where to publish an essay

80 Best Magazines & Websites That Publish Personal Essays

Well, you’re in luck because you’ve just found a list of magazines that accept essay submissions around pop culture, personal finance, personal stories, and many other topics. If you’re passionate about crafting personal essays and your work typically falls within a range of 600 to 10,000 words, consider submitting your essays to the organizations listed below. They generally offer compensation of $50-$250 for each accepted essay. After this guide, you may also want to check my list of the best essays of all time .

Here are the top magazines and publications that publish thought-provoking essays:

1. the new york times – modern love, 2. the new york times – opinion essays.

To submit an essay to this publication, fill out the provided submission form with the essay and a brief explanation of your professional or personal connection to its argument or idea. The essay should include sources for key assertions (either as hyperlinks or parenthetical citations). Although all submissions are reviewed, the publication may not be able to respond individually due to the high volume of entries. If there’s no response within three business days, authors are free to submit their work elsewhere. Submission info .

3. Dame Magazine

DAME is a women’s magazine that prioritizes accessible and intersectional journalism that dives into context rather than breaking news. Their stories are unexpected, emotional, straightforward, illuminating, and focused on people rather than policy. They aim to reveal new or surprising information, provoke action or empathy, simplify complex issues, introduce fresh ideas, and foreground the people most affected by discussed topics. Submission info .

4. The New Yorker

5. the atlantic, 6. the globe and mail, 7. the guardian.

To contribute to this publication, you should identify the most relevant section and contact the commissioning editor with a brief outline of your idea. You may be invited to submit your work speculatively, meaning payment will only be provided if your contribution is published. It’s important to note that your contribution should be sent electronically and will be published under standard copyright terms with payment at normal rates unless agreed otherwise before publication. Submission info .

8. Los Angeles Times

9. the sun magazine.

The Sun publishes personal essays, short stories, and poems from both established and emerging writers globally, particularly encouraging submissions from underrepresented perspectives. Their contributors’ work often garners recognition in prestigious anthologies and prizes. The Sun seeks personal essays that are deeply reflective, celebrating hard-won victories or exploring big mistakes, aiming to make newsworthy events feel intimate and wrestle with complex questions. Submission info .

VICE is primarily interested in mid-length original reports, reported essays, narrative features, and service journalism related to contemporary living and interpersonal relationships. They welcome stories informed by personal experiences and insight but advise writers to consider what makes their story unique, why they’re the right person to tell it, and why it should be on VICE. While all stories don’t need to be tied to current events, a timely element can distinguish a pitch. They also accept quick-turnaround blogs and longer features. Submission info .

12. Vox Culture

14. buzzfeed reader, 15. the boston globe, 16. the bold italic, 18. refinery29.

ELLE’s annual talent competition is back for, seeking out the next superstar in writing. The winner will have their 500-word piece, inspired by the hashtag #RelationshipGoals and focusing on a significant relationship in their life. Submission info .

20. Cosmopolitan

22. the walrus, 23. autostraddle.

Autostraddle welcomes pitches, works in progress, and completed submissions. Any issues with the submission form should be emailed to Laneia Jones with the subject line “SUBMISSION ERROR”. Questions about the submission process can be directed to Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya with “SUBMISSION PROCESS” in the subject line. Please note that pitches or submissions sent via email will not be accepted. Submission info .

24. Narratively

25. catapult, 26. jezebel, 27. bitch media.

Bitch Media seeks pitches offering feminist analysis of culture, covering a wide array of topics including social trends, politics, science, health, life aspects, and popular culture phenomena. They publish critical essays, reported features, interviews, reviews, and analyses. First-person essays should balance personal perspectives with larger themes. Both finished work and query letters are welcome. However, due to the volume of submissions, they cannot guarantee a response or that every pitch will be read. Submission info .

28. Broadview

29. briarpatch magazine, 30. maisonneuve, 31. room magazine, 32. hazlitt.

Hazlitt is currently not accepting submissions but it might reopen soon. They seek original journalism, investigative features, international reporting, profiles, essays, and humor pieces, but they are not considering unsolicited fiction. Pitches with proposed word counts are preferred, and they have a section called “Hazlitt Firsts” for reviews of experiencing mundane things for the first time as adults. Submission info .

33. This Magazine

34. geist magazine, 35. discover magazine, 36. eater voices, 37. the temper.

The Temper is an online publication focused on sobriety, addiction, and recovery, challenging drinking culture. They seek diverse and intersectional stories written through the lens of addiction, covering various topics like sex, food, relationships, and more. Submissions are currently closed, but they are especially interested in amplifying voices from marginalized and underrepresented groups. Submission info .

38. Chatelaine

39. conde nast traveler, 40. boston globe ideas, 41. babbel magazine, 42. huffpost personal.

HuffPost seeks to amplify voices from underrepresented communities, including BIPOC, LGBTQ, and people with disabilities. They accept freelance pitches on a wide range of topics, providing clear guidelines for submissions. They also encourage visual creatives to submit their work, and all published contributors are paid for their work. Please note that due to the volume of submissions, individual responses may not be possible. Submission info .

43. Adelaide Literary Magazine

44. biostories, 45. quarter after eight, 46. the rappahannock review.

Allure is seeking writers to contribute pieces that explore beauty, style, self-expression, and liberation. They are looking for writers with relevant credentials and experience in the field, and they offer compensation of $350 for reported stories and $300 for personal essays. Submission info .

48. MLA Style Center

49. marie claire, 51. her story, 52. griffith review, 53. literary review of canada, 54. harper’s magazine, 55. virginia quarterly review, 56. the new england review, 57. one story.

One Story seeks literary fiction between 3,000 and 8,000 words, any style, and subject. They pay $500 and provide 25 contributor copies for First Serial North American rights. Only unpublished material is accepted, except for stories published in print outside North America. Simultaneous submissions allowed; prompt withdrawals upon acceptance elsewhere. Accepts DOC, DOCX, PDF, and RTF files via Submittable. No comments on individual stories. No revisions of previously rejected work. Translations are accepted with proper attribution. No emailed or paper submissions, except for incarcerated individuals. Submission info .

58. The Threepenny Review

59. zoetrope: all-story, 60. american short fiction, 61. the southern review, 62. boulevard magazine.

Boulevard seeks to publish exceptional fiction, poetry, and non-fiction from both experienced and emerging writers. They accept works of up to 8,000 words for prose and up to five poems of up to 200 lines. They do not consider genres like science fiction, erotica, horror, romance, or children’s stories. Payment for prose ranges from $100 to $300, while payment for poetry ranges from $50 to $250. Natural Bridge Online publication offers a flat rate of $50. Submission info .

63. The Cincinnati Review

64. the antioch review, 66. barrelhouse, 67. tin house online.

Tin House is a good company that offers a two-day submission period three times a year for writers without a current agent and no previous book publication (chapbooks accepted). They accept fiction, literary nonfiction, and poetry, both in English and in translation (with formal permission). Completed drafts are required. They are particularly interested in engaging with writers from historically underrepresented communities. Submission info .

68. One Teen Story

69. bennington review, 70. epoch literary, 71. the gettysburg review, 72. alaska quarterly review.

The publication accepts submissions of fiction, poetry, drama, literary nonfiction, and photo essays in traditional and experimental styles. Fiction can be short stories, novellas, or novel excerpts up to 70 pages, and poetry submissions can include up to 6 poems. They aim to respond within 4 to 12 weeks, but authors can inquire about their manuscript status after 4 weeks if needed. Submission info .

73. Colorado Review

74. the georgia review, 75. new letters, 76. shenandoah, 77. triquarterly.

TriQuarterly, the literary journal of Northwestern University, welcomes submissions in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, video essays, short drama, and hybrid work from both established and emerging writers. They are especially interested in work that engages with global cultural and societal conversations. Submissions are accepted through Submittable, and they charge a small reading fee. Submission windows vary by genre. Submission info .

78. E-International Relations

79. longreads, 80. education week, rafal reyzer.

Hey there, welcome to my blog! I'm a full-time entrepreneur building two companies, a digital marketer, and a content creator with 10+ years of experience. I started RafalReyzer.com to provide you with great tools and strategies you can use to become a proficient digital marketer and achieve freedom through online creativity. My site is a one-stop shop for digital marketers, and content enthusiasts who want to be independent, earn more money, and create beautiful things. Explore my journey here , and don't miss out on my AI Marketing Mastery online course.

50 Awesome Websites For Writing Submissions

From poetry submissions to short story submissions, here are the awesome websites looking to publish your writing.

So, you’ve successfully managed to avoid your social commitments to sit down and write something. After combing through it to check the grammar and that there isn’t a trail of letters from when you fell asleep on your keyboard, what’s the next step? You need to find somewhere to submit your writing online.

The online writing community is bigger and better than ever before; one Google search later and you could find your new literary home. However, it might be a case of trial and error with some submission guidelines being stricter than others or your style of writing not quite matching the publication’s. Luckily, we’ve trawled the web for you, bringing you fifty awesome websites that will be happy to receive your writing submissions and potentially even publish them.

A couple of things to note before we jump right in:

1. This isn’t a comprehensive list, so you’re welcome to add a comment with your suggestions. 2. Some of these websites operate seasonally, which means that they might not accept your submission at this point in time.

We’ve also excluded the biggest names for literary (poetry, short stories) submissions because it’s a little arbitrary to list The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and so on.

Without further ado, here are the best websites for you to submit your writing to, whether it’s heartfelt poetry or a listicle on the best Adam Sandler movies.

Where to Submit Poetry

1. poetry foundation.

Who are they? Only one of the oldest poetry magazines in the world. They aren’t stuck in the past, though – you can find many fantastic poems from modern talent in this prose treasure trove. Maybe you could be one of them? Do they pay? Quite handsomely. $10 per every line published.

2. Carve Magazine

Who are they? A popular haven for creative types since 2000. They celebrate honest writing and work closely with writers to help promote their talent. Do they pay? Pretty well. $25 for every poem published.

3. The Legendary

Who are they? Another pillar of the online writing community, The Legendary regularly publishes some superb underground poetry and other interesting features. Do they pay? Not that I could see.

4. Boulevard

Who are they? They’ve been around for thirty years, so it’s fair to say they have their fans. Their typical output is varied, but is based on one central theme: quality. Do they pay?  Between $25-$300 for published materials under general submissions. They also hold two contests with massive cash incentives: $1500 for winning fiction and $1000 for winning poetry.

5. Drunk Monkeys

Who are they? As dedicated a team of editors and writers that you will find on the ol’ WWW, Drunk Monkeys are constantly working to promote and spotlight emerging excellence in the field of writing, including poetry. Due to demand, their submissions aren’t always open. Do they pay? No, but they work their fingers to the bone until they think you’ve been promoted properly.

6. All Poetry

Who are they? Probably the place online where poets congregate to discuss, dissect, and create. If you’re looking for feedback as a new poet, we’re pretty sure one of the 500,000 members will be happy to help. Do they pay? They hold regular poetry competitions with cash prizes as incentives.

7. The Rialto

Who are they? A seriously stylish outlet for poets based in the UK, though it seems like anyone of any background can submit. They’re on the rise and have been for the past three decades, helping to establish poetry newcomers and spotlight underrated names in the process. They’ve just released issue 85 of their magazine with them publishing at least three magazines per year. Do they pay? £20 per published poem.

Who are they? A diligent and passionate team that have been delivering poetic excellence since 1985. They receive a serious amount of poetry each year, so if you want to be one of the 150 published each year, you best make sure you’re sending your best work. Do they pay? Not that I could tell.

9. Arc Poetry Magazine

Who are they? A Canadian publication, but they know that writing talent doesn’t have borders, so submissions are open to all. They’ve been around for over three decades and have won more than their fair share of accolades and fans in that time. Do they pay? $40 for any poem published across multiple mediums.

10. United Press

Who are they? A shining light for British poetry, United Press has been around for many years, publishing and promoting new talent aplenty to success. They aren’t the flashiest, but poetry doesn’t need to be. Do they pay ? Looks like a no.

Where to Submit Short Stories

Who are they ? Well, they have a name that sort of explains everything. Story is a magazine dedicating to publishing the most innovative, exciting short stories out there. They run a print publication and, because they love spoiling us, regularly publish online, too. Do they pay? $20 per page. Don’t think making your font 48px will fly with them.

12. Flash Fiction Online

Who are they? Masters of the concise, FFO are after shorter than short stories – don’t send them anything over on 1000 words. They like immediately captivating prose, but they aren’t big fans of erotica, so be sure to be selective when dipping into your portfolio. Do they pay? $60 per story, which is pretty great.

13. Ideomancer

Who are they? Literary anarchists; they aren’t seeking traditional prose. Mess with the narrative and their minds and you will be in their good books. If you think outside-of-the-box and it’s reflected in your writing, you couldn’t ask for a better platform. Do they pay? Yes, but a maximum of $40 at a rate of 3 cents per word.

14. Shimmer

Who are they? Another group of writers who go against the grain, Shimmer mainly seek speculative fiction with a fantasy bent. Keep it tight at around 4000 words and the editors will be your new best friends. 7500 words is the maximum, but you can send them an email to justify your story if it exceeds that. Do they pay? Pretty well considering – a maximum of $50 at a rate of 5 cents per word.

15. One Story

Who are they? Evil geniuses: they only publish one short story roughly every month with a massive amount of money going to the published writer. Your odds may not be high with this publication, which is why you should probably get around to writing your Great Expectations sooner rather than later. Do they pay? $500! Five. Hundred. Dollars.

