The American Scholar covers public affairs, literature, history, and culture. They have been around since 1932. They are published quarterly by the Phi Beta Kappa Society. They pay up to $500 for print articles. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Ruralite Magazine publishes articles on rural goings-on in the West. They’re looking for submissions for features on people, places, news, and other happenings. Submissions must be mailed in and accompanied by a query
letter to the editor. They pay $50 to $800, depending on the length of the feature. To learn more, read Ruralite Magazine’s submission guidelines.
Overland is a magazine of cultural criticism, essays, and literature. Each week they list topics that they are seeking pitches for. They pay $70 for articles of 500 to 1000 words. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
The Diplomat is a news site that covers the Asia Pacific. Blog articles are 400-800 words. Features start at 1,000 words. Send payment requirements with your pitch. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Youth Today is a trade newspaper for people who work with children and youth. Think social works, youth workers, administrators, policy directors, etc. They do not list their pay rates directly, but WritingCareer.com reports that they pay between $150 and $2,000 per article, as negotiated between the writer and the editor. To contact their senior editor, refer to this page.
AARP: The Magazine accepts submission from freelance writers on a variety of topics, including personal essays. They want “thoughtful, timely, new takes on matters of importance to people over 50.” According to our sources, they pay up to $1 a word. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
The Christian Science Monitor is an international news organization. They’re looking for in-depth, journalistic pieces that display “quality of thought.” They also publish personal essays in their "Home Forum" department. Their basic rate for a story is $200 to $225. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Parabola is the magazine published by The Society for the Study of Myth and Tradition, a non-profit organization. Each issue of Parabola focused on "one of the timeless themes of human existence." The tag line for the magazine is "the Search for Meaning." They pay $150 to $400 for essays, 1,000 to 3,000 words. They also accept book reviews, retellings of traditional stories, and poetry. To learn more, and to submit, read their submission guidelines.
The Sun Magazine is a beautiful magazine with a literary bent and a very loyal following. They have no ads, and they pay their writers well. Up to $2,500 for non-fiction. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.
Country Magazine is all about living the small town, rural lifestyle. They publish stories, photographs, jokes, and recipes. They feature stories and memories of country living. They pay $100 for stories that run a page or more. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.