Kitplanes Magazine is a magazine of kit and amateur-built aircraft construction. Contributions are mostly by aircraft builders and recognized experts active in the field. They accept articles on all phases of aircraft construction, from basic design, to flight trials, to construction technique in wood, metal and composite. They also review and analyze products and services related to amateur-built and kit aircraft construction. Short, focused technical articles are always welcome. Query first. Word count: About 2,000 for major features, unspecified for others. Pay: $250-$1,000. Details here.

Astronomy is a science and hobby magazine for astronomy enthusiasts. Most articles are commissioned, but some unsolicited material is published. Hobby feature topics include observing features, which explain where to find and how to view celestial objects and include sky maps, diagrams, and illustrations. Articles can be aimed at beginning, intermediate, or advanced observers. Photography and imaging features provide how-to advice on capturing portraits of celestial objects on film or in digital format. Equipment features range from product reviews to surveys of telescopes and accessories. They also publish science features. Articles are 1,500-3,000 words. Details here.

Sky & Telescope is the leading magazine for the hobby and science of astronomy. They have a circulation of more than 100,000 subscribers. Payment rates are negotiated with the publisher. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

Western & Eastern Treasures. They want stories about finds by metal detectorists. Full-length features are 1,500-2,000 words. These provide coverage of every aspect of the hobby, with emphasis on current, accurate information and innovative, field-proven advice. Each monthly issue is themed, and has articles on all fields of responsible recreational metal detecting: coinshooting, relic hunting, prospecting, beach combing, ghost towning and more. Pay is $5 for photos, and $0.05/word for features. Details here.

American Craft is the magazine of the American Craft Council. They want good storytelling that explores a craft artist’s struggles, doubts, determination, and triumphs. They like to read about how craft shows up in modern life. When touching on craft theory or history, writers should write clearly and for a non-academic audience. Their guidelines list a number of topics that could be of interest, including artists who use unusual materials, who’ve traveled unusual paths in their work, handmade goods that are stylish, innovative, and affordable, craft that reflects values of sustainability and community, people who’ve collected craft and art objects in a beautiful living space, or U.S. or foreign locales that offer a number of interesting craft destinations for travelers. They have several departments that accept specific kinds of features (see guidelines). Query first. Details here.

Apogee Rockets is a company that sells model rocket making supplies for hobbyists. They regularly publish a newsletter about rocket making. Payment for feature articles goes up to $350. To learn more, read their article submission guidelines.

Classic Toy Trains publishes articles on all aspects of "S, O, and Standard gauge toy trains." Topics covered include various historical toy trains or accessories, interesting layouts, and the history or collectibility of certain models. They previously indicated payment of $75 per page. To learn more read, read their contributor guidelines. 

Trains -- They want photographs, news stories and feature articles covering railroading's past and present, including first-person recollections. They do not buy travel stories, poetry, or fiction. Each issue contains 80-100 photos and 27,000 words. Pay is $15-300 for photos, and begins at $0.10/word for text. Query first. Details here.

Model Railroad Hobbyist is a free magazine for people interested in Model Railroads. They typically pay around $230 per article of 3,000 words, plus photos. These are rather bad rates, as is pointed out in the discussion below their submission guidelines.
 

O Scale Trains is a hobby magazine for scale model trains. They want "articles from model builders who feel their models and/or modeling techniques and experiences would be of interest and benefit to others." They pay $150 per short article. They also pay $50 for product reviews. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

Sew News publishes with "step-by-step information for personalizing ready-to-wear and creating original fashions, accessories, gifts and home décor." They pay $50 to $500 per article; new writers should expect a cap of $150. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

Rock & Gem is a monthly publication, “the leading magazine for rockhounding and lapidary hobbyists.” Editors look for the following articles: field trips, step-by-step lapidary projects, club activities, gold prospecting, lapidary skills for all levels of lapidary enthusiasts, profiles of lapidary artists, and education pieces for beginning rock collectors. According to writer’s guidelines, “Rock & Gem contributors understand that their submission is a work for hire, and that by signing the independent contractor agreement they grant U.S. copyright and all rights in it to the Company (Beckett Media).” Payment is $250 for a feature (2,000-3,000 words) plus 8-10 quality, high-resolution photos and a list of full-sentence, informative captions. To learn more, read writers’ guidelines: http://www.rockngem.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/2017-RG-guidelines1.pdf

Bead & Button is an international magazine about the art and craft of beading. They publish how-to articles and features. They are published 6 times a year. They pay $300-$400 for features. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

Fibre Focus is an in-house magazine of Ontario Handweavers & Spinners. The magazine provides weaving, spinning, dyeing, knitting, basketry, felt making and papermaking as well as sheep raising and craft supply information. They also publish profiles of craftspeople, how-to articles, techniques, news of interest in the fibre world, new developments in fibres and equipment and book reviews. Pay is $30/page, including photos and diagrams. Details here.