16. Crazyhorse

Who are they? Exhibitors of the wacky and strange, Crazyhorse is one of the most accepting literary magazines out there for short stories – there really aren’t many restrictions with what theme or form your submission can take. Its editors are after life’s eccentrics, so if you’re reading this while playing ping pong, you could be just their type of person. Do they pay? Very well indeed. A maximum of $200, $20 per printed page.

17. The Sun Magazine

Who are they? Thankfully not related to the British newspaper, The Sun Magazine are uncompromising with what sort of short story you can send to them. It’s essentially open house, so if you have something odd or a masterpiece to unveil, they will be happy to receive your submission. Do they pay? You could say that. $300 to $2,500 for nonfiction or $300 to $1,500 for fiction, plus a subscription with them for a year.

18. Brevity

Who are they? As their name suggests, Brevity love the succinct side of short stories. If you can convey your narrative in under 750 words or less, you have a brilliant community to become a part of. Both seasoned writers and burgeoning newcomers are welcomed. Do they pay? More than fairly. $45.

Who are they? Lovers of science-fiction, Tor has published plenty of talent in its esteemed history, including many short stories and novellas. Due to the volume of submissions received, however, they are on an indefinite hiatus, which means that they will be back, but only once they’ve reviewed previous submissions. It’ll be worth the wait when those doors open again, though. Do they pay? A rate depending on the commercial prospects and quality of your submission.

20. Word Riot

Who are they? Always looking for new talent, this celebrated literary journal will pass the 15-year mark since launch in 2017. They’re about, and always have been, finding new talent and helping them to capture the attention of new audiences. Do they pay? Not that I could see.

Where to Submit Personal Essays

Who are they? One of the biggest culture-centric websites around, Salon is bookmarked by many people looking for thought-provoking, important essays and personal experiences. They’re huge, so be aware that you might not be successful. Do they pay? Not sure, some previous contributors have said so.

22. The Awl

Who are they? Big believers in the value of personal essays. The Awl have been around for some time, helping writers to weave their own stories in big numbers. The mundane need not apply to be published by these guys. Do they pay? Anywhere between $30 and $250.

23. Huffington Post

Who are they? They’re either loved or hated, but there’s no denying that HuffPo is a big player, possibly one of the biggest websites ever made, and they want you to turn your personal experience into essays. Do they pay? Not even a penny, which I’ve always found a little weird.

24. New Statesman

Who are they ? A fairly large site, but not so large that they are completely unapproachable. They’re looking for timely pieces on what’s going on in the world right now, including your take — it’s likely the more salacious, the better. Do they pay? They do, but they don’t disclose rates publicly.

25. Tin House

Who are they? The destination for writers of all pedigrees – looking at their testimonials will make your head spin. Being published on Tin House is something every writer needs to tick off their bucket list, but don’t even think about writing over 10,000 words for them. Do they pay? Enough for a mortgage on a small house. $1000 max.

26. Full Grown People

Who are they? Full Grown People are fond of submissions and personal essays that center around being an adult, whether it’s a piece on the juxtaposition to childhood or something similar. They receive a mighty amount of submissions, so you may have to bear with them. It will be worth the wait, though – the community is great. Do they pay? Sadly not.

Who are they? Couldn’t say that I’d read much of their output before putting this list together, but once I was on that website, it had me. They publish some excellent content in an eclectic range of categories, including personal essays. Bear in mind that they’re huge , so you may have to be patient with your submission. Do they pay? Generously. Between $250 and $500.

Who are they? Massively popular, Bustle boast over a million fans on Facebook alone, so you can expect they receive their fair share of submissions, too. If you’re stuck on what to write for them, they accept a broad range of different works, including personal essays that capture the attention. Do they pay? Depends. Unsolicited, no. Otherwise, yes.

29. Good Old Days

Who are they? As you might be able to guess, Good Old Days love nostalgia. It’s essential that you have experience of life in the 50s or earlier that you want to turn into a personal essay for them. The website is full of heartwarming and heartbreaking tales in equal measure. Do they pay? Anywhere between $15 and $75.

30. Literal Latte

Who are they? Dedicated to the core. Literal Latte are accepting submissions every single day of the year and consider all submissions, no matter your experience. They thrive on giving chances to those who may never get them, so your personal essay could fit in well here. Do they pay? Not for general submissions (yet), but they do hold five contests a year with three of them having $1000 prizes.

Where to Submit Articles

31. the verge.

Who are they? A massive entertainment and technology website that certainly doesn’t accept half-measures. They are extremely particular about what they publish and aren’t after your opinions, but if you can bring them a breaking news story, they’ll be listening. Do they pay? Doesn’t say.

32. Travelicious

Who are they? A travel guide website that doesn’t suck. All of their features are packed with accurate information and opinion from people who have been there and done that. If you have 1000 words in you, you could be one of them. It’s also great exposure. Do they pay ? Yes, $40 for a published piece.

33. Writers Weekly

Who are they? A popular website for writers, by writers (hey, that sounds familiar). It’s filled to the brim with handy tips and guides for writers of all experiences and pedigrees – there’s bound to be something on there that can take your work to the next level. You could probably help someone out by imparting your wisdom and getting paid for it, too. Do they pay? How does $60 for about 600 words sound?

34. Write Naked

Who are they? Probably not naturists. What they absolutely are, though, is a hugely helpful resource for writers as the website is filled with anecdotes and guides from established names in the literature world. They also love interviews and discussions about freelance writing. Do they pay? Yes, but you might want to put the extra effort into writing something extraordinary. The editor will pay $200 for exemplary pieces.

35. Techopedia

Who are they? Proud geeks. Techopedia loves publishing anything to do with the world of tech, whether it’s an in-depth guide or an opinion piece. You might have to be well-versed in many fields to be able to competently write for them, but you’re a writer. Research is what you do. Do they pay? Yep, and they’re proud of it. Expect $50 to $150 for your published work.

36. HowlRound

Who are they? A website dedicated to the arts and those that inhabit the theater scene. They publish a wide range of differently themed content, but with a strong opinion and facts to back up your words, you could go quite far with HowlRound. Do they pay? Yup. $50 for 750-2000 of your fine words.

37. Hongkiat

Who are they? A very successful technology blog that has been around since 2007. They’re always on-the-ball with news and welcome submissions covering a range of different topics, but your best bet is to stick to design guides and recommendations. Do they pay? Not specified.

38. The Daily Spectacle

Who are they? Defenders of the arts. If you’re a fan of anything to do with film, TV, politics or anything within a similar category, you’re in luck. This is probably the smallest website on the list, but it looks like it’s going places – the content is great and the editorial team seem to be passionate, which is exactly what you need. Do they pay? Not yet.

39. Screen Rant

Who are they? A massively popular pop culture website with a huge following on social media. If you’re trying to become a journalist capable of turning over breaking news stories as quick as the idea lands in your inbox, Screen Rant is one of the best places to start. Do they pay? Yes, but payment rates are unclear.

40. GameSkinny

Who are they? A small-to-medium gaming website in terms of size, GameSkinny publish fairly frequently and promise to help you get to the top of your game. They operate on a “Bounty Program” and are looking for lists, guides, and all sorts of content. Do they pay? $0.50 per 1000 Views.

Where to Submit Listicles

41. cracked.

Who are they? The thinking man’s comedy website. Cracked started life as a decent magazine but have become an even better website, offering listicles with word counts that would make your typing fingers tremble. If you have a crazy theory about the newest superhero movie that you can turn into thousands of words, Cracked has to be one of the best places for you. Do they pay? “We will pay you if it’s good.”

42. College Humor

Who are they? Probably the biggest comedy website out there. They’re constantly posting lists, whether they’re funny or not, and can help you to collaborate with artists to really bring your content to life. They’re pretty selective about who they accept to write for them, though – I applied to write for them a while ago and didn’t hear anything back, which is odd because I am hilarious . Do they pay? Varies, but the maximum you can earn is $100.

Who are they? The slightly less socially acceptable sister site to College Humor. Only nerds need apply; if you don’t know your Pac-man from your Tetris, you might not be a good fit for them. If you’re an out-and-out nerd, writing for Dorkly will put you in touch with an awesome, unforgiving community of millions. Do they pay? $35 for a single-page article, $75 for multi-page.

44. WhatCulture

Who are they? The British Cracked. They haven’t been around for all that long, but they have the talent and community to become one of the world’s biggest websites and they certainly aren’t far off joining the elite, either. They cover everything from the world of pop culture with their list articles performing the best out of the hundreds of different things they publish each week. Do they pay? Yes, on a views basis.

45. ListVerse

Who are they? A titan of the list world that never seems to run out of content ideas. You name it, they will make a list out of it, but they expect nothing but quality on whatever topic you’re covering, whether it’s the best cheese in Holland or the worst impersonations of Sylvester Stallone. Go for a minimum of 1500 words and reap the rewards. Do they pay? Really well. $150 for your hard work.

46. The Richest

Who are they? Suppliers of all the lists one person could ever need. The Richest have an impressive scope of topics they cover, which means that it’s highly likely there will be something for you to write about. Their contributor program is a little complicated, but if you can stick to it, you can earn some decent money. Do they pay? Half a dollar per every 1000 views.

47. Top Tenz

Who are they? Obsessed with the bizarre, unknown, and obscure, Top Tenz is another list-based website with a big audience. One of their most popular articles has close to 50 million views, which isn’t too bad at all. There’s no guarantee that you will hit those figures with your own listicle, but who’s to say you won’t come close? Do they pay?  $50

48. The Sportster

Who are they? A sports-centric listicle website with a lot of content to give to pro wrestling fans. Thinking of submitting to them? You better go back and start watching some Royal Rumbles because wrestling lists are the bread and butter for these guys. Do they pay? Yes, on a views basis.

49. Lifehack

Who are they? A huge community of individuals all looking for ways to make life easier. The content on the website is predominantly to help and inform, so if there’s anything you know about that someone else might not, share your wisdom and reach a massive audience. Do they pay? Unclear.

50. Buzzfeed

Who are they? Come on. You know BuzzFeed. Writing for their community section is a pretty surefire way of getting your list read by a limitless audience. Do they pay? Nope.

There you have them: fifty awesome websites that are looking for your writing submissions. As mentioned, it obviously isn’t comprehensive, but it’s a good mixture of big names and upcoming publications you should be keeping an eye out for. If you’re an editor or publisher and your website didn’t make the cut, you are welcome to leave a comment below. MORE writing tips: Top 5 Networking Tips For Writers Why You Should Never Give Up Writing 6 Tools To Help You Concentrate When Writing

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5 places to submit your personal essays

The best stories often come from real-life experiences. If you enjoy writing personal essays, consider submitting your work to one of the publications on this list. (Fiction writers and poets, there are some gems for you here too.) All the journals on our list are currently open for submissions and none charge fees.

Note: We are a creative writing school and compile these lists for the benefit of our students. Please don’t send us your publishing queries or submissions :). Click on the links to go to the publication’s website and look for their submissions page.

Adelaide Literary Magazine accepts personal essays and narrative nonfiction (up to 5,000 words) written in English and Portuguese. You can also submit short stories (up to 5,000 words) and poetry (up to 5 pieces per submission). They publish online once per month and generally respond within two months.

bioStories focuses exclusively on personal essays (500-7500 words). They publish essays on nearly any topic and are especially interested in work that celebrates the extraordinary within the ordinary. Pieces are published as they are accepted, and the editors generally respond to submissions within two months.

HuffPost Personal wants personal stories from writers of diverse experiences and welcomes essays on nearly any topic so long as they’re told with an authentic voice and point of view. There are no specific word limits, but writers are asked to pitch the editors before submitting their piece for consideration.

Quarter After Eight is an online literary journal published once per year. The editors are seeking work that ‘directly challenges the conventions of language, style, voice, or idea’. In addition to essays and creative nonfiction (no specific word limits), they also accept flash fiction, short stories (up to 7,500 words), and poetry (up to 4 pieces per submission). Submissions are open through 15 April 2021, and the average response time is 2-3 months.

The Rappahannock Review is an online literary magazine that publishes twice per year. In addition to essays and creative nonfiction (up to 8,000 words), they’re also looking for flash fiction, short stories (up to 7,500 words), and poetry (up to 5 poems per submission). They generally respond within one month.

3 responses on "5 places to submit your personal essays"

Just found this- Thanks for the info!

Hi, thank you very much for sharing this useful information. Now, I know where I can submit my personal essays. Writing essays make me occupied with writing and reading everyday.

Thank you! I was looking for places to submit personal essays!

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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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How To Publish Personal Essays – From Small Press To Collections

• by Robert Wood
• June 1, 2015
• One Comment

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Though they get less press than novels and short fiction , personal essays actually have one of the most welcoming markets in publishing. Dedicated essayists have a great chance of seeing some form of publication, so long as they’re willing to put the work in and understand the marketplace.

That’s why in this article I’ll be exploring the ins and out of publishing your personal essays, starting with how you can secure publication on the lowest rungs of the industry ladder, and then leading up to the anthology or collection publication of multiple essays. But whether you’re a writer of novels, plays, or personal essays, the first piece of advice will always be the same…

Read, read, read

As with any art form, there are trends in the personal essay market. It’s also the case that most publications will have preferences about things like tone, length, subject, and structure. Because of this, whether you’re writing essays in general or for a particular publication, the first step is reading as many as you can get your hands on.

