780038.2021.1902608 ]

Our compiler, Dr Sarah Johanesen ‘s own first article, ‘‘That silken Priest ’: Catholic disguise and anti-popery on the English Mission (1569–1640)’ was published in Historical Research , 93 (Feb 2020), pp. 38-51 [URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/hisres/htz010 ]

Further Resources

(selected guides from publishers, blogs and learned societies).

• Society of Historical Archaeology: How to publish your first journal article
• Jobs.ac.uk: Getting Published
• Taylor and Francis: Publishing your research
• Sage: How to get published
• Past & Present Society: Getting published in journals
• NACBS: Publish, don’t perish!
• American Historical Association: Publishing in journals , plus other articles on the AHA’s Perspectives on History
• Get a Life, PhD: How to publish an article in an academic journal
• Get a Life, PhD: How to respond to revise and resubmit
• Further publishing guides and resources from the RHS (from 2014-15: covering journals, edited collections and monographs)

Follow This Blog

After weeks of deliberating over the right words and fine-tuning your creative nonfiction piece , you’re ready to begin submitting to literary nonfiction journals. The only problem is finding the right home for your creative nonfiction submission. What journals or literary nonfiction magazines should you prioritize submitting your work to?

Find your answer here: we’ve searched the net for great creative nonfiction journals, and any of the following 24 publications is a wonderful home for creative nonfiction—guaranteed.

If you’re looking to submit multiple genres of work, take a look at the best places to submit poetry and the best places to submit fiction , too!

24 Creative Nonfiction Magazines to Submit To

Just like our other guides on the best literary journals to submit to, we’ve divided this article into three different categories:

• Great journals to secure your first publications in
• Competitive journals for writers with previous publications
• High-tier creative nonfiction journals at the summit of publishing

Any publication in the following 24 journals is sure to jumpstart your literary career. So, let’s explore the best nonfiction magazines and journals!

Creative Nonfiction Magazines: Great First Publications

The following eight journals sponsor creative nonfiction from both emerging and established writers, making them great opportunities for writers in any stage of their journey.

1. Sundog Lit

Sundog Lit loves the weird and experimental, and it regularly seeks innovative nonfiction for its biannual journal. All submitted works should be well-researched and play with both form and content. Submit your hybrid content to this great creative nonfiction journal!

2. River Teeth Journal

River Teeth Journal specializes in narrative nonfiction. The journal operates with the motto “Good Writing Counts and Facts Matter,” which captures their preference for well-researched and thoughtfully composed CNF. Literary nonfiction submissions are open twice a year, typically between September and May.

3. Atticus Review

Atticus Review posts daily nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. They publish work that is unabashed and resilient, finding hope in even the toughest of situations. All published works after September 19th, 2020 receive a $10 award from this creative nonfiction journal!

4. Barren Magazine

Barren Magazine publishes nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and photography, preferring works with grit and muster. Each publication of this creative nonfiction magazine includes prompts: for their 17th issue, the prompts are “unorthodox, sensational, kinetic, quixotic, & transcendent.”

5. The Offing

The editors at The Offing look for work that’s innovative, genre-bending, and challenges conventions. The Offing is especially keen to support both new and established authors, making them a welcome home for your creative nonfiction submissions.

6. Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse sponsors emerging and diverse voices in its biannual publication. Submissions for this journal remain open between September and May, and they typically range between 2,500 and 5,000 words. This is a great literary journal to submit to for writers of all styles and narratives!

7. Dogwood: a Journal of Poetry and Prose

Dogwood is a journal of poetry and prose based out of Fairfield University. This annual publication only opens for submissions in the Fall, and each edition includes prizes for top pieces. Literary nonfiction from all walks of life are welcome here.

8. Montana Mouthful

Straight out of the Treasure State, Montana Mouthful seeks “just a mouthful” of fiction and nonfiction. Creative nonfiction submissions should not exceed 2,000 words but should still deliver a cogent, memorable story.

Creative Nonfiction Magazines: Reputable Literary Journals to Submit To

The following literary magazines and creative nonfiction journals can be tough competition, but with a few previous publications under your belt and a special story ready for print, the following journals could jumpstart your literary career. All of these journals have fantastic literary nonfiction examples!

9. Conjunctions

Conjunctions publishes daring works of poetry and prose, living by its motto to “Read Dangerously!” Submitted works should provoke, excite, and linger with the reader. Conjunctions publishes both a biannual magazine and a weekly online journal, both of which house fantastic literary journalism.