Northern Breezes. This sailing magazine focuses on the Great Lakes and Midwest sailing community. Topics of interest include sailing destinations, local sailors, racing, boat maintenance, cruising, day sailing, boat buying, vacation trips and reviews of boats, books and products. Articles relating to the region have a better chance of getting accepted. Length: Up to 2,000 words. Pay: $50-150; $25 for book reviews. Details here.

Cruising Outpost Magazine is a quarterly magazine available in print and electronic versions. It has been “designed from the waterline up to provide people who love the cruising lifestyle with entertainment, information and most of all, a look into what it is really like once you cut your dock lines.” Editors look for article and photo submissions from boaters worldwide. Note: Be sure to specify if you are submitting for internet issue (no payment, one-time use), print issue, or both. Payment for a print edition is $250 for a 500-1,500-word feature story and for a 500-1,000-word feature boat (with 10-12 good photos of a boat under sail). Payment is $50-$100 for departments: “Latitudes & Attitudes” (true stories from Cruisers around the world) and “Minor Features” (anecdotes about experiences while at sea or at anchor). To learn more, read writers’ guidelines: http://www.cruisingoutpost.com/submissions/.

Cruising World publishes articles about live-aboard sailing, sailboat chartering, cruising destinations, and gear. They pay $25 to $1,000 per article. Their guidelines are not freelancer friendly. For example, they ask that you submit an article exclusively to them, but do not state a time frame to expect a response. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

Boating Magazine is focused more on the recreational and athletic side of boating, Boating covers everything from sport-fishing boats to luxury watercraft. Topics include reviews of the latest models, how-to articles, and maintenance tips. You can find their editorial contacts here.

Pacific Yachting covers recreational boating in BC and the Pacific Northwest, including all up-to-date content for the pacific northwest yachting community, both power and sailing. The magazine provides cruising destination reviews, local information, and upcoming events, as well as do-it yourself projects, boat-care articles, and fishing scoops. Their features and department pieces are often written in a hands-on, relatable voice. Check out their submission guidelines here.

Sail Magazine is the magazine for sailing. They "write, edit, and design for everyone who sails – aboard a one-design boat or an offshore racer, aboard a daysailer on a tiny lake or a cruiser crossing great oceans and great distances." According to our research, they pay $200 to $800 per article. They particularly want "small stories with punch." To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

Good Old Boat magazine publishes articles on cruising sailboats. They’re looking for full article submissions that cover “the pride of ownership…upgrades, maintenance, refits, and restoration of good old boats.” They pay from $50 to $700, depending on the type and length of the article. To learn more, read their writers guidelines.

Latitude 38 is a monthly sailing magazine – “the West’s Leading Sailing and Marine Magazine.” Its content includes articles about “the world of sailing through the eyes of the California sailor.” Editors encourage submission of photographs related to the sailing lifestyle, especially pictures of people. A free sample issue is available on the website. Payment (on publication) starts at $125 for 1,500-2,500-word features. To learn more, read writers’ guidelines: http://www.latitude38.com/writers.html.

Small Boats Monthly is a print magazine that features boats and boating adventures. They profile specific boats, share compelling adventure narratives, and profile reader-built boats. They pay 30 cents per word and $50 per photo. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

Sailing Magazine covers all aspects of sailing, from learning how to sail in a dinghy to crossing an ocean on a large cruiser. They focus on sailing places that are realistic destinations for their readers, but can occasionally feature an outstanding and unique sailing destination. Readers are experienced sailors, so articles should use proper sailing terminology. They do not accept first-time sail experiences. Word count: 100-500 for short news stories, 1,000-3,000 for features. They pay: $50-$500. Details here.

PassageMaker Magazine covers all aspects of trawlers and ocean motorboats and welcomes articles from around the world. Articles should be a combination of personal experience and the technical/ informative aspects. General, travel, how-to pieces about the boats and their systems, the crew, and the places they travel are welcome. They also accept articles for Channels, their e-newsletter.
Word count: 800-4,000 for the magazine, up to 1,200 for Channel e-newsletter articles. They pay: $300-950 for the magazine, $150-400 for newsletter articles. Details here.

Wartime is 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.

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.     Website Pitches.

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.

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. Max. Length is 3,000 words. Pay: $60 to $150 per published page. Writers’Guidelines.