Your research should be focused, however. Reading the great essays , collections by writers such as George Orwell or Oscar Wilde , is of course a good idea but the bulk of your reading needs to be targeted at the sort of publication you’re writing for.

There are many kinds of small touches, technicalities of rhythm and pace, which can only be learnt by reading good examples, but most publishers won’t just be interested in whether your work is good – they’ll be interested in whether or not your work suits their publication. The key is to study their publications relentlessly, first deliberately striving for the ‘feel’ of the work they publish and then gradually allowing it to become a natural style.

This sounds difficult, and at first it will be, but there are two facts which should make beginner essayists feel better:

• The ability to assume a style is one which gets easier and easier with practice. The more different styles you learn, the easier you’ll find the whole process, and very quickly you’ll have a wardrobe full of styles you can slip into to suit the occasion.
• Generally speaking, the better established the publication the less strict they’ll be about conforming to a set style. The demands on quality go up of course, but publications with existing industry and readership respect will be less concerned with the safety of conformity, and more concerned with showcasing the best of your unique talents.

It will take a while for these facts to come into play, but you should feel reassured that however difficult you find it starting out, that’s as difficult as it gets.

Reading should be a constant through your attempts to gain publication, but what you read should change according to where you are on the essayist’s pyramid.

The pyramid

The essayist’s pyramid is a way of combining the different levels of essay publication with the work it takes to move from one to the next. The pyramid basically consists of four levels. At the base are local and specialist publications, the next level up is regional publications, then national and international publications, then successful collections.

The pyramid doesn’t just represent a hierarchy; it’s a guide to progressing from one level to the next. One of the biggest deciding factors in whether a publication will consider your work is your reputation and publication history. Because of this, it’s necessary to have a lot of local publications under your belt before you contact a regional publication, a lot of regional publications before you try for national, and finally to be a frequently published national essayist before you can expect to be successful with a collection of essays.

Self-publishing gives you the ability to skip any of these steps, releasing your work to the world through blogging or e-books. While these are valid routes they’re unlikely to lead to success on their own unless you have a unique viewpoint or presentation. Instead it’s advisable to view websites as you would any other publication. Yes all websites are available to anyone, but realistically they still fall into a structure so similar to ‘local / regional / national’ that they can be discussed in the same breath. Once you have a few essays on a few minor websites you can try moving up, and keep going until there’s sufficient audience to follow you to your own online venues and digital publications.

So now we’ve looked at the route essayists can take to success, it’s time to discuss how they can get started.

Finding publications

The more local a publication the more likely they’ll be to publish you. This isn’t just a matter of circulation, but it doesn’t hurt. A sense of community + a small pool of potential talent = welcoming publishers. For the same reason specialist magazines, those which deal with a specific realm of subjects, are likely to be similarly well disposed towards your work.

Local publications can be found… well… locally. Eateries, libraries, and healthcare centers are good places to search. Established local publications, especially newspapers, will often have adverts for less well-known magazines.

If you’re working online then it’s just a matter of searching around and gauging which publications will be most appropriate for your work. Either way this approach is one which works all the way to the top of the pyramid. Regional publications will contain adverts for local ones, and national magazines are a good source for regional publications.

Each block of the pyramid stays aware of the block below (everyone wants to know where the talent is coming from), and so the more you work the more recognizable you’ll be to those you need to contact next.

The submission system

As I mentioned in my article on publishing short fiction, if you’re serious about publication then you need to establish a system where you’re always submitting and waiting to hear back about a submission.

Waiting to hear back from one publication before submitting to another is wasted time. Ideally you should have a few articles ready to go ‘out’ when you begin, then spend the time before you hear back writing more.

Every writer experiences more rejection than acceptance (mainly because the same piece can be rejected a hundred times, but only accepted once.) You shouldn’t be disheartened, but equally you shouldn’t let any necessary rejections on your road to success waste time you could spend succeeding.

Reading, writing, and submitting are a constant process. Getting published is a job, and it’s one you have to keep showing up for. Do so, though, and you can reach the achievement every essayist dreams of…

Collections and anthologies of personal  essays

‘Anthologies’ are collections of essays in which your work can be featured, whereas you can publish a ‘collection’ made up entirely of your own work.

To make it into an anthology you need to scour literary magazines for one with a theme you think you’d suit. Here the need to tailor your writing to the publication in question is more important than ever. Hang a list of their guidelines in your writing space and stick to it . Anthologies gather most of their audience based on interest in the overall theme, so deviating from it will get your work quickly dismissed.

If you’ve worked your way up the pyramid those who have already featured your work will likely be thrilled to trumpet your achievements, so if you do make it into an anthology make sure to contact former publishers. They may want to advertise your work, or even have you write something.

This is doubly the case when you publish a collection all your own, as there will be fewer other sources of exposure. Thankfully former publishers will almost always be genuinely happy to acknowledge your success, and it will also help their own prestige to be associated with a successful author. Collections are almost always the exclusive preserve of famous essayists – the kind you see week-to-week in national newspapers – but there is a healthy market for self-published collections by lesser-known but established authors, especially when they deal with specialist topics. Whether you’re a beer brewer, a trout fisher, a doll collector, or really almost any kind of hobbyist, there’s a niche for your work already waiting.

Building the pyramid

As I said before, finding some form of publication is just a matter of hard work. Moving up the pyramid you need to keep experimenting with your style and making sure that the work you’ve done on one level supports what you’re attempting to do on the next. A firm base is vital, and is the greatest tool in what have to be constant efforts to improve both your art and the places it can be found.

Above all, remember these three things:

• Always be reading, writing, and submitting.
• Write with your publication of choice in mind.
• Keep building.

For more advice on the logic behind entering competitions and anthologies try Should you enter a writing competition? Or for how to build an email list, a must for writers who will be moving from publication to publication, check out Why you need to have an email list right now .

Robert Wood

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7 publications that pay well for personal narrative essays

Despite The New Yorker declaring that the personal essay boom was over in 2017, I’ve seen the opposite. Whenever I look on Twitter, I see callouts from editors for candid, revealing and thought-provoking first person pieces. For freelance writers, the advantage of writing a personal narrative essay is that you are drawing on your own experience, so there is very little need for external research or case studies. Many writers also say that writing down their own experience and sharing it with others feels validating, affirming and therapeutic.

Before I became a full time freelancer , I wrote quite a few personal narrative essays.

Why? Because personal narrative essays are one of the fastest and easiest ways to get published.

When I was writing my first-person pieces, I found numerous articles about how to sell personal essays in the age of over-sharing   and how to write compelling first person pieces for major publications.

I quickly learnt that if you are willing to open up and share your own experience, you can be compensated well for it.

And if you’re interested to learn more about how to write a personal essay (and how to get paid for it!) I’ve created the ultimate guide to step you through the process.

It takes you through:

• Choosing the perfect topic for a personal essay
• How to start a personal essay (including what to do and not to do and examples of banging beginnings)
• Common mistakes people make when writing first-person narratives
• How to write a compelling personal essay that keeps people reading right to the end
• Examples of great personal narrative essays
• How to pitching your story to an editor
• And lots more!

The guide also includes 15+ paying markets for personal narrative essays, but I know that it can be tricky to find publications that accept freelance submissions.

The good news is that there are plenty of online and print publications looking for personal essays.

So if you have a personal story you want to share, where can you pitch it?

If you’re a writer who has had a book published, it’s definitely worth pitching to Allure (a magazine predominantly for women about beauty) as they pay up to $3,000 for personal essays up to 2000 words.

For those mere mortals among us who haven’t written a book, the rate for personal essays seems to be more like $250 – $500.

Glamour is another women’s magazine that heavily focuses on beauty, fashion and entertainment stories. Personal essays published by Glamour are reported to fetch around $2/word.

3. The Guardian

You have to love an editor who puts what she wants from writers out there and Jessica Reed from The Guardian certainly delivers. For beautifully written personal essays, The Guardian reportedly pays 60c/word.

4. Marie Claire

If you’ve got something compelling, insightful, intimate, funny, relatable or awkward to say about your love or sex life, then a personal essay directed to Marie Claire might be just the ticket. Writers report that Marie Claire pays $2/word.

Are you spotting a theme here? Women’s magazines love personal essays. If you want to write first hand experience about fitness, food, health or culture, it’s worth pitching to SELF magazine, who pay up to $700 for 2000 words.

A dynamic site covering world affairs, pop culture, science, business, politics and more, Vox pay around $500 for personal narrative essays. What’s even better is their clear pitching guidelines for their First Person section .

7. News.com.au

If you feel like a sharing a real life story like this one , you can pitch to the lifestyle vertical on the Australian website news.com.au. Writers are reportedly paid around $500 for a post.

Great examples of personal essays

You could spend years reading all the personal narrative essays that get published, but here are my picks for some of the best:

My washing line is heavy with the weight of our ash-ridden tent hung out to air. I wonder if the smell of smoke will ever be gone. I have no recollection of the tent being packed away – I was focused on the children, keeping them calm. All I know is that we’d never packed up a campsite so damn quickly. But then, we’d never fled a bushfire.  You can read the rest of the article here.

  “I love you so much.” Those whispered words make everything better – and when my soul mate and husband died, five years ago, I truly believed I would never hear them again.  You can read the rest of the article here.

My epiphany came, like many of them do, while I was taking a dump. Specifically, it came while I was trying to take a dump in the woods after three years of struggling with gastrointestinal issues. It went something like this: you don’t need to be gluten-free anymore. You just need to relax.  You can read the rest of the article here.

The rules for pitching a personal essay are much the same as when you query an editor for any other kind of writing assignment.

You just need a strong hook and engaging writing style.

The writers I know who create personal narrative essays love it.

They feel free and are absolutely thrilled when readers respond to their articles with “me too!”

After all, isn’t the point of writing to reach and connect with others? Personal essays tend to do that in a very special way.

Do you write personal narrative essays? Have you found other well-paying markets?

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Four Steps to Publishing Articles and Essays

by Melissa Petro

Having worked as a full-time freelance writer for just shy of a decade, I often find friends reach out to ask me how I do it, hoping that they, too, can get published.

A part of me wants to take umbrage—after all, you wouldn’t presume that just anyone could become a plumber or reach out to a dentist friend and expect them to direct message you everything they know about root canals. At the same time, I know my editors are just as interested in your personal journeys, passions, and opinions as they are in mine. And maybe they’re more interested in your story, because you’ve never told it before (whereas, like most writers with a beat, I’m a whiz at spinning the same narrative or making similar arguments every opportunity that I can).

To publish short nonfiction essays and articles online or in print, you need only follow a few basic steps—and they’re the same steps whether you’re a seasoned professional or a total newbie. Those of us who publish often take these same steps again and again.

1. Do your research

The first step is to acquaint yourself with the market. There are literally hundreds of places that want your writing. Familiarize yourself with what’s out there. Publications open and close quite frequently, so stay up to date. Read, read, read. Follow other writers and editors on social media. On Twitter, search the phrase “pitch me” to find editors seeking stories. There’s also a site called pitchwhiz.com that curates editors’ calls for pitches.

Learn the difference between a service piece and a feature, a personal essay and a reported piece framed by your personal experience. You don’t have to know all the lingo, but you do need to know what kind of writing various publications generally publish…although knowing the lingo will help when it comes to pitching your idea (more on that in a sec).

2. Make a love connection

Sometimes you have a completed essay or an idea for a piece that you’re eager to write. Find the right publication for that idea. Other times, we start with the publication in mind. Peruse the site. As you read, ask yourself: What do I have to contribute to the conversation? What hasn’t already been said?

You wouldn’t try to sell a steamy personal essay about the time you inadvertently attended a sex party to Real Simple . But that idea may be just right for Cosmopolitan or Vice . Similarly, you’d skip Playboy if you were looking to place a breezy service piece on caring for antique dinnerware or a fiery op-ed on the importance of physical education classes in school. Few ideas are inherently good or bad—it’s all about finding a good fit.

3. Make Contact

Once you’ve matched the perfect idea with the perfect publication, it’s time to pitch. A pitch or query letter is composed of three basic sections: a lede or introduction, “the what,” and your credentials as a writer and/or on the subject you’re pitching.

Let’s break that down further:

A lede is the start of your pitch. Maybe you start the pitch the same way you start the essay. If it’s a personal essay, that may be an anecdote. Lure us in with the inciting incident or an otherwise dramatic moment lifted from the story. Or maybe you’ll lede with a newspeg, something currently being talked about in the news. Explain clearly and concisely what’s going on (hyperlink it to a timely article). Answer a question: Why now?

The next section is “the what”—a paragraph or two that succinctly describes to the editor exactly what you’re offering, i.e. “I’d love to write a 1,200-word reported essay about the housing crisis in New York, and how poor and working class people like myself are being pushed out of the city we call home. Framed by my personal experience, the essay will explore how services in place to help people with rent fail to…” and so on.

If there’s a story with a beginning, middle, and end, spell that out. Explain the ending—avoid sentiments like “find out what happens when…” Instead, tell the editor what happens when. No cliffhangers. End this section with a sentence like, “Ultimately, readers need to know [what].” Tell us what your argument is. Tell us why the story matters. (If you didn’t lede with a newspeg and there is one, you might mention it here.)

The last section is a paragraph on your credentials as a writer and/or on the subject that you’re writing about. Why are you the perfect person to write this story? Answer this question here. If you’ve published similar writing before, send the editor links, often called clips. If you don’t have clips, that’s OK. Hopefully the story idea is unique enough—and you’ve proven yourself to be the right person to write it—that they’ll take a chance.