10. Black Warrior Review

Black Warrior Review is a biannual literary journal run by the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. This Whiting Awarded journal nurtures groundbreaking literary nonfiction, fiction, and poetry, with many of its authors going on to win Pushcarts and Best of the Net prizes!

11. Hippocampus

Hippocampus Magazine is one of the best creative nonfiction magazines out there, as it focuses solely on the publication of personal essays and nonfiction stories. Their strictly digital publication is highly literary and has many great creative nonfiction examples and pieces. Despite being a highly competitive journal, both new and emerging writers can find a home at Hippocampus .

12. American Literary Review

The American Literary Review , run out of the University of North Texas, publishes engaging and precise stories and poetry. The journal is currently on hiatus, but read some of its back issues and you’ll understand why it’s a great literary journal to submit to.

13. Fourth Genre

Fourth Genre is a biannual creative nonfiction journal published through Michigan State University. The journal amplifies diverse and powerful voices, seeking stories that are refreshing, earnest, and imaginative. Fourth Genre only publishes nonfiction, so read its back issues for some great creative nonfiction examples!

14. The Cincinnati Review

The Cincinnati Review is interested in literary nonfiction that can “knock your socks off.” Submissions for personal essays are open between September and January; writers can also submit flash nonfiction year-round to its miCRo series.

15. Creative Nonfiction

“True stories, well told” is the motto of Creative Nonfiction , the aptly-named journal of all things CNF. Creative Nonfiction celebrates a diverse range of voices and experiences, championing both new and established essayists. Between its literary publications and its creative nonfiction blog, writers can learn a lot from this journal. Send your creative nonfiction submissions to Creative Nonfiction !

16. Witness

Witness publishes prose and poetry that examines and analyzes the modern day. They seek stories about modern issues and events, often publishing bold and eclectic takes on serious issues. Witness is a more politically-oriented journal, making it a leader in contemporary literary journalism.

Creative Nonfiction Magazines: The Summit of Literary Nonfiction

The following journals are notoriously difficult to publish in, as writers often have to have a name built for themselves in the literary world. Nonetheless, the following publications exist at the summit of CNF, so keep these publications on your radar as top literary journals to submit to.

AGNI , a highly literary publication run at Boston University, publishes fiery, transformative prose and poetry. Creative nonfiction submissions should be polished, inventive, and highly original. Be sure to read their previous publications for an idea of what they look for!

18. The Atlantic

The Atlantic is well-respected for its literary journalism, making it a premier publisher of creative nonfiction. Though many of its published pieces are solicited, The Atlantic is always looking for fresh, bold stories and poetry, so it’s a premier place for nonfiction magazine submissions.

Salon does not present itself as a creative nonfiction journal, but many of its previous magazine issues are highly literary in nature, examining current issues with a sharp, educated lens. If you have nonfiction stories that are both personal and global in nature, Salon accepts queries for articles and editorials, so check them out!

20. The Antioch Review

The Antioch Review is a real page-turner, as their past publications can attest to. This highly literary journal publishes fantastic prose and poetry, and if you have a creative nonfiction piece that’s riveting and influential, The Antioch Review is looking for your creative nonfiction submissions.

21. The Colorado Review

The Colorado Review is a tri-annual publication steeped in history, with original issues featuring poetry and prose from Langston Hughes, E. E. Cummings, Henry Miller, etc. The journal is committed to contemporary literature, seeking voices that are transformative and capture today’s (or tomorrow’s) zeitgeist. The Colorado Review is a fantastic space for literary journalism and will certainly welcome your creative nonfiction.

22. The Virginia Quarterly

The Virginia Quarterly publishes a wide array of literary nonfiction, fiction, and poetry, promising both ample readership and ample pay. VQR seeks inventive and imaginative stories, and it accepts both personal essays and nonfiction pieces on literary and cultural criticism. Submissions are generally open in July, but keep tuned for any special announcements or brief reading periods!

23. New England Review

New England Review is a quarterly publication of all things literary. The journal is dedicated to publishing both emerging and established voices, though it remains a highly competitive journal for creative nonfiction. NER is a great literary journal to submit to for stories that are engaged, critical, and sparkling.

24. North American Review

The North American Review is the oldest literary magazine in the United States. Since its inception in 1815, it remains one of the best nonfiction magazines to submit to, publishing strong literary voices with imaginative story arcs and moving messages. Nonfiction magazine submissions at North American Review are always spectacular—go check them out!

