If your niche is writing about family matters, parenting, and everything that goes along with having kiddos, magazines that pay writers are plentiful.
No doubt you’ve heard of some of the heavy hitters like Family Circle or Parenting. These national magazines can be great places to pitch and get paid well.
But they’re not the only magazines that pay writers in this niche.
The next time you’re at the library, grocery store, or even the doctor’s office, take look at the magazines available to read. Chances are pretty good you’ll find a local or regional pub on parenting or family life.
These magazines that pay writers can be a great way to tap into your niche and give readers the skinny on changing diapers, cooking for picky eaters, homework help, things to do, places to go, and everything else that goes along with family life, too.
If you’re looking for magazines that pay writers for stories about parenting and family matters, check out these pubs, and start pitching.
Ever wonder how parents deal with raising a kid with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD)? Here’s a hint, it’s not all rainbows and unicorns. Yet, about 11 percent of kids (6.4 million) have attention deficit, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Managing editor Wayne Kalyn is always looking for fresh pitches that include first-person articles by parents, employers, and teachers with personal experience working with ADHD kids.
Rates: Pays an average of $100 to $200 per assignment.
Did you know an estimated 150,000 kids are adopted every year in the United States? Based on census data and information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 2 million people in the U.S. were raised by adoptive parents. It’s a life-changing event for kids and parents, and managing editor Eve Gilman says she’s always on the lookout for stories that help parents through the adoption process and provide practical tips on parenting.
Rates: Varies, depending on assignment.
Know what it’s like to be a parent with kids in the state also known as “The Last Frontier?” Check out the editorial calendar to develop a story idea and be sure to follow the query guidelines to submit a pitch.
Rates: $40 to $200 per assignment.
Know where all the family-friendly hot-spots are in Atlanta, Ga.? Want to write about issues that impact parents and children in the community? Have an idea for an Atlanta-based profile on a parent, kid, or family with a compelling story to tell? Pitch editor Tali Toland.
Rates: $100 and up.
If you’re looking for a parenting magazine that still features long-form essays about motherhood, this is it. Brain, Child features essays from 1,500 to 4,500 by mothers about raising kids, work-life balance, personal development, and more, says editor Marcelle Soviero.
Rates: Varies, depending on assignment.
This monthly magazine features stories and content for parents and families in North Carolina. The magazine publishes an annual editorial calendar and themes remaining for 2017 include a special edition on education, holidays/grandparents (November), and holidays/performing arts (December). Pitch ideas to editor Beth Shugg.
Rates: $75 to $300 per assignment.
Michelle Huggins is the editor for Charlotte Parent magazine. She says queries should typically be submitted three months in advance of publication. Queries should focus on stories, events, and ideas, that provide useful advice and resources for parents with kids in the Charlotte area.
Rates: $50 to $150 per assignment.
Your best bet for breaking into Chesapeake Family Life is pitching a feature story on a person, place, family, or special event that makes this place in Maryland a unique place to live for parents with kids, says editor Betsy Stein
Rates: $75 to $200 per assignment
If you’ve heard the chatter about paid essay writing becoming extinct, Chicago Parent hasn’t received the memo. A 400 to 500-word first-person essay with your take on raising kids in the “Windy City” is one of the best ways to break in says editor Tamara O’Shaughnessy. The magazine also publishes news and features about parenting and family life in Chicago.
Rates: $25 to $100-plus per assignment.
What do you know about Cincinnati that’s off the beaten path, different, or unexpected that even locals might not know about? If you can identify a story idea with a fresh angle, or something completely new to Cincinnati parents, editor Susan Bryant wants to hear from you. Check the editorial calendar for monthly themes to help you pitch ideas.
Rates: Varies, depending on assignment.
When Olya Fessard launched Georgia Family magazine about 25 years ago, she did it to help parents find opportunities in the area to help their kids learn and develop. Since then, the magazine has grown to over 15,000 subscribers who want to read about Georgia-based events, travel, family matters, and lifestyle. Submit queries to editor and publisher Olya Fessard.
Rates: $20 to $80 per assignment.
This UK-based magazine covers green-living (UK) topics on raising children, alternative health, and environmental concerns. “We are particularly keen on features written in the first person about a real-life experience,” says editor Melissa Corkill.
Rates: $100 to $200 per assignment.
Before Gretchen Cook was the editor at Gulf Coast Parents & Kids, she was a freelance writer. And she knows what it’s like to hustle, pitch magazines, work with editors, and make a living writing as a freelancer. “The key to successful publication,” says Gretchen, “having the right topic in front of the right editor at the right moment.”
To break into this magazine, you’ll need to pitch story ideas about parenting, family life, and things to do in the Gulf Coast. And if you really want to get Gretchen’s attention, pitch a seasonal story idea months in advance based on the magazine’s editorial calendar.
Rates: $25 per article and up.
Can you be the editor of a parenting magazine, even though you don’t have kids of your own? That’s Cassidy Brighton. But she’s the perfect fit, having grown up in the area with rich family ties, lots of friends, and institutional knowledge of Hudson Valley over the last few decades.
If you’ve got a story idea about summer camp, school, health, family life, and things to do for parents and kids in Hudson Valley, send a query to Cassidy. While the magazine mainly works with local writers, Cassidy says, she open to pitches from writers outside the area.
Rates: $80 to $120 per assignment.
Here’s a hint about landing magazine assignments. Pitch the right editor, and it’s possible to tap into a fountain of work. For example, if you read the details for Cincinnati Parent (No. 13), you’ve already met editor Susan Bryant. But she’s also the editor for Indy’s Child, among other publications. Pitch family-friendly story ideas about life in Indiana based on the editorial calendar to Susan Bryant.