4. Hit send and follow up

Publications don’t make it hard to find editors’ contact information—so long as you’ve done your homework, they really do want your pitches. Go to the publication’s website and look for a section entitled “contact us,” “write for us,” “submission guidelines,” or something similar. If the submission guidelines ask you to do something other than what I’m telling you to do here, follow that editor’s instructions instead of mine (duh). Sometimes, for example, an editor will ask you to send a piece “on spec.” This means they only consider completed drafts rather than pitches. It’s up to you if you want to write an essay for them without the promise that they’ll publish it.

Few ideas are inherently good or bad—it’s all about finding a good fit.

After you’ve sent off your pitch, a couple things might happen. You might get an email back along the lines of, “I love this idea! It’s perfect.” Awesome, that means you’ve just scored an assignment. Other times, an editor might get back to you with a “maybe” response. Maybe they need to clear it with the editor above them. Or they might have questions. They may suggest a different angle or in some other way change your idea. The editor might take a while to respond, they might not respond at all, or you might get a rejection.

If you get a yes, excellent! From here, make sure you clarify the deadline (that’s when the editor expects you to turn in the story), and confirm your rate (that’s how much money the publication is paying you for your services). A rate for any given assignment can be anything from 0 dollars to thousands of dollars. Check out the site whopayswriters.com for an idea of how rates vary.

If the editor doesn’t respond to your pitch, follow up in a week or so. And if the answer is no, do not despair! Seasoned writers like myself get lots and lots of rejections.

The truth is that publishing short nonfiction is a lot less about talent than it is tenacity: If there’s any secret to becoming a published writer, it is learning to weather the rejections and silences.

Repeat the steps until you get your yes.

This article originally appeared in The Writer magazine

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12 Free Platforms For Writers To Publish Articles Online

Are you a new writer looking to publish your articles? Choosing the right digital publishing platform might be a little confusing at first.

Before looking for the best publishing options, you need to decide which platforms are suited to your topic or writing style. Are you interested in writing opinion pieces, sharing personal experiences, providing expert advice, or publishing on academic topics?

Every platform has its own strengths and weaknesses. It’s all about finding one that aligns best with your writing style, topics, and intended audience.

You can check the suggestions in this article to help you decide which platforms will offer you the best chance of finding new readers.

Article Contents

You can publish articles online right now

With digital publishing, it is easy for anyone to learn how to write and publish articles .

There are many online publishing platforms for writers, so you can publish your writing in a matter of minutes.

What works for one writer might not work for the other. Are you writing essays or how-to guides ? It is also important to know who your audience is when choosing article publishing sites.

Do you want to reach teens, young adults, or adults? Are you trying to reach young entrepreneurs or established business owners?

Are you writing poems? There are also many free sites where you can publish your poetry .

Consider the types of articles you want to write and the audience you want to write for. Then, you can go ahead and find the best online publishing platforms.

There are also plenty of free writing apps to help you write great content that readers will love. But you should always use a reliable online grammar checker to make sure your writing is as perfect as possible.

Then, you can bring your vision and ideas to the world with digital content. With so many people reading articles and online content on laptops, smartphones, and tablets, there is always an audience for new writers.

There are many online magazines and sites that accept articles for free. It’s up to you to find the best digital publishing solution to suit your needs.

To get you started, here is a list of platforms offering free article publishing.

Medium is a very popular free publishing site where you can share your writing. You can connect with more sophisticated and dedicated readers than you might find on other social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook.

However, it is similar to a social network in its ease of connecting with other Medium users. But it is best suited to long-form writing.

It is very easy to create and set up your Medium account. Then, take a quick tour and read the FAQs. You are now ready to be published online with your first article.

The publishing tools are super easy to use with click and edit or drag and drop to move elements.

Your content on Medium should be full-length articles that are highly informative. Using original images is highly recommended.

Be aware, though, that it is not a publishing platform suited to short and obvious promotional blog posts.

You can read our how-to-use Medium guide for more detailed information about the submission guidelines. But they are quite straightforward.

2. Linkedin Articles

You are probably already on Linkedin. So why not publish your articles there?

Follow the instructions for publishing LinkedIn articles , and you are ready to go.

With so many people on the site, you are bound to find readers for professional articles.

It has to be one of the best places to help you gain readers.

3. Publish PDF

This really is the easiest way to publish your writing online.

You don’t even need to have a website or blog.

All you need is a PDF file and your Google account.

Best of all, Google indexes PDF documents , so yours may appear in Google Search.

Read our quick tutorial on how to publish a PDF article online , and you will be ready to publish immediately.

4. Scoop.It

Scoop.It is one of the most popular free publishing platforms for new writers.

You can publish great magazines on this website, and it does what it promises.

There is a function where you can find great content to help as inspiration.

Simply use appropriate keywords, and you will be flooded with information.

You can find some excellent content on Issuu  and some entertaining writing as well.

It is a user-friendly platform where anyone can create digital publications.

You don’t need to use any publishing software.

You can also sell your digital magazine directly from the website, making it possible to earn some money.

Issuu is definitely one of the leading platforms for anyone who has something worthwhile to say.

With more than 15,000 updates daily, it is clear why it is so popular with article writers.

It also gives you the opportunity to reach a lot of people with your writing. It doesn’t matter what your passion is; there is a place for you on this platform.

Your magazine can be about anything from cats to basketball, so there are no boundaries.

If you are a photographer who wants to share your multimedia with the world, you might find that Yudo is for you.

On this platform, you can mix your writing, videos, photographs, and audio.

Who wouldn’t like to read a digital magazine that offers all of these features?

It makes for a more exciting read, so it could be worth a shot.

All you need to have is a passion and start working hard at it.

7. ArticleSeen

ArticleSeen  prefers original content. But that is what you should do when posting your articles online.

If you want free exposure for your writing, this is a good site to help you on your way.

There is a good choice of categories, which means you are sure to find one that suits your writing topic.

8. PUB HTML5

PUB HTML5 is free of charge, so you can see if it is the right digital publishing tool for you.

The design is sleek and simple, which is what you want as a beginner.

You don’t want websites that are confusing to use.

But the great thing about this platform is that your publications will appear professional on all devices.

It can be a computer or a mobile device. The results are the same.

You can publish interactive elements in magazines, catalogs, and brochures and create rich-media flipping books.

If you are trying to get your name out there as an influential writer, you might want to give this website a try.

With over 500,000 publishers using this website, you can understand why I included Joomag  in this list.

You can manage your subscribers on this platform and add more when you please.

It gives you full control over your publications.

Use a good grammar checker to help you write flawless articles. Then, you can launch your own campaign.

You can use your mailing list to notify all of your subscribers when you publish a new article.

As a plus, you can send emails that you write for your subscribers to make them feel part of the team.

It is an easy way to promote your work.

10. ArticleBiz

ArticleBiz offers you the chance to get your articles picked up by online publishers.

It’s very easy to submit your articles.

When you do, you will also complete a resource box. It is a short bio about yourself. You can include your email and website address information.

You can choose from a huge range of categories for your articles.

It has an Alexa ranking of 210,908. So it certainly gets a lot of traffic and readers.

If you are new to article writing, it is a great site to make a start with your online publishing.

11. Substack

For writers open to a different approach in publishing, Substack is well worth investigating.

It’s a free platform you can join to post your articles. But the big focus with Substack is on getting readers to subscribe to your writing.

Your articles will certainly be available online. But if your sole aim is to get your articles to rank high on search engines, Medium might be a better option.

However, if you want to build a loyal readership, there’s no better way than to attract email subscribers.

You can start by offering your articles for free. But if you can build some traction and your mailing list, there is an option to monetize your writing later.

Many high-profile writers are already earning money from paid subscribers, but some new writers are also succeeding.

If you only want to publish one or two, it’s not the platform for you.

But if you want to make writing your passion and publish regular articles on your topic, Substack might be precisely the right publishing option for you.

12. Google Sites

When you want to have more control over your articles, you might consider using Google Sites .

It’s a simple website builder from Google. The two big advantages are that it’s free and very easy to use.

All you need is your Google account to log in and get started.

You can set up your new site in only a few minutes. Just make sure you make it available online.

Once you start adding your articles, you then have a chance of them being indexed by Google.

Like other website platforms, you can add gadgets to create interest. But they are basic.

Submitting your articles to a lot of different sites can be time-consuming and difficult to track.

But with your own site, you are in control of all your content.

Google Sites is a great option when all you want is a free, simple, and easy way to publish your articles in one place.

When you see the choices you have, there are no limits today on interactive content creation and digital publishing.

Anyone can learn to publish articles once they decide to start. All you need to do is find new topic ideas .

With all these fantastic platforms available to you, all you have to do is get to work and start writing.

Many have native apps for iOS, Android, and Google Play. Check your App stores.

Before you know it, you are going to be writing for free article submission sites .

All you need is to use your drive and passion to get you heading toward your goals.

Give one of these websites a try, and you will be publishing your fantastic articles in no time at all.

Related reading: Where To Publish Short Stories Online

About The Author

Derek Haines

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52 thoughts on “12 free platforms for writers to publish articles online”.

I am a retired man with a technical background. I have written many articles on varied subjects but have never published. The subject matter includes science, religion, political and current events. The articles vary in length from one page to 20 pages. Have you ane suggestions for an appropriate posting site?

You cover a lot of topics, and different lengths, Phil.

It might be difficult to find one platform for them all.

Perhaps setting up a free blog, such as with Blogger or WordPress, might be a better move.

Thanks, I’ll look into that.

I have written quite a few articles, most of them being inspirational. Some are in the form of messages learnt from incidents in everyday life. I also feel that as a citizen on this planet, it is my duty to share the good things I have learnt, so others can benefit too. Am wondering where would be a good place to begin publishing. Thanks.

Derek, I am a decent lady, not available for romance, but just want you to know that I like your way; I just like your website & the way you make your comments and respond to questions. There’s just something about you. I like you.

Thank you. I’m happy to hear that you enjoy the content of the site.

I think writing story’s and publishing them and seeing how people comment, will help me when i get older and see what I want to be. I haven’t chosen yet I’ve always wanted to be a journalist or a media worker, honestly, I don’t yet…

I notice that as a new writer, I have strong passion to publish. But I believe there is the need to learn to make my writing ‘clean’, mistake-free and perfect for my readers before publishing. What writing training apps would you recommend to help me ‘sanitize’ my writing?

I would suggest Prowritingaid for a new writer. It’s got everything you need to edit and improve your writing.

Will be paid for publishing articles on this platform listed above?

Will try this

I’m seventy-two and have been writing for a long time. I have a folder full of articles and I also have a folder full of science fiction stories. I have poetry and comics. I need a platform that allows me to publish as I please.

I’m an unpublished writer with several manuscripts. Do these platforms here publish novels?

No, Samuel. These sites are only suitable for publishing articles.

If you want to publish novels, try Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) or Draft2Digital.

Hello Derek, I’m new to writing articles, but I wasn’t to write articles focusing on Young People and their struggles. I would like to build some readership for my article. What site do you recommend? Thank you.

You can use any site, Paul. But before you do, make sure your writing is perfect. In your comment, I’m sure you meant, wanted to write, and not wasn’t to write. You can’t expect to find readers if you make errors like this. Always, always check your writing before you hit the button.

Dear Derek, I would like to write articles about personal awareness and development. I am a new writer and I would like to reach a large odience eventually .. which platform would you recommend, please?

The best platform is always the one that you feel will work for you, Paoletta. But if you are looking at building a readership, Medium and Substack are two you might consider.

I’m really grateful to have stumbled on this site which I believe will greatly help me in publishing my articles. I do news articles that focus much more on culture. But I sort of publish stuff that is newsworthy so I also write on crisis in Africa.

Be aware that on Medium your articles and you as an author won’t be searchable until you get a critical mass of readers and followers/claps. Which means that you need to actively promote your writing, for strangers to find your page on any given day (except the few first hours of the publication). Very disappointed.

Medium is no different from any other form of publishing articles. You need a certain amount of traction before it can rank in Google Search.

For a blog post, you need backlinks. On Medium, you need followers and claps.

It’s pretty standard stuff, but not disappointing if you know how to promote what you post.

There are no free rides at getting articles to rank. You still need to work on it to be successful.

i need to publish my story about chronic kidney disease and kidney transplants, the need for kidney donors and how this need is affected by the Covid pandemic.; and my personal need for a transplant to save my life. Where is the best place to submit my article?

Use any of the sites listed in this article. But I would try Medium first.

I need to publish my article which are explain about lidar technology. Where can I publish my article?

Dear sir I need to publish my paper which concerns on climate. so how can I publish it?

Really grateful to get these platforms to publish my article. Thanks to you for gifting us such information for these platforms.

how I can publish the article ??

Good information but why did you not include Substack?

this is great where do i publish my scholarly articles and class modules

Hi Derek, Impressive Collection shared on Free Publishing Articles. Would like to know where we can share technical content.

Ok how can I publish

Hey this is Simeone here. I already participate in the Medium corporative community, it is a good platform for publishing your stories online. I only have a technical problems with the platform. I’m hoping to enjoy my writing of articles with these other platforms.

According to me the best usage of time is writing. It makes an individual to think widely on every aspect. Writing enable person to do brainstorming over the topic. This improves the writing work of writer.