Tips for Publishing Your Creative Nonfiction Submissions

“How do I get my nonfiction published with so many other voices in the room?” This is a question we hear often, and as writers in the modern day, we can’t help but notice how diverse the publishing world is, and how everything “has already been written.” How can you make sure your story gets published in the right creative nonfiction magazines?

Of course, no story is guaranteed publication, but if you’ve written an earnest, sparkling story with grit, character, and truth, then the right literary journals to submit to are in this list. Additionally, you can boost your chances of success with the following publishing tips:

Start With a Powerful Title

Your creative nonfiction submissions should draw the reader in right away, which means starting with an attention-grabbing title. Your title could be a singular and obscure word, or it could be a long description, or anything in-between—the goal is to stand out while representing your story faithfully.

Here are some great titles we saw from a brief glance at the literary nonfiction examples from Hippocampus :

• Bar Bathroom Graffiti in New Orleans: A One Year Catalog by Kirsten Reneau
• Necrokedeia for Children by Mark Hall
• Ford Motor Company Tells Me About Perseverance by Alexis Annunziata

These titles give you an idea about the story itself while also drawing you in with wit, humor, or obscurity. Literary editors have thousands of stories to read each year; give them something to notice so you can stand out among the rest!

Follow the Creative Nonfiction Journal’s Formatting Guidelines

A surefire way to receive rejections on your literary nonfiction is to ignore the formatting guidelines. Each journal has its own requirements, though they often align with MLA formatting requirements, but be sure you follow the journal’s instructions faithfully, or else they may discard your submission without even reading it.

Read the Creative Nonfiction Magazine’s Past Issues

The 24 publications mentioned in this article are some of the best nonfiction magazines in the world, in part because they adhere so strongly to their tastes and preferences. As such, no two journals are alike, and each publication has its own expectations for the nonfiction they read and publish. Before you submit your creative nonfiction, be sure to read some past publications and gauge whether your essay will fit in with the journal’s literary tastes.

Keep Track of Your Submissions

Many creative nonfiction journals allow simultaneous submissions, meaning you can submit the same piece to multiple journals. However, if one journal accepts your work, you need to notify the other journals that it has been accepted and is no longer available for consideration.

Keeping track of your creative nonfiction submissions in a spreadsheet or personal organizer is essential: if multiple journals publish your story, it could harm your chances of getting published in the future.

Aim High—But Not Too High

Your personal essay deserves to be read, but if you’re only submitting to journals like VQR or The Atlantic, it might never see the light of day. Part of the publishing process means building your publication history and portfolio.

Your literary journalism will one day get published in Salon or the New York Times, but until then, focus on getting recognized in smaller and medium sized journals—and don’t let rejections bring you down, because it’s only up from here!

Fine-Tune Your Creative Nonfiction Submissions with Writers.com

Looking for extra help on writing your personal essay, lyric essay, or hybrid nonfiction piece? The instructors at Writers.com are ready to assist you. Gain valuable insight and diverse perspectives on your nonfiction stories before submitting them to the 24 creative nonfiction magazines we’ve listed.

Good luck, and happy writing!

Sean Glatch

This is a very well written, informative and inclusive article, and I will follow up. The art piece is wonderful.

Here is another market that pays authors https://www.authormag.com/paying-market/

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Write for Aeon

How to pitch an Essay to Aeon

Since 2012, Aeon has established itself as a unique digital magazine, publishing some of the most profound and provocative thinking on the web. We ask the big questions and find the freshest, most original answers, provided by leading thinkers on science, philosophy, society and the arts.

Our signature format at Aeon is the Essay, a longform, deep dive into a topic, generally 2,500-5,000 words, presented from a unique angle, drawing together various strands of knowledge and experience, and written with clarity and verve to make ideas accessible to a curious and intelligent general reader.

Who writes for Aeon? Most of our Essays are written by academic experts, but certainly not all. If you are not an academic, but have significant professional or practical expertise in your field, don’t hesitate to bring us a great idea for an Essay. We also strongly encourage younger and emerging scholars, especially outside the US and the UK, to pitch Essay ideas to us, even if you don’t have much experience in writing outside of the academy. We love working with enthusiastic and dedicated writers with exciting, new ideas, and we’re good mentors.

The editing process:

• We’re known for our exacting, intensive editing process. If you write for us, you can expect to write 3-5 drafts of your essay, which will also be professionally factchecked and copyedited.
• If you don’t feel comfortable with being edited and responding to factchecking queries, then it’s probably better not to pitch to us.
• The whole process generally takes about 3 months from submitting a good first draft until publication.
• Your pitch will be assigned to one of our commissioning editors who will be your principal point of contact throughout the process.