Rates: Varies, depending on assignment.
If you want to tap into this magazine for parents and kids in southeast Michigan, study back issues and get familiar with sections and departments, first. Then pitch editor Julia Elliott. Freelance writers Kristen Gough and Diana Christensen have both written for MetroParent and worked with Julia Elliott on a long list of assignments. “I’ve found that she encourages creativity, exudes professionalism and always expects excellence. I’m glad I’ve been able to work with her,” says Gough.
Rates: $50 to $350 per assignment.
This parenting magazine covers a wide range of topics about parenting, family life, and kid-friendly things to do in Minnesota. Be sure to study the editorial calendar before pitching editor Sarah Jackson. Freelancer Tina Mortimer has completed multiple assignments for Minnesota Parent, and says, “Sarah is not only a wonderful writer and editor, she’s someone I consider a mentor…She has been more than generous with her guidance, feedback, and support.”
Rates: Varies based on assignment.
Want to write about natural and eco-conscious living for parents with kids? Mothering covers topics like alternative childbirth options, breastfeeding, natural family planning, homeschooling, healthy nutrition, and co-sleeping. To break in, you’ll need to be able to validate your ideas with research, interview expert sources, write in journalistic style, and send your pitch to editor Amy Tokic.
Payment: $200 to $500 per article.
If you want to write about family-friendly events in Nashville, this is the magazine to pitch. Managing editor Chad Young says the magazine mainly covers topics, events, and issues for families and parents with kids from newborn to age 14. And he should know, he’s been at the helm of every issue for more than a decade.
Rates: Varies based on assignment.
You might pitch New Jersey Family editor Angel Madison via email, with a story idea about family life in The Garden State. But that’s not the only place you’ll find her. Angel is also the master of the magazine’s social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. The window for pitching stories for 2017 issues may be closing, but you can get an idea of what this magazine is looking for by reviewing the editorial calendar.
Rates: $25 to $100 depending on assignment.
If you want to break into North State Parent, a magazine that covers family life in northern California, you’ll need to do your homework before you pitch editor Lisa Shara. You’ll get her attention with stories that nurture the bonds of “family” and community, especially if you can find an angle for a story that promotes healthy and developmentally-appropriate environments for children.
Rates: Varies depending on assignment.
Know what’s it like to live in the Rose City with kids? In a city that likes its unofficial slogan, “Keep Portland Weird,” there’s ample opportunities to write about the accomplishments of others, things to do, and family matters like health, travel, education, holidays, special events, and much more.
“We believe that local community members want to read something meaningful,” says managing editor Melissa Kniazeva, “something that enhances their relationship with each other and with their community.”
Rates: Varies depending on assignment.
If you didn’t get the manual on how to raise a child, Raising Arizona Kids was created to be the next best thing. Its target audience is adults, ages 25 to 59, trying navigate the sometimes murky waters of being a new parent to raising teenagers in Arizona. “Articles should be written to inform, enlighten, challenge, support, amuse or touch these parents as they grow within their new roles, seek ways to enhance their children’s lives and face the pressure of combining careers and parenting,” says editor Kara Morrison.
Rates: $50 to $250 and up, depending on assignment.
“San Diego Family Magazine connects readers to businesses in the San Diego County,” says Publisher Sharon Bay. “It focuses on families with children between zero and 16. It has a great monthly calendar of events, local resources, education and health topics plus much more. If you want to write for this magazine, check out the editorial calendar that includes a list of hot topics, along with themes and deadlines for upcoming issues. Then send your queries to Managing Editor Lisa Gipson.
Billings, Mont., landed on the map as a railroad town and later became a hub for oil refineries after one of the largest discoveries in U.S. history. And while much of the U.S. struggled during the recession, Billings and the surrounding area grew by 57.8 percent, making it the largest city in the state. With over 157,000 people living in the area, Simply Family is the magazine for stories about parenting and family life for people living in Yellowstone County. Executive Editor Stephanie Toews says the best way to break into the magazine is to pitch a story idea with a strong local angle of interest to parents of a newborn to college-bound teens.
Rates: Varies depending on assignment.
You’ve still got time to submit story ideas for the December issue of Western New York Family Magazine (deadline is Oct. 1). Editor Michelle Miller is looking for stories that focus on holiday happenings as well as education-focused topics for parents and kids living in western New York. Beyond the December issue, Miller says she’s also interested in stories about helping kids prepare for college, and parents going back to school to change careers.
Rates: $40 to $150 per assignment.
What’s it really like to be a working mom and parent? It’s not always easy, but it’s certainly possible to make it work, enjoy life, and be a role model for your kids. That’s the focus of Working Mother magazine. Have an idea for a story? Check out the Contacts page to pitch the right person.
Rates: $100 to $300 per assignment.
Find family-friendly magazines that pay writers
This is by no means an exhaustive list of parenting and family magazines that pay writers. There’s many more. You’ll find some featured in Writers Market. You’ll find some in strategic drop-off locations in your community. And if you do a little digging, you’ll no doubt find other magazines in this niche you can pitch to build your clips file, move up, and earn more.
Have you written for any of these magazines that pay writers? Let’s discuss on Facebook.
Erica Verrillo writes about the business of freelance writing on her blog. She is also the author of the “Phoenix Rising” trilogy novels and “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Treatment Guide.”
The post 27 Parenting and Family Magazines That Pay Writers appeared first on Make A Living Writing.
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