Thank you very much! I spent about 2-3 hours and looked at these sites. Medium appears to be educational and very helpful for beginning writers! I will use it and promote it! See where I am with it by the end of the year! Thank you again! Edina Back, Executive Establishment Officer, Personnel Efficiency Foundation

Good morning. Please I am a prolific writer. I write on a broad range of topics and areas ranging from Marriage, Relationship, Politics, amongst others. How do I publish my articles please?

Fine, thank you.

I want to publish my poetries. Where I can get it published?

I have 200 pages of musings and poetry in RHYMING format. Deep thoughts and shallow—-should it be published? C R Petty Col USMC Ret.

I’m looking for free publishing platform. I want to publish an article I wrote while I was in college. This an academic article for educators (teaching profession). What is the appropriate website for that.

Hlo sir/mam, we are the students of masters. Sir we want to publish our research article in your site. So sir please give us the details regarding publication criteria or fees. We shall be thankful to you for this kind of purpose.

As they say always seek knowledge I would like to seek knowledge and become one of the best poets ever in history by explaining to people about what’s love

Kindly please keep providing me the work related to writing . Iam hard working and dedicated.

“Life is my teacher and living is my lesson.” I believe everyday you live, you learn alot from life. When you stop living is when the lessons stop. Article is informative and useful. Reading it has set me in motion. I now know how to proceed. The lessons are a step forward in the right direction.

Very valuable information. Lot of secrets, thank you.

Hello Lisa, Great article. Thanks for bringing these tools on one platform for the world. Keep up the good work. Regards

Hello we are publishing house based in Rwanda Africa, we would like to get in touch with you for more information on the on how we can work with you in publishing working in have books for kids both fiction and non fiction kindly tell me how we can work together. Waiting from you soonest Best Regards Andrew.

Please use our site contact form if you wish to get in touch with us.

I want to publish a book. What is the process ? Can I contact you ?Nearest office ?

We only offer advice articles on our site, Abraham. Sorry, but we do not offer personal support or coaching.

Is it possible to publish a small article regarding medical science

Frankly speaking, and as human beings, we always learn from one another. You may good in x and I’m good at y, for that reason I may need your help and you may need my help. It’s a mutual learning.

Hi Derek Haines, I would like to publish my short gospel articles, Where do I start?

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13 canadian magazines and websites that pay for personal essays.

North99 is a Toronto-based non-profit that creates “progressive content and opinion with the goal of shifting opinion and making Canada a more fair, equal, and inclusive country.” They are looking for pitches from workers, students, and ordinary Canadians. They pay a standard rate of $125 for opinions, reviews, personal essays, and policy arguments (usually 1,500 words or less). They pay a standard rate of $325 for articles that require substantial primary research and investigative work (usually over 2,500 words). To pitch them, visit this page .

Friends of Canadian Broadcasting is a citizens’ movement that is dedicated to defending Canadian culture and democracy. They publish essays, op eds, and feature articles (of up to 1,000 words) in both English and French. According to their website, their articles “offer a distinctly Canadian take on media-related issues and help readers understand the state of journalism and storytelling in our country and how the changing landscape affects our democracy, culture, and daily life.” They pay $250 CDN per article. Details here .

Emerging Policy Lab (EPL) is “designed for young people to inform the world about what they feel may be a pressing policy issue in the short to near future that policymakers need to be aware of.” They are accepting submissions on emerging issues from young people (aged 14 to 32) who are residing in the province of Ontario. Submissions can be in the form of op-eds or essays of 600 to 750 words. They pay successful contributors an honorarium of $200. Details here .

Maisonneuve is a Montreal-based quarterly of “arts, opinion and ideas.” They are looking for all kinds of non-fiction writing including essays, memoirs, reporting, and humor. Payment reports indicate that they pay $0.10 per word. To contact them, visit this page .

LiveWire Calgary is a news media organization that is committed to delivering timely, relevant, and unique Calgary-area stories. They are looking for stories (350 to 1,500 words), photo essays, and opinion pieces. They pay a base rate of $0.30 per word. To learn more, read their freelance guidelines .

C Magazine is a quarterly published contemporary art and criticism periodical based in Toronto, Canada. Each issue of the magazine has a theme. They welcome “writing on contemporary art and culture that is lively and rigorously engaged with current ideas and debates.” They accept pitches for reviews (800 to 1,000 words), columns (800 to 1,000 words), and feature essays, cultural analysis, and interviews (1,200 to 3,500 words). One payment report indicates that they pay $0.14 per word. To learn more, visit this page .

Hakai Magazine is an online magazine that “explores science, society, and the environment from a coastal perspective.” They are based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The length of stories and commentary in their “news & views” section is 300 to 800 words. While, the length of narratives, essays, profiles, and investigative pieces in their “features” section is 1,000 to 5,000 words. Payment reports indicate that they pay up to $0.60 per word. According to Hakai magazine’s website, they have a “modest travel budget and all expenses must be approved in advance.” To learn more, read their submission guidelines .

The Walrus is a Canadian general interest magazine that “provokes new thinking and sparks conversation on matters vital to Canadians.” They publish short essays, long-form narrative journalism, features, essays, fiction and poetry. Reports suggest that they pay their writers an average of $0.48 per word. To find out more, visit their submission guidelines .

Canadian Women in the Literary Arts wants writing by women, trans, genderqueer, and two-spirit Canadian writers on topics relating to literary arts. Apart from book reviews, possible genres include creative non-fiction, literary criticism, essays, and any innovative, alternative or hybrid genres. Submissions should explore topics related to women and other marginalized groups in literary arts. Submissions can be in English or French. They pay CAD200. Details here .

The Hamilton Review of Books publishes twice annually, in Spring and Fall, and accepts work by Canadian writers. They publish book reviews and long-form essays on works of Hamiltonian, Canadian and international fiction, nonfiction, poetry and graphic novels. Reviews are 500-750 words and pay CAD50. Essays are 1,500-5,000 words and pay CAD75, and focus on a literary subject; authors may, for example, engage with a book’s subject matter as a jumping-off point for a thematic, personal essay. Details here .

Abilities is Canada’s foremost cross-disability lifestyle magazine. Topics include travel, health, sport, recreation, careers, education, transportation, housing, social policy, relationships, technology, family life, movie/book reviews, personality profiles, events and conferences. The magazine has a conversational tone. They’re not looking for personal essays, but encourage writers to draw on their experiences to illustrate a broader topic. They pay a kill fee if negotiated in advance. They pay $50 to $325. To learn more, read their submission guidelines.

Faith Today is a bimonthly Canadian general interest magazine connecting Evangelical Christians. Its content includes feature articles, short essays, news, and profiles of Canadian individuals and ministries. Editors buy both first North American serial print rights and perpetual web rights. Payment for most features is $0.25/word (800-1,800 words), essay – $Cdn 0.15/word (650-1,500 words), and reprints – $0.15/word. To learn more, read the writers’ guidelines: https://www.faithtoday.ca/writers .

subTerrain (Strong Words for a Polite Nation) is a literary magazine published 3 times per year. Its content includes fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, essays, and commentary. Editors look only for original material and are “happy to consider work from all corners of the identity spectrum.” Payment is $0.10 per word (to a maximum of $500) for fiction (up to 3,000 words), non-fiction (up to 4,000 words), and commentary ((up to 4,000 words). To learn more, read writers’ guidelines: http://subterrain.ca/about/35/sub-terrain-writer-s-guidelines/ .

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How to Write an Essay

Use the links below to jump directly to any section of this guide:

Essay Writing Fundamentals

How to prepare to write an essay, how to edit an essay, how to share and publish your essays, how to get essay writing help, how to find essay writing inspiration, resources for teaching essay writing.

Essays, short prose compositions on a particular theme or topic, are the bread and butter of academic life. You write them in class, for homework, and on standardized tests to show what you know. Unlike other kinds of academic writing (like the research paper) and creative writing (like short stories and poems), essays allow you to develop your original thoughts on a prompt or question. Essays come in many varieties: they can be expository (fleshing out an idea or claim), descriptive, (explaining a person, place, or thing), narrative (relating a personal experience), or persuasive (attempting to win over a reader). This guide is a collection of dozens of links about academic essay writing that we have researched, categorized, and annotated in order to help you improve your essay writing. 

Essays are different from other forms of writing; in turn, there are different kinds of essays. This section contains general resources for getting to know the essay and its variants. These resources introduce and define the essay as a genre, and will teach you what to expect from essay-based assessments.

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab

One of the most trusted academic writing sites, Purdue OWL provides a concise introduction to the four most common types of academic essays.

"The Essay: History and Definition" (ThoughtCo)

This snappy article from ThoughtCo talks about the origins of the essay and different kinds of essays you might be asked to write. 

"What Is An Essay?" Video Lecture (Coursera)

The University of California at Irvine's free video lecture, available on Coursera, tells  you everything you need to know about the essay.

Wikipedia Article on the "Essay"

Wikipedia's article on the essay is comprehensive, providing both English-language and global perspectives on the essay form. Learn about the essay's history, forms, and styles.

"Understanding College and Academic Writing" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

This list of common academic writing assignments (including types of essay prompts) will help you know what to expect from essay-based assessments.

Before you start writing your essay, you need to figure out who you're writing for (audience), what you're writing about (topic/theme), and what you're going to say (argument and thesis). This section contains links to handouts, chapters, videos and more to help you prepare to write an essay.

How to Identify Your Audience

"Audience" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This handout provides questions you can ask yourself to determine the audience for an academic writing assignment. It also suggests strategies for fitting your paper to your intended audience.

"Purpose, Audience, Tone, and Content" (Univ. of Minnesota Libraries)

This extensive book chapter from Writing for Success , available online through Minnesota Libraries Publishing, is followed by exercises to try out your new pre-writing skills.

"Determining Audience" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

This guide from a community college's writing center shows you how to know your audience, and how to incorporate that knowledge in your thesis statement.

"Know Your Audience" ( Paper Rater Blog)

This short blog post uses examples to show how implied audiences for essays differ. It reminds you to think of your instructor as an observer, who will know only the information you pass along.

How to Choose a Theme or Topic

"Research Tutorial: Developing Your Topic" (YouTube)

Take a look at this short video tutorial from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to understand the basics of developing a writing topic.

"How to Choose a Paper Topic" (WikiHow)

This simple, step-by-step guide (with pictures!) walks you through choosing a paper topic. It starts with a detailed description of brainstorming and ends with strategies to refine your broad topic.

"How to Read an Assignment: Moving From Assignment to Topic" (Harvard College Writing Center)

Did your teacher give you a prompt or other instructions? This guide helps you understand the relationship between an essay assignment and your essay's topic.

"Guidelines for Choosing a Topic" (CliffsNotes)

This study guide from CliffsNotes both discusses how to choose a topic and makes a useful distinction between "topic" and "thesis."

How to Come Up with an Argument

"Argument" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

Not sure what "argument" means in the context of academic writing? This page from the University of North Carolina is a good place to start.

"The Essay Guide: Finding an Argument" (Study Hub)

This handout explains why it's important to have an argument when beginning your essay, and provides tools to help you choose a viable argument.

"Writing a Thesis and Making an Argument" (University of Iowa)

This page from the University of Iowa's Writing Center contains exercises through which you can develop and refine your argument and thesis statement.

"Developing a Thesis" (Harvard College Writing Center)

This page from Harvard's Writing Center collates some helpful dos and don'ts of argumentative writing, from steps in constructing a thesis to avoiding vague and confrontational thesis statements.

"Suggestions for Developing Argumentative Essays" (Berkeley Student Learning Center)

This page offers concrete suggestions for each stage of the essay writing process, from topic selection to drafting and editing. 

How to Outline your Essay

"Outlines" (Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill via YouTube)

This short video tutorial from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill shows how to group your ideas into paragraphs or sections to begin the outlining process.

"Essay Outline" (Univ. of Washington Tacoma)

This two-page handout by a university professor simply defines the parts of an essay and then organizes them into an example outline.

"Types of Outlines and Samples" (Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab)

Purdue OWL gives examples of diverse outline strategies on this page, including the alphanumeric, full sentence, and decimal styles. 

"Outlining" (Harvard College Writing Center)

Once you have an argument, according to this handout, there are only three steps in the outline process: generalizing, ordering, and putting it all together. Then you're ready to write!

"Writing Essays" (Plymouth Univ.)

This packet, part of Plymouth University's Learning Development series, contains descriptions and diagrams relating to the outlining process.

"How to Write A Good Argumentative Essay: Logical Structure" (Criticalthinkingtutorials.com via YouTube)

This longer video tutorial gives an overview of how to structure your essay in order to support your argument or thesis. It is part of a longer course on academic writing hosted on Udemy.

Now that you've chosen and refined your topic and created an outline, use these resources to complete the writing process. Most essays contain introductions (which articulate your thesis statement), body paragraphs, and conclusions. Transitions facilitate the flow from one paragraph to the next so that support for your thesis builds throughout the essay. Sources and citations show where you got the evidence to support your thesis, which ensures that you avoid plagiarism. 

How to Write an Introduction

"Introductions" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page identifies the role of the introduction in any successful paper, suggests strategies for writing introductions, and warns against less effective introductions.

"How to Write A Good Introduction" (Michigan State Writing Center)

Beginning with the most common missteps in writing introductions, this guide condenses the essentials of introduction composition into seven points.

"The Introductory Paragraph" (ThoughtCo)

This blog post from academic advisor and college enrollment counselor Grace Fleming focuses on ways to grab your reader's attention at the beginning of your essay.

"Introductions and Conclusions" (Univ. of Toronto)

This guide from the University of Toronto gives advice that applies to writing both introductions and conclusions, including dos and don'ts.

