Every time I turn to Twitter (I refuse to call it X!), I see at least a couple of tweets about how a journalist was laid off, a freelance writer is having a hard time getting work, and the like.

In many ways, it feels like the whole "get paid to write" thing is crashing down, leaving many of us writers stressed.

And even in the midst of that, there is hope.

I'm always looking for paid writing gigs to share with other writers, and I wanted to round up some I've seen pretty regularly and recently.

1. Insider / Business Insider

What editors are looking for

Conz Preti regularly posts specific calls for personal esaays on topics such as parenting, health, and relationships. She's deleted several of those tweets after finding the writer for them, but some past examples include:

  • Nanny shares
  • Having older parents
  • Generational parenting issues and disagreements
  • Parents who only buy one present for their child during the holidays
  • Different school systems from the eyes of parents

Emily Krivograd is another editor who posts calls for pitches, and typically ones related to lifestyle. Past examples of writers she's looked for include ones who:

  • Recently went on luxurious vacations
  • Have done Pilates
  • No longer shop at Whole Foods
  • Went to see the northern lights in Ireland

Paige is another lifestyle and entertainment editor. In the past, she's asked for stories on:

  • Shopping tips or money-saving tips from Costco and Amazon buyers
  • What frequent cruisers don't do
  • The costs of traveling to the Super Bowl

Stephanie Pitera Statile, yet another lifestyle and entertainment editor, has previously asked for pitches from writers who:

  • Have worked at Crate and Barrel or Pottery Barn
  • Grew up in Italy
  • Owned a restaurant in Italy
  • Traveled through Drake Passage this year

She also shared some of her favorite stories on Twitter to inspire your brainstorming session.

Again, please note these aren't necessarily current calls for pitches, just examples of what some of the editors have asked for in the past to give you an idea.

Contact information for sending your pitch

  • Conz's email, listed in her Twitter bio, is cpreti@insider.com.
  • I wasn't able to find Emily's email, but given the format above, I imagine it's ekrivograd@insider.com.
  • Paige has asked for pitches via Twitter DM several times.
  • Stephanie has also asked for pitches over DM a few times.

Rate

According to the threads referenced above, rates start at $200 to $225 per story.

2. DAME Magazine

What editors are looking for

In February 2024, DAME tweeted that the publication is open to feature pitches and op-ed pitches on the care economy, elder care, women's health, and climate stories that intersect with other issues.

For more information, check out DAME's pitching guidelines.

Contact information for sending your pitch

Instead of reaching out to a specific editor over email, you can send your pitch through DAME's pitch form.

Rate

According to the guidelines above, DAME pays $350 to $750 for a reported story. (Not too shabby, am I right!?)

3. Slate

What editors are looking for

Shannon Palus is a features editor who covers health, science, and more. In a recent tweet, she mentioned she enjoys editing personal essays and also linked the pitch guidelines.

Additionally, Shannon tweeted that "an unusual experience needs to be at the heart" of the essay and that pitches about awareness days and holidays usually don't work.

Other topics Slate covers include culture, human interest, news and politics, tech, business, and sports.

Contact information for sending your pitch

Taken from the pitching guidelines linked above, here are all of Slate's editors and their emails:

Culture

Health and Science

Human Interest

Long-Form Features and Essays

News/Politics & Jurisprudence

Tech

Business

Sports

Check out the respective verticals on the website for a better idea of what Slate's editors publish!

Rate

According to an older tweet, the rate for essays starts at $300 (more if reporting is involved).

4. IJNet

What editors are looking for

Pretty regularly, IJNet tweets out a call for pitches on journalism tools, apps, and resources that the publication hasn't covered yet.

For more insight, check out IJNet's pitching guidelines.

Contact information for sending your pitch

IJNet also uses a pitch form through Submittable.

Rate

According to the tweet linked above, IJNet pays freelancers $200 an article.

5. National Geographic

What editors are looking for

I've seen Starlight Williams tweet calls for pitches a few times.

Most recently, she noted she's looking for conversation starters on timely culture, history, health/wellness, and trend explainers/stories, including mythology, the supernatural, strange history, fitness trends, travel, and more.

In that same tweet thread, she shared examples of stories and pitching tips that are a must-read.

Contact information for sending your pitch

Starlight's email, per the tweet above, is starlight.williams@natgeo.com.

Rate

In a couple of tweets, Starlight noted the rate is $1 a word (which, in my experience, is hard to find nowadays!).

Pitching tips to remember

Now more than ever, it seems like writing a strong pitch is crucial to getting assignments and pitches approved. You have to market both yourself and your story.

Some quick pitching musts I've heard from editors and learned through personal experience:

  • Explain the angle of the story and what you want to include, not just a general topic.
  • Explain why this story is important now and why you should be the one to cover it.
  • Read the website to make sure your idea fits well with what the website typically publishes.
  • Double check your email's or pitch's grammar and spelling (it's more of an issue than you might think!).

For more helpful writing tips and resources, check out this master list of writing articles.

Want to hear about more writing opportunities? I share paid writing gigs weekly through my newsletter, All You Need to Freelance.