A successful Essay:

• explores a subject of perennial interest, meaning that it can be read at any time, rather than being linked to a topical news story;
• is cosmopolitan in scope, so that it can be read anywhere in the world; and
• aligns with our values of pluralism and inclusivity.

A successful pitch:

• clearly, boldly and briefly outlines the Essay’s argument;
• makes the case for why the Essay is worth reading; and
• demonstrates your expertise in the subject and a real passion for what you’re going to write about.

To get a better sense of what we’re looking for, we encourage you to familiarise yourself with Aeon’s archives, where you will find examples of the Aeon Essay format and the range of topics we cover.

Please note that we are interested in receiving pitches, not completed drafts. We are not looking for rebuttals to previous pieces, news commentary or book reviews. As we receive a high volume of pitches, we cannot respond to every enquiry. We’ll be in touch if we’d like to pursue your Essay idea.

Terms and conditions for authors

See our Author Terms .

• For writers whose principal income is from their writing, we pay a freelance fee.
• For all others, we pay an honorarium.
• If your pitch is successful, we will let you know details of the relevant fee for your country of residence before you sign a contract.

If you have a pitch for a completed short documentary, or have any additional video inquiries, please email [email protected]

Writing for us

Please read our submissions guidelines below before sending us your proposal.

The History Press welcomes submissions from both new and established authors. If you have a work of historical or general non-fiction you would like to share, we would love to hear from you. We encourage you to explore our list online for an idea of categories to help with your proposal. Please note,  we do not publish fiction or poetry .

How do I submit a proposal? All proposals should be sent to  [email protected] . Please do not email us your complete manuscript, but instead send a synopsis of no more than 200 words and a short biographical note. You should clearly state the working title and/or subject in the subject line of the email. Please also include your full contact details – name, title, email address, postal address and telephone number.

What should the synopsis include?

The synopsis you submit should clearly demonstrate the following:

• the concept
• the target audience
• what makes your book appealing (especially important for memoirs / diaries etc.)
• the book’s unique selling points (how does it differ from a competitor’s?)
• a proposed word count 
• a proposed number of illustrations (and proposed sources)

What should I put in my biographical note?

This section is your opportunity for you to tell us a bit about yourself. Please include the following:

• why you are qualified to write the book, to include details of previous publications
• involvement in societies, events and communities relevant to your subject
• any experience you have in public speaking, e.g. radio interviews or lecturing
• any links with newspapers and media that could help you market your book

What happens next?

We will review every proposal that we receive, although due to the high volume of submissions  we cannot always reply to unsuccessful proposals . If we have not responded within six weeks, it means we have decided not to take your proposal further. If we decide to take your idea forward, the relevant commissioning editor will get in touch and we will send you a questionnaire to learn more about you and your book. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Out of the Classroom and Into the World: 70-Plus Places to Publish Teenage Writing and Art

By Katherine Schulten

• Nov. 15, 2018

June, 2021: Updated with new opportunities.

When we ask teachers why they bring their classes to our site, we always hear one answer first: Posting in our public forums gives young people an “authentic audience” for their voices and ideas.

We’re honored to serve that role, and this week we’ll be talking about it on a panel at the National Council of Teachers of English conference . As a companion to our talk, on the theme of “Why You Should Publish Student Work — and Where and How to Do It,” we’ve compiled this list of opportunities specifically for teenage writers and visual artists. We hope, with your help, to crowdsource even more.

The list begins with our own offerings and those of our N.C.T.E. panel partner, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards , and goes on to name dozens more that are open to young people in the United States — though many, including ours, also accept work from students around the world.

Please note what we did NOT include: In-person events or competitions; sites that do not seem to be taking submissions now or in the near future; opportunities open only to those from a specific state or region; opportunities open only to members of specific organizations; or competitions that require the use of paid products.

But, of course, we know this list is incomplete. What should we add? Let us know in the comments, or by writing to [email protected], and thank you.

Note: The descriptions below have been taken directly from the sites themselves. Please check the rules and requirements for each to decide if they are right for your students.

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• Tips to Help You Publish Your Personal Essays Authored by Sheila Bender, discusses strategies for identifying popular press, small presses and regional/local publishers to publish your essay in.
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38 Publishers that Pay for Personal Essays

For those who have a true story to share, this list is for you. It’s a list of publishers that pay for personal essays.