"How to Write Better Essays: No One Does Introductions Properly" ( The Guardian )

This news article interviews UK professors on student essay writing; they point to introductions as the area that needs the most improvement.

How to Write a Thesis Statement

"Writing an Effective Thesis Statement" (YouTube)

This short, simple video tutorial from a college composition instructor at Tulsa Community College explains what a thesis statement is and what it does. 

"Thesis Statement: Four Steps to a Great Essay" (YouTube)

This fantastic tutorial walks you through drafting a thesis, using an essay prompt on Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter as an example.

"How to Write a Thesis Statement" (WikiHow)

This step-by-step guide (with pictures!) walks you through coming up with, writing, and editing a thesis statement. It invites you think of your statement as a "working thesis" that can change.

"How to Write a Thesis Statement" (Univ. of Indiana Bloomington)

Ask yourself the questions on this page, part of Indiana Bloomington's Writing Tutorial Services, when you're writing and refining your thesis statement.

"Writing Tips: Thesis Statements" (Univ. of Illinois Center for Writing Studies)

This page gives plentiful examples of good to great thesis statements, and offers questions to ask yourself when formulating a thesis statement.

How to Write Body Paragraphs

"Body Paragraph" (Brightstorm)

This module of a free online course introduces you to the components of a body paragraph. These include the topic sentence, information, evidence, and analysis.

"Strong Body Paragraphs" (Washington Univ.)

This handout from Washington's Writing and Research Center offers in-depth descriptions of the parts of a successful body paragraph.

"Guide to Paragraph Structure" (Deakin Univ.)

This handout is notable for color-coding example body paragraphs to help you identify the functions various sentences perform.

"Writing Body Paragraphs" (Univ. of Minnesota Libraries)

The exercises in this section of Writing for Success  will help you practice writing good body paragraphs. It includes guidance on selecting primary support for your thesis.

"The Writing Process—Body Paragraphs" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

The information and exercises on this page will familiarize you with outlining and writing body paragraphs, and includes links to more information on topic sentences and transitions.

"The Five-Paragraph Essay" (ThoughtCo)

This blog post discusses body paragraphs in the context of one of the most common academic essay types in secondary schools.

How to Use Transitions

"Transitions" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill explains what a transition is, and how to know if you need to improve your transitions.

"Using Transitions Effectively" (Washington Univ.)

This handout defines transitions, offers tips for using them, and contains a useful list of common transitional words and phrases grouped by function.

"Transitions" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

This page compares paragraphs without transitions to paragraphs with transitions, and in doing so shows how important these connective words and phrases are.

"Transitions in Academic Essays" (Scribbr)

This page lists four techniques that will help you make sure your reader follows your train of thought, including grouping similar information and using transition words.

"Transitions" (El Paso Community College)

This handout shows example transitions within paragraphs for context, and explains how transitions improve your essay's flow and voice.

"Make Your Paragraphs Flow to Improve Writing" (ThoughtCo)

This blog post, another from academic advisor and college enrollment counselor Grace Fleming, talks about transitions and other strategies to improve your essay's overall flow.

"Transition Words" (smartwords.org)

This handy word bank will help you find transition words when you're feeling stuck. It's grouped by the transition's function, whether that is to show agreement, opposition, condition, or consequence.

How to Write a Conclusion

"Parts of An Essay: Conclusions" (Brightstorm)

This module of a free online course explains how to conclude an academic essay. It suggests thinking about the "3Rs": return to hook, restate your thesis, and relate to the reader.

"Essay Conclusions" (Univ. of Maryland University College)

This overview of the academic essay conclusion contains helpful examples and links to further resources for writing good conclusions.

"How to End An Essay" (WikiHow)

This step-by-step guide (with pictures!) by an English Ph.D. walks you through writing a conclusion, from brainstorming to ending with a flourish.

"Ending the Essay: Conclusions" (Harvard College Writing Center)

This page collates useful strategies for writing an effective conclusion, and reminds you to "close the discussion without closing it off" to further conversation.

How to Include Sources and Citations

"Research and Citation Resources" (Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab)

Purdue OWL streamlines information about the three most common referencing styles (MLA, Chicago, and APA) and provides examples of how to cite different resources in each system.

EasyBib: Free Bibliography Generator

This online tool allows you to input information about your source and automatically generate citations in any style. Be sure to select your resource type before clicking the "cite it" button.

CitationMachine

Like EasyBib, this online tool allows you to input information about your source and automatically generate citations in any style. 

Modern Language Association Handbook (MLA)

Here, you'll find the definitive and up-to-date record of MLA referencing rules. Order through the link above, or check to see if your library has a copy.

Chicago Manual of Style

Here, you'll find the definitive and up-to-date record of Chicago referencing rules. You can take a look at the table of contents, then choose to subscribe or start a free trial.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

"What is Plagiarism?" (plagiarism.org)

This nonprofit website contains numerous resources for identifying and avoiding plagiarism, and reminds you that even common activities like copying images from another website to your own site may constitute plagiarism.

"Plagiarism" (University of Oxford)

This interactive page from the University of Oxford helps you check for plagiarism in your work, making it clear how to avoid citing another person's work without full acknowledgement.

"Avoiding Plagiarism" (MIT Comparative Media Studies)

This quick guide explains what plagiarism is, what its consequences are, and how to avoid it. It starts by defining three words—quotation, paraphrase, and summary—that all constitute citation.

"Harvard Guide to Using Sources" (Harvard Extension School)

This comprehensive website from Harvard brings together articles, videos, and handouts about referencing, citation, and plagiarism. 

Grammarly contains tons of helpful grammar and writing resources, including a free tool to automatically scan your essay to check for close affinities to published work. 

Noplag is another popular online tool that automatically scans your essay to check for signs of plagiarism. Simply copy and paste your essay into the box and click "start checking."

Once you've written your essay, you'll want to edit (improve content), proofread (check for spelling and grammar mistakes), and finalize your work until you're ready to hand it in. This section brings together tips and resources for navigating the editing process. 

"Writing a First Draft" (Academic Help)

This is an introduction to the drafting process from the site Academic Help, with tips for getting your ideas on paper before editing begins.

"Editing and Proofreading" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page provides general strategies for revising your writing. They've intentionally left seven errors in the handout, to give you practice in spotting them.

"How to Proofread Effectively" (ThoughtCo)

This article from ThoughtCo, along with those linked at the bottom, help describe common mistakes to check for when proofreading.

"7 Simple Edits That Make Your Writing 100% More Powerful" (SmartBlogger)

This blog post emphasizes the importance of powerful, concise language, and reminds you that even your personal writing heroes create clunky first drafts.

"Editing Tips for Effective Writing" (Univ. of Pennsylvania)

On this page from Penn's International Relations department, you'll find tips for effective prose, errors to watch out for, and reminders about formatting.

"Editing the Essay" (Harvard College Writing Center)

This article, the first of two parts, gives you applicable strategies for the editing process. It suggests reading your essay aloud, removing any jargon, and being unafraid to remove even "dazzling" sentences that don't belong.

"Guide to Editing and Proofreading" (Oxford Learning Institute)

This handout from Oxford covers the basics of editing and proofreading, and reminds you that neither task should be rushed. 

In addition to plagiarism-checkers, Grammarly has a plug-in for your web browser that checks your writing for common mistakes.

After you've prepared, written, and edited your essay, you might want to share it outside the classroom. This section alerts you to print and web opportunities to share your essays with the wider world, from online writing communities and blogs to published journals geared toward young writers.

Sharing Your Essays Online

Go Teen Writers

Go Teen Writers is an online community for writers aged 13 - 19. It was founded by Stephanie Morrill, an author of contemporary young adult novels. 

Tumblr is a blogging website where you can share your writing and interact with other writers online. It's easy to add photos, links, audio, and video components.

Writersky provides an online platform for publishing and reading other youth writers' work. Its current content is mostly devoted to fiction.

Publishing Your Essays Online

This teen literary journal publishes in print, on the web, and (more frequently), on a blog. It is committed to ensuring that "teens see their authentic experience reflected on its pages."

The Matador Review

This youth writing platform celebrates "alternative," unconventional writing. The link above will take you directly to the site's "submissions" page.

Teen Ink has a website, monthly newsprint magazine, and quarterly poetry magazine promoting the work of young writers.

The largest online reading platform, Wattpad enables you to publish your work and read others' work. Its inline commenting feature allows you to share thoughts as you read along.

Publishing Your Essays in Print

Canvas Teen Literary Journal

This quarterly literary magazine is published for young writers by young writers. They accept many kinds of writing, including essays.

The Claremont Review

This biannual international magazine, first published in 1992, publishes poetry, essays, and short stories from writers aged 13 - 19.

Skipping Stones

This young writers magazine, founded in 1988, celebrates themes relating to ecological and cultural diversity. It publishes poems, photos, articles, and stories.

The Telling Room

This nonprofit writing center based in Maine publishes children's work on their website and in book form. The link above directs you to the site's submissions page.

Essay Contests

Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards

This prestigious international writing contest for students in grades 7 - 12 has been committed to "supporting the future of creativity since 1923."

Society of Professional Journalists High School Essay Contest

An annual essay contest on the theme of journalism and media, the Society of Professional Journalists High School Essay Contest awards scholarships up to $1,000.

National YoungArts Foundation

Here, you'll find information on a government-sponsored writing competition for writers aged 15 - 18. The foundation welcomes submissions of creative nonfiction, novels, scripts, poetry, short story and spoken word.

Signet Classics Student Scholarship Essay Contest

With prompts on a different literary work each year, this competition from Signet Classics awards college scholarships up to $1,000.

"The Ultimate Guide to High School Essay Contests" (CollegeVine)

See this handy guide from CollegeVine for a list of more competitions you can enter with your academic essay, from the National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards to the National High School Essay Contest by the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Whether you're struggling to write academic essays or you think you're a pro, there are workshops and online tools that can help you become an even better writer. Even the most seasoned writers encounter writer's block, so be proactive and look through our curated list of resources to combat this common frustration.

Online Essay-writing Classes and Workshops

"Getting Started with Essay Writing" (Coursera)

Coursera offers lots of free, high-quality online classes taught by college professors. Here's one example, taught by instructors from the University of California Irvine.

"Writing and English" (Brightstorm)

Brightstorm's free video lectures are easy to navigate by topic. This unit on the parts of an essay features content on the essay hook, thesis, supporting evidence, and more.

"How to Write an Essay" (EdX)

EdX is another open online university course website with several two- to five-week courses on the essay. This one is geared toward English language learners.

Writer's Digest University

This renowned writers' website offers online workshops and interactive tutorials. The courses offered cover everything from how to get started through how to get published.

Writing.com

Signing up for this online writer's community gives you access to helpful resources as well as an international community of writers.

How to Overcome Writer's Block

"Symptoms and Cures for Writer's Block" (Purdue OWL)

Purdue OWL offers a list of signs you might have writer's block, along with ways to overcome it. Consider trying out some "invention strategies" or ways to curb writing anxiety.

"Overcoming Writer's Block: Three Tips" ( The Guardian )

These tips, geared toward academic writing specifically, are practical and effective. The authors advocate setting realistic goals, creating dedicated writing time, and participating in social writing.

"Writing Tips: Strategies for Overcoming Writer's Block" (Univ. of Illinois)

This page from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Center for Writing Studies acquaints you with strategies that do and do not work to overcome writer's block.

"Writer's Block" (Univ. of Toronto)

Ask yourself the questions on this page; if the answer is "yes," try out some of the article's strategies. Each question is accompanied by at least two possible solutions.

If you have essays to write but are short on ideas, this section's links to prompts, example student essays, and celebrated essays by professional writers might help. You'll find writing prompts from a variety of sources, student essays to inspire you, and a number of essay writing collections.

Essay Writing Prompts

"50 Argumentative Essay Topics" (ThoughtCo)

Take a look at this list and the others ThoughtCo has curated for different kinds of essays. As the author notes, "a number of these topics are controversial and that's the point."

"401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing" ( New York Times )

This list (and the linked lists to persuasive and narrative writing prompts), besides being impressive in length, is put together by actual high school English teachers.

"SAT Sample Essay Prompts" (College Board)

If you're a student in the U.S., your classroom essay prompts are likely modeled on the prompts in U.S. college entrance exams. Take a look at these official examples from the SAT.

"Popular College Application Essay Topics" (Princeton Review)

This page from the Princeton Review dissects recent Common Application essay topics and discusses strategies for answering them.

Example Student Essays

"501 Writing Prompts" (DePaul Univ.)

This nearly 200-page packet, compiled by the LearningExpress Skill Builder in Focus Writing Team, is stuffed with writing prompts, example essays, and commentary.

"Topics in English" (Kibin)

Kibin is a for-pay essay help website, but its example essays (organized by topic) are available for free. You'll find essays on everything from  A Christmas Carol  to perseverance.

"Student Writing Models" (Thoughtful Learning)

Thoughtful Learning, a website that offers a variety of teaching materials, provides sample student essays on various topics and organizes them by grade level.

"Five-Paragraph Essay" (ThoughtCo)

In this blog post by a former professor of English and rhetoric, ThoughtCo brings together examples of five-paragraph essays and commentary on the form.

The Best Essay Writing Collections

The Best American Essays of the Century by Joyce Carol Oates (Amazon)

This collection of American essays spanning the twentieth century was compiled by award winning author and Princeton professor Joyce Carol Oates.

The Best American Essays 2017 by Leslie Jamison (Amazon)

Leslie Jamison, the celebrated author of essay collection  The Empathy Exams , collects recent, high-profile essays into a single volume.

The Art of the Personal Essay by Phillip Lopate (Amazon)

Documentary writer Phillip Lopate curates this historical overview of the personal essay's development, from the classical era to the present.

The White Album by Joan Didion (Amazon)

This seminal essay collection was authored by one of the most acclaimed personal essayists of all time, American journalist Joan Didion.

Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace (Amazon)

Read this famous essay collection by David Foster Wallace, who is known for his experimentation with the essay form. He pushed the boundaries of personal essay, reportage, and political polemic.

"50 Successful Harvard Application Essays" (Staff of the The Harvard Crimson )

If you're looking for examples of exceptional college application essays, this volume from Harvard's daily student newspaper is one of the best collections on the market.

Are you an instructor looking for the best resources for teaching essay writing? This section contains resources for developing in-class activities and student homework assignments. You'll find content from both well-known university writing centers and online writing labs.

Essay Writing Classroom Activities for Students

"In-class Writing Exercises" (Univ. of North Carolina Writing Center)

This page lists exercises related to brainstorming, organizing, drafting, and revising. It also contains suggestions for how to implement the suggested exercises.

"Teaching with Writing" (Univ. of Minnesota Center for Writing)

Instructions and encouragement for using "freewriting," one-minute papers, logbooks, and other write-to-learn activities in the classroom can be found here.

"Writing Worksheets" (Berkeley Student Learning Center)

Berkeley offers this bank of writing worksheets to use in class. They are nested under headings for "Prewriting," "Revision," "Research Papers" and more.

"Using Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism" (DePaul University)

Use these activities and worksheets from DePaul's Teaching Commons when instructing students on proper academic citation practices.

Essay Writing Homework Activities for Students

"Grammar and Punctuation Exercises" (Aims Online Writing Lab)

These five interactive online activities allow students to practice editing and proofreading. They'll hone their skills in correcting comma splices and run-ons, identifying fragments, using correct pronoun agreement, and comma usage.

"Student Interactives" (Read Write Think)

Read Write Think hosts interactive tools, games, and videos for developing writing skills. They can practice organizing and summarizing, writing poetry, and developing lines of inquiry and analysis.

This free website offers writing and grammar activities for all grade levels. The lessons are designed to be used both for large classes and smaller groups.

"Writing Activities and Lessons for Every Grade" (Education World)

Education World's page on writing activities and lessons links you to more free, online resources for learning how to "W.R.I.T.E.": write, revise, inform, think, and edit.

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New York Times Opinion Guest Essays

Learn more about New York Times Opinion guest essays, including how to submit a guest essay for review and publication.

New York Times Opinion guest essays deliver an argument in the author’s voice, based on fact and drawn from expertise or experience. Our goal is to offer readers a robust range of ideas on newsworthy events or issues of broad public concern from people outside The New York Times.

We welcome ideas for submissions in all media, including audio, illustration, data and visualization . 

If you’d like to submit a video guest essay , please visit New York Times Opinion Video guest essay for more information on the submission process. 

Select an option below to learn more: 

What is a Guest Essay?

Opinion guest essays were known as Op-Eds because they appeared in print opposite the editorial page. At its core, an Opinion guest essay provides an argument defined and substantiated with evidence. Rich discussion and debate, combined in a unique way, offer New York Times readers a better understanding of the world. Inviting “intelligent discussion from all shades of opinion” has been core to the work of The Times since 1896, when our publisher Adolph Ochs declared it part of the newspaper’s mission.

We believe in the value of creating space for people who aren’t journalists and who often have no institutional affiliation with The New York Times to speak directly to readers instead of being mediated through a reporter. By design, these arguments and voices often contrast with or challenge those of our newsroom and our own Opinion columnists and editorials . 

Guest essays should provide New York Times readers with the most robust, wide-ranging and distinctive collection of arguments and ideas available.

Guest essays can take many forms, such as: 

• A place for experts to share knowledge and offer illuminating counterarguments: Where experts can present findings, highlight problems and propose solutions to the public and to one another. We seek out essays from experts in which they make an original, robust argument based on their unusual or deep expertise. Economists, lawyers, doctors, teachers, psychologists, playwrights and many others may have expertise on a given topic that can advance an important argument.
• First-person accounts: Where everyday people can share their experiences in their own words, often coupled with reporting or research, in a way that compels readers to see the world in a different light.
• A platform for public officials: Where public officials can make their case, explain their position or tell their stories. Because these individuals already have significant platforms, their essays are held to especially high standards and offer readers newsworthy insight.

We discourage essays that are fundamentally responses to other Opinion articles, columns or editorials. The best forum for responses is the Letters page. To send a letter, email [email protected] .

What Makes a Guest Essay Great?

This is an ever-evolving question because what we look for depends on the news and the issues in public conversation at any given moment. 

The best Opinion essays: 

• Challenge and engage audiences that do not necessarily agree with the writer’s point of view. 
• Give specific and original insight into complicated problems or thorny ideas. 
• Anticipate readers’ questions and even confusion around news that has an impact on their lives and the world. One important role of a guest essay is to clarify and explain the stakes of changes and world events.
• Start conversations, influence policymakers and have an impact far beyond the pages of Times Opinion. 
• Delight readers with great writing and originality and open a window to a world they might not otherwise see.
• Have a word count typically from 800 to 1,200 words, although we sometimes publish essays that are shorter or longer.

Our Standards

Originality: Essays must be original and exclusive to The New York Times — meaning they cannot have appeared elsewhere in any form in print or online.

Ethics and conflicts: Guest writers are expected to avoid any conflict of interest or the appearance of such conflict and comply with The Times’s policies on ethical journalism .

Fact-checking: Before we publish your article, it must be fact-checked. If an essay is accepted for publication, the guest writer will be asked to submit an annotated copy of the essay, listing the relevant sources for each factual assertion.

• We focus our checking on verifiable facts (for example, the number of Americans without health insurance, the median household income, the date a law was enacted).
• We also investigate broader factual assertions (for example, “No one named to the court in the postwar period was as conservative as Justice Scalia or as liberal as Justice Brennan,” “Laos is one of the world’s most corrupt nations”) that may need to be qualified, explained or stated with greater precision or nuance.
• We look at the factual evidence cited to verify that the methodology is sound and that the data is presented with precision and balance. 
• We prefer primary sources (for example, an N.I.H. research paper) to secondary ones (a news article about the paper’s findings).
• If we determine that a particular fact cannot be verified, we will not publish it. 

We will work to verify the facts in your article, but as the writer, you bear the ultimate responsibility for the accuracy of your work. We cannot fix anything after publication without appending a correction, and corrections are permanently archived. Past errors are a factor when we consider whether to accept future work from a writer.

How Do I Submit an Opinion Guest Essay?

To submit your guest essay, please complete this form . 

When submitting your essay: 

• Explain the professional or personal background that connects you to the argument or idea in your essay. 
• Include sources (in hyperlinks in the text or in parentheses) for key assertions made in your essay. 

A member of our staff will read and review every submission, but because of the large number of messages we receive, we may not be able to respond to everyone individually. Unfortunately, we have to reject many excellent essays and ideas. If you do not hear from us within three business days, you should feel free to submit your work elsewhere.

How Do I Contact Other Teams?

• To contact the Editorial Page editor, email [email protected] . 
• To report a factual error in a news article, email [email protected] . All letters asserting factual errors will be forwarded to the appropriate editors.
• To contact Op-Docs, email [email protected] . 

To send a letter to a specific Sunday section :

• Book Review: [email protected]  
• Magazine: [email protected]  
• Metro: [email protected]  

Can't find what you're looking for?

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]

Pitch Submitted

Thank you for your interest in writing for aeon . You have now submitted your pitch for review: every pitch is seen by one of our commissioning editors. Our editorial review process can take 4-6 weeks.

Please bear in mind that we receive a high volume of pitches, so cannot respond to every enquiry individually, however you will hear from us whether we reject or accept your pitch. In the meantime, you are free to submit this pitch elsewhere too.

Write Nonfiction NOW!

5 Tips To Help You Publish A Personal Essay

November 4, 2010 By nawnfinimport 4 Comments

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If writing a memoir feels like too big a project for the WNFIN challenge or you have no interest in writing a book, you might try composing a personal essay. This allows you to take a vignette, anecdote or scene from your life and write a piece based upon that experience that is closer to the length of a magazine or newspaper article. I’ve written several posts in the past on the  topic  of how to write an essay, such as this one , this one , and this one , too.

My guest blogger today comes from Writer’s Relief , an author’s submission service that assists writers with preparing their submissions and researching the best markets for those submissions. The five tips they offer cover ways to write and to submit your essay for greater likelihood of success, by which I mean acceptance by a publication. I encourage anyone who decides to write a personal essay during WNFIN (or anytime) to polish it up, find a few great markets, and submit! There’s nothing like getting an acceptance letter and a check for a personal essay. And if at first you don’ t succeed–you receive one or more rejection letters, just tell yourself you’ve sent your essay to the wrong editor and find the right one.

5 Tips To Help You Publish A Personal Essay By Writer’s Relief

Writing a personal essay is a personal experience—and as such, what matters most is your experience of your writing and your satisfaction with the work you’ve done. But if you’d like to see your personal essay published in a literary journal or magazine, here are a few specific things you can do to help ensure your work will get a strong read:

1. Keep it short. Thanks to the Internet, the days of long, rambling personal essays and memoirs are gone. Most modern readers are rushed, distracted, and looking for some level of instant payoff when they begin to read an essay. At Writer’s Relief, we advise our clients not to write essays that are longer than 3,500 words. And if you’re thinking of targeting online literary magazines (which are a great resource), you may want to aim for an even lower word count. With short prose, less is more!

2. Get engaged. No, we’re not talking about weddings. We’re talking about current events and the modern world. Essays that are reflections on the way we live today—especially those that tackle “big” issues in a personal way—are often favorably received at literary magazines. So if you can put a personal spin on a big issue—like foreclosure, obesity, racism, or any other social issue—you may be able to get a foot in the door at a literary magazine.

3. “Tell me something I don’t know.” You’ve heard there are no new ideas. But the fact is, no one can replicate your particular view of the world. For that reason, editors at literary magazines continue to accept prose that offers new viewpoints of modern work and play. But in order for your prose to be compelling, you’ve got to push for deeper, more surprising, and more insightful explorations. You’re competing for space when you submit to a literary magazine, and if your insights are stronger than the competition’s, then you’re in!

4. Check your ego at the door. Just because you’re writing a personal essay, doesn’t mean you can indulge in your every last whim of hedonism. Essays that are about “me, me, me” and “I, I, I” are not likely to be published. Strive to paint a bigger picture—to show how your experiences are relevant to all people—and you’ll turn editors into fans.

5. Submit your essays to the best-suited editors. If you’re going to submit your personal essay, you’ve got to know the right people to send your work to. At Writer’s Relief, we’ve got a database of thousands of editors who are accepting essays—and we track which editors like what specific type of work.

But you can also do this kind of research on your own. Spend time at the library or on the Web to determine which magazines are right for you, then send out your work regularly. Expect rejections and strive for acceptances. Although the odds may seem staggering, we see writers’ work being accepted all the time!

While personal essays are personal, it’s helpful to know what readers and editors are looking for when they read your work. We hope these tips will help you get published. Happy writing!

About the Author

Writer’s Relief ( www.WritersRelief.com ) is an author’s submission service. We assist writers with preparing their submissions and researching the best markets. We have a service for every budget, as well as a free e-publication for writers, Submit Write Now! Visit our site today to learn more.

Sign in as a WNFIN participant here . Log into the WNFIN Forum here .

April 24, 2013 at 4:13 pm

With havin so much content and articles do you ever run into any issues of plagorism or copyright infringement?

My blog has a lot of completely unique content I’ve either authored myself or outsourced but it appears a lot of it is popping it up all over the internet without my authorization. Do you know any methods to help prevent content from being ripped off? I’d certainly appreciate it.

April 25, 2013 at 10:11 am

There are some plugins that time stamp your material to prove you published it first. You can put a copyright symbol on your home page and also a notice somewhere saying the material may not be used without permission, but there are some that will still take it and use it without attribution. It actually is quite rare. I have one site now doing it with some of my material…and no way to even contact them. Usually if you can find a way to contact them, they will take it down or add attribution. Most legit bloggers will attribute. The good news is you are being found. If your site had no traffic, your material wouldn’t get “scraped.” As they say, you have more to fear of obscurity than plagorism. Sorry I can’t be of more help. Do try to contact the site owner, though.

[…] essay to the wrong editor and find the right one. You can read Writer’s Relief’s “5 Tips To Help You Publish A Personal Essay” here. Share and […]

[…] just tell yourself you’ve sent your essay to the wrong editor and find the right one. Click here to read “5 Tips To Help You Publish A Personal Essay.” Share and […]

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How to Submit Articles to Publications

Last Updated: March 2, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Janet Peischel . Janet Peischel is a Writer and Digital Media Expert and the Owner of Top of Mind Marketing. With more than 15 years of consulting experience, she develops content strategies and builds online brands for her clients. Prior to consulting, Janet spent over 15 years in the marketing industry, in positions such as the Vice President of Marketing Communications for the Bank of America. Janet holds a BA and MA from the University of Washington. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 172,581 times.