I’ve included a wide variety of publications here. All of them pay for the essays they publish. You’ll find contact information, as well.

For those interested in learning more about writing and publishing personal essays, I highly recommend watching my hour long discussion with the editor of HuffPost Personal. (Essays published in HuffPost often reach millions of readers.)

Also, for those looking for even more options, you may want to look into literary journals that publish creative nonfiction. Literary journals tend to want submissions of complete drafts, and are less likely to pay, but are still a good option for many writers. Authors Publish has an older list of such journals here.

For paid subscribers, if you have any requests, in terms of future lists you would like me to put together, please let me know!

Extra Points is “a newsletter about business, policy, and off-the-field stories in college sports.” They’re looking for freelance pitches. They’re interested in “reported stories, personal essays, and interviews in the ‘off-the-field stories in college sports’ umbrella.” They pay a base rate of $350. They also give bonuses for driving new subscriptions. Send your pitches to [email protected] . To learn more, refer to this post and their ‘about’ page . 

Rooted in Rights Blog is a “platform dedicated to amplifying the authentic perspectives of disabled writers.” They are looking for articles and op-eds on disability rights topics, by writers who identify as disabled. Their standard word count is 500 words, especially for creative nonfiction and personal essays. They pay on a sliding scale, with the minimum payment being $400. To learn more, refer to this page .

Solver Stories is a feature in New York Times’ column, Gameplay. It includes personal essays regarding the effect of puzzles on people’s lives. They prefer essays of 800 to 1,000 words. They pay $1.50 per word. To find out more, read their submission guidelines .

HerStories Project is a website for Gen X women. They publish personal essays "about what it’s like to be a Gen-X woman at midlife”. They are seeking personal essay submissions for their ‘Midstory Magazine’ on topics ‘life, love, loss, and friendship at midlife.’ They also accept submissions for their column "Unsent Letters". They take completed drafts, not pitches. The preferred word count is 750-2000 words and pay is $75 for accepted essays and as they grow, their first priority would be to increase it to $100. (They've already increased it from $50.) To learn more, read their submission guidelines .

HuffPost Personal is a personal stories section in HuffPost (a news and opinion website). Their personal stories are “original, authentic, compelling and told in the first person.” To pitch, refer to this page . Watch our interview with the editor here.

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How Historians Publish History

What do historians do with their research once they finish writing about it?

How do historians publish the books and articles we love to read?

This episode of our Doing History: How Historians Work series, takes us behind-the-scenes of how historians publish their writing about history.

Our guide through the world of history publications is Joshua Piker, a Professor of History at the College of William & Mary, and the Editor of the William and Mary Quarterly, the leading journal of early American history and culture.

Episode Summary

In this 10th episode of our Doing History: How Historians Work series, we investigate how historians publish the history books and articles we love to read with Joshua Piker, a Professor of History at the College of William and Mary and the Editor of the William and Mary Quarterly , the leading journal of early American history and culture.

During our conversation, Josh reveals an overview of why historians view history as a process; Different publication opportunities for historians and how publication fits within the process of history; And a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to publish in the premier journal of early American history and culture, the William and Mary Quarterly.

What You’ll Discover

• The process of history
• Publication opportunities for historians
• What historians mean by “popular” and “scholarly” history
• The  William and Mary Quarterly
• What makes the  William and Mary Quarterly  different from other history journals
• The work Josh performs as the editor of a history journal
• The submission-to-publication process at the  Quarterly
• The 3 must-haves of  WMQ  essays
• Peer review: what is it and how it works
• Why the  WMQ  uses a double-blind peer review process
• How book publishers use peer review
• Publishing a journal article from an author’s perspective
• How historians use peer review to make their work better
• The time investment in each article
• The OI Reader and how it adds a digital component to printed articles

Links to People, Places, and Publications

• Joshua Piker
• Josh’s  William a nd Mary webpage
• William and Mary Quarterly
• Subscribe to  William and Mary Quarterly
• The OI Reader app
• Kirsten Fischer’s blog post
• Joshua Piker,  The Four Deaths of Acorn  Whistler: Telling Stories in Colonial America
• Joshua Piker,  Okfuskee: A Creek Indian Town in Colonial America
• Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture
• Journal of American History
• Journal of Early American History
• Early American Studies
• Journal of the Early Republic

Recent posts

• History & Historians in the Public April 27, 2020
• The History of Genealogy April 20, 2020
• How Genealogists Research April 13, 2020

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