You've finally wrapped up the article you've been working so hard on and now it's ready for publication. But first, you have to submit it. Submitting your first article is an exciting process. There are different procedures depending on whether you are writing an academic article or a personal essay. Regardless of what type of work you produce, there are several steps you can take to make the process a little easier.

Choosing the Right Publication

• Start by doing your research. Use the internet to search for literary journals.
• Look at the website for each journal. Browse some of the past issues. This will give you a good idea of what types of articles that particular journal publishes.
• Head to the library. Ask the reference librarian to help you find a complete list of literary journals. Make sure that the journal you are interested in accepts unsolicited submissions.

• Make sure that your research fits the scope of the journal. For example, if you are a scholar of European history, do not submit your article to a journal that focuses solely on East Asian history.
• Verify that the publication is peer-reviewed. This means that other scholars will review your work.
• Be aware that it may take a while to receive an answer from the editor. The review process for academic journals can often take several months.

• There are several different types of publications that publish personal essays. Make sure to choose one who's readers might be interested in your story.
• Many newspapers publish personal essays in the magazine section of the paper. Major papers such as The Boston Globe and The New York Times publish these types of pieces.
• You might also consider submitting your essay to an online magazine. Popular publications such as Slate and Salon offer their readers essays on a wide variety of topics.

• Op-ed pieces are typically fairly brief. A common op-ed is usually between 400-1200 words.
• Most newspapers accept op-ed pieces on a variety of topics. You can find specific guidelines on the newspaper's website.
• Make your piece topical. If your op-ed is timely, it will have a better chance of being published. For example, a piece about veterans services might be appropriate to submit around Memorial Day.

• Try to avoid predatory publications. These are journals who charge exorbitant author fees and will publish almost anything.
• Academics often feel pressure to publish regularly. It's important not to be lured by promises of publication in exchange for high fees. These publications typically do not have rigorous standards.
• Fiction writers can also find magazines that will publish in exchange for money. These publications are typically not highly regarded. If you are asked for money before your article appears, consider whether this is the right venue for your work.
• Some publications that charge author fees are reputable. If you feel a fee is appropriate, make sure that you pay it using the specified method.

Preparing Your Article

• Make it clear why your article is original. For example, if you are writing an academic article, you can emphasize the new sources you've utilized.
• In your introduction, highlight the unique aspects of your research. For example, you might say, "Based on newly declassified sources,..."
• If you are submitting a personal essay, explain your point of view. Make it clear to the editor and the readers why your take on the topic is interesting. You could say, "My experience as a first time mother was different than most because..."

• After you produce a first draft, go back and edit for content. Make sure that the points you are trying to make are clear.
• Pay attention to organization. Do you make it clear at the beginning what the point of your article is? Is your conclusion thorough? Would reorganization help?
• Edit for grammatical/stylistic errors. Make sure that your spell check is set to check style as well as just grammar. Spend time carefully reading each sentence to make sure your piece is error free.

• Ask a friend to read your work. Try saying, "Do you have some time this week to read an article that I'm working on?"
• Accept constructive criticism. Don't take it personally if your friend offers you some tips for improvement.
• Choose a friend whose opinion you respect. This will make it easier to accept and utilize their feedback.

• Pay close attention to the guidelines. They are not merely suggestions. Many publications will not read your work if it does not fit the parameters of the guidelines.
• Adhere to the length requirements. Most journals will give you a word count for minimum and maximum length.
• Format your citations as specified. Some publications prefer endnotes, some require footnotes. Make sure you use whichever system the journal uses.

Submitting Your Article

• If your pitch is accepted, the editor will often request the article within a specific time frame. Make sure that you submit your article on time.
• If you are an academic, your first submission may receive what is called a "revise and resubmit". This means that your article shows promise, but needs some revisions.
• Submit your revised article in a timely manner. Ask the editor for a clear timeline, and then deliver the article by that deadline.

• Write down where you send which article. If you are working on multiple pieces at once, it is helpful to keep track of where you have sent various pieces.
• Make note of the date you send each submission. That way, you can have an idea of when you can expect to receive a response.
• Maintain records of any communication with the publication. For example, if the editor e-mails you with suggestions for future pieces, you will want to retain that organization.

• Do not take it personally. Understand that editors receive more submissions than can be published. Just because your article was not the best fit for that journal does not mean that your work is not good.
• Move on. Be ready to send the article on to the next publication on your list. And you should definitely have a list of publications that you would like to submit your work to.
• Do not respond. There is no need to follow up on a rejection note. While it might be tempting to express your frustrations, it is better to accept it gracefully and move on.

• Provide the editor with any information that is requested. You may be asked for contact info., for example.
• If your article is being considered at another publication, you should immediately withdraw it from consideration. Send a notification explaining that your article will be published elsewhere.
• Celebrate. Having a piece of writing accepted for publication is a great accomplishment. Congratulate yourself and share your good news with friends and family.

Expert Q&A

• Sharpen your expertise. You're not selling yourself as a writer--everyone who writes for a publication is theoretically a good writer. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• You're trying to convince an editor that your article is about something interesting and timely that will interest the reader, and that you're someone who knows how to communicate that topic. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Keep trying. It takes most people quite a lot of time to get their first article published. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/
• ↑ http://thewritelife.com/19-websites-magazines-want-publish-personal-essays/
• ↑ Janet Peischel. Digital Media Expert. Expert Interview. 30 March 2021.
• ↑ https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/115014809107-New-York-Times-Opinion-Guest-Essays
• ↑ http://www.scidev.net/global/publishing/practical-guide/target-journal-right-research-communicate-publish.html
• ↑ http://www.studentpulse.com/blog/posts/51/5-tips-for-publishing-your-first-academic-article/
• ↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/reading-aloud/
• ↑ http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/AuthorInformation
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Guest Essay

George Clooney: I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee.

By George Clooney

Mr. Clooney is an actor, director and film producer.

I’m a lifelong Democrat; I make no apologies for that. I’m proud of what my party represents and what it stands for. As part of my participation in the democratic process and in support of my chosen candidate, I have led some of the biggest fund-raisers in my party’s history. Barack Obama in 2012 . Hillary Clinton in 2016 . Joe Biden in 2020 . Last month I co-hosted the single largest fund-raiser supporting any Democratic candidate ever, for President Biden’s re-election. I say all of this only to express how much I believe in this process and how profound I think this moment is.

I love Joe Biden. As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. Believe in his character. Believe in his morals. In the last four years, he’s won many of the battles he’s faced.

But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time. None of us can. It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe “ big F-ing deal ” Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.

Was he tired? Yes. A cold? Maybe. But our party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn’t see what we just saw. We’re all so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump term that we’ve opted to ignore every warning sign. The George Stephanopoulos interview only reinforced what we saw the week before. As Democrats, we collectively hold our breath or turn down the volume whenever we see the president, whom we respect, walk off Air Force One or walk back to a mic to answer an unscripted question.

Is it fair to point these things out? It has to be. This is about age. Nothing more. But also nothing that can be reversed. We are not going to win in November with this president. On top of that, we won’t win the House, and we’re going to lose the Senate. This isn’t only my opinion; this is the opinion of every senator and Congress member and governor who I’ve spoken with in private. Every single one, irrespective of what he or she is saying publicly.

We love to talk about how the Republican Party has ceded all power, and all of the traits that made it so formidable with Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, to a single person who seeks to hold on to the presidency, and yet most of our members of Congress are opting to wait and see if the dam breaks. But the dam has broken. We can put our heads in the sand and pray for a miracle in November, or we can speak the truth.

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George Clooney argues in new op-ed that Democratic Party needs a new nominee

WASHINGTON - American actor George Clooney, a high-profile supporter of President Joe Biden, argued in an op-ed that the Democratic party needs a new nominee.

“We are not going to win in November with this president. On top of that, we won’t win the House, and we’re going to lose the Senate,” wrote Clooney in a New York Times piece published Wednesday. 

“This isn’t only my opinion; this is the opinion of every senator and congress member and governor that I’ve spoken with in private. Every single one, irrespective of what he or she is saying publicly.” he added. 

Clooney, a self-described lifelong Democrat, was among a group of A-list celebrities that co-hosted a glitzy Hollywood fundraiser last month for Biden’s campaign that brought in $30 million.

But in his op-ed, Clooney said Biden was not the same person at the fundraiser in Los Angeles that he’s known for years, writing that the one battle Biden can’t win is the “fight against time.”

"It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe “ big F-ing deal ” Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate," Clooney wrote.

Actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner wrote on X, formerly Twitter , that Clooney "has clearly expressed what many of us have been saying."

"We love and respect Joe Biden. We acknowledge all he has done for our country. But Democracy is facing an existential threat. We need someone younger to fight back. Joe Biden must step aside," he wrote.

George Clooney calls on president to step aside: Aging Biden no longer the man he was

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Even George Clooney — a prominent donor and major fundraiser for President Biden’s reelection campaign — appears to have lost faith in the president’s ability to win the 2024 election.

The two-time Oscar winner, lifelong Democrat and high-profile campaign donor has formally asked the 81-year-old commander in chief to step aside so that the party can nominate a new candidate to take on former President Trump on the November ballot. Why? Because of Biden’s “fight against time,” which Clooney characterized as the only battle that POTUS cannot win.

Biden, Obama raise more than $30 million at glitzy L.A. event

President Biden joins former President Obama, George Clooney and Julia Roberts at star-studded fundraiser in L.A. that raises more than $30 million.

June 16, 2024

“None of us can,” Clooney wrote Wednesday in an opinion piece for the New York Times titled “I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee.” “It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe ‘big F— deal’ Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”

Democrats took in $30 million at that downtown L.A. fundraiser, setting a record for money generated by the party in a single night. In addition to Clooney, Julia Roberts and former President Obama headlined the event and Jimmy Kimmel moderated a conversation between Obama and Biden.

Clooney wrote that Biden was a “hero” who had “saved democracy” in 2020 and called upon him to “do it again in 2024.” But, citing Biden’s poor performance during CNN’s debate last month , he joined a growing number of Hollywood backers, including those who previously wrote large checks to the campaign, feeling skittish about Biden’s prospects despite the president’s resolve to remain in the race.

Some of those going public with their angst about Biden include “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, media titan Barry Diller, Disney heir Abigail Disney and Endeavor Chief Executive Ari Emanuel , brother of Rahm Emanuel, who is currently U.S. ambassador to Japan and formerly Obama’s chief of staff. Filmmaker Rob Reiner wrote Wednesday on X (formerly Twitter) that “Democracy is facing an existential threat. We need someone younger to fight back. Joe Biden must step aside.”

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In his op-ed, Clooney wondered if Biden was tired or suffering from a cold during his head-to-head with Trump. But he mostly took issue with the next-day narrative being spun by his party, arguing that Biden’s nomination was not yet a sure thing ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August. (The GOP convention starts Monday.)

“[O]ur party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn’t see what we just saw. We’re all so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump term that we’ve opted to ignore every warning sign. The George Stephanopoulos interview only reinforced what we saw the week before,” Clooney wrote. “As Democrats, we collectively hold our breath or turn down the volume whenever we see the president, who we respect, walk off Air Force One or walk back to a mic to answer an unscripted question.”

Clooney said it’s “fair” to point these things out: “This is about age. Nothing more.”

He predicted the Democrats are “not going to win in November with this president,” nor would they win the House of Representatives or retain their majority in the Senate. He said this isn’t just his opinion, but “the opinion of every senator and congress member and governor that I’ve spoken with in private. Every single one, irrespective of what he or she is saying publicly.”

“[T]he dam has broken. We can put our heads in the sand and pray for a miracle in November, or we can speak the truth,” the “Argo” and “Syriana” Academy Award winner wrote. “It is disingenuous, at best, to argue that Democrats have already spoken with their vote and therefore the nomination is settled and done, when we just received new and upsetting information. We all think Republicans should abandon their nominee now that he’s been convicted of 34 felonies.”

As Biden flounders, why aren’t more Democrats sold on Kamala Harris?

Despite her qualifications, Vice President Kamala Harris hasn’t been treated as a viable contender to Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee and a felon.

As such, Clooney also criticized the presumptive Republican candidate and “the revenge tour that Donald Trump calls a presidential campaign” and called for the Democrats to seriously consider potential replacements. Who? Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear or Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, he suggests.

“Let’s agree that the candidates not attack one another but, in the short time we have, focus on what will make this country soar. Then we could go into the Democratic convention next month and figure it out.”

It would be “messy,” he said, but “democracy is messy” and a fresh contest would “enliven our party and wake up voters who, long before the June debate, had already checked out.”

Representatives for Clooney said Wednesday that they had “nothing to add” and that the essay presented his thinking “in its entirety.”

Also on Wednesday morning, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) sent a rare public signal that suggested she is trying to nudge Biden to consider dropping out of the election, telling MSNBC that it’s “up to the president to decide if he is going to run” and that “we’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short.” She later tried to walk back those comments in an interview on CBS.

More to Read

Column: ‘Retire and go back under a rock’: Biden loyalists push back on my call for Joe to get tested

July 11, 2024

Column: If the Democrats want Biden to drop out, they should follow Pelosi’s lead, not Clooney’s

July 10, 2024

Calmes: Step aside, Joe. It’s time

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Nardine Saad covers breaking entertainment news, trending culture topics, celebrities and their kin for the Fast Break Desk at the Los Angeles Times. She joined The Times in 2010 as a MetPro trainee and has reported from homicide scenes, flooded canyons, red carpet premieres and award shows.

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