35 Personal Essay Markets
The editors of over 400 print publications and many more online zines regularly publish personal essays.
When guidelines are posted on a publication's website, I have linked directly to them. Publications that don't post submissions guidelines will send them if you request them by mail and enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Some of the publications below pay for essays. Others, usually literary magazines or online zines, may not. They offer you a showcase for your work and a publication credit that will help you as you try to break into high paying essay markets.
Do read several issues of a publication before you submit your work. This will give you a clear sense of the style of writing and the subject matter these publications seek and will boost your chances of success.
Kay Marie Porterfield
Angels on Earth Magazine is published by Guideposts. They seek true personal stories about encounters with angels. The length they require is 1,500 words and payment is $100 to $400.
Backpacker features a regular "Backcountry" section that runs 1,200 word personal essays about lessons learned backpacking. Story is the key to writing for them. Payment is $.60 to $1.00 per word.
Bereavement: A Magazine of Hope and Healing is dedicated to helping people through grief. This publication welcomes personal experience pieces of 2,000 words or less. It does not offer financial compensation, but offers writers international exposure and the satisfaction of knowing they are helping others.
Cezanne's Carrot is an online literary journal of fresh observations. The focus here is on work that that "openly explores spiritual, transformational, visionary, and contemplative themes."
Colorado Review publishes creative nonfiction including personal essays.
Brevity: A Journal of Concise Literary Nonfiction, the e-zine published by Creative Non-Fiction is the only publication entirely devoted to this genre. Pieces for Brevity run no more than 750 words. Although this zine is a labor of love and does not pay, it is an excellent showcase for emerging writers.
Cappers seeks personal essays about family issues and home life in the rural Midwest. The editors here are looking for personal essays of up to 300 words that share "humorous, heartwarming, poignant and nostalgic experiences of life." Payment is $2.00 per column inch.
Chicken Soup for the Soul keeps on going. The Chicken Soup folks are currently looking for stories for Chicken Soup for a Guy's Soul, Chicken Soup for Body and Soul, Chicken Soup for the Working Woman's Soul and Chicken Soup for the Romantic Soul. Detailed guidelines are posted on their site. They pay $300 for each story they accept.
Country Woman is written for an audience of rural woman, not limited to women who live on farms and ranches. They pay $35 to $150 for personal essays on acceptance.
Creative Non-Fiction has themed issues. They feature the best new creative nonfiction writers and are open to personal essays. Guidelines and upcoming themes are posted on their website. They pay $10 per printed page.
Cup of Comfort, the bestselling anthology series, features creative nonfiction stories and narrative essays about the experiences and relationships that comfort, inspire, and enrich our lives. Submissions currently sought for three new volumes: Faith, Love, Spirituality. Additional volumes planned. 1,000-2,000 words. Payment: $500 grand prize (per anthology); $100 each, all other published stories ; plus copy of book.
Family Fun is published by the Disney company. They print personal essays ranging from humor to inspirational in their "Family Ties" section. These should be about 1,300 words. Payment is $1,500. Guidelines are posted on their site.
Field and Stream has a regular "Finally" department that is the home of an 700 to 800 word essay each month. Send submissions to them at Field and Stream, 2 Park Avenue, NY, NY 10016.
Fourth Genre is a literary magazine centered on creative/literary nonfiction. They welcome personal essays.
Good Old Days seeks personal experience pieces about life in the 1950s and before. These run from 500 to 1,500 words. Payment is $15 to $75. Pictures help you break in here. Send submissions to them at 306 East Parr Rd., Berne, IN 46711 or email them at Editor@GoodOldDaysOnline.com.
Guideposts wants true, first-person stories about how people have overcome difficulties, gained courage, or developed positive attitudes through faith in God. Payment is $200 to $400.
Hope Magazine, Humanity Making a Difference pays $50 to $2,000 for personal essays about how people have successfully coped with challenges.
Literal Latte is a New York City-based literary magazine that considers unpublished personal essays of up to 6,000 words. The editors of this lively, high-quality literary magazine publish at least one previously unpublished author each month and claim to find 90 percent of their material in the slush pile.
Literary Mama: Reading for the Maternally Inclined is an online litmag that publishes several short creative nonfiction pieces rooted in the experience of motherhood every month.
Marriage Partnership seeks essays from 1,000 to 2,000 words on marriage from a Christian perspective. They pay $.15 a word. Challenging, practical and query first are the bywords here.
Christian Science Monitor's Home Forum seeks personal essays that explore everyday life in a gently humorous way.
The New York Times publishes opinion pieces. The New York times magazine also publishes a weekly personal essay in its “Lives” department. They are looking for provocative and fresh viewpoints. The is the maximum length 900 words and payment is $1,000.Study a recent copy for submission details.
OnEarth Magazine Formerly called the Amicus Journal, OnEarth is published by the Natural Resources Defense Council. They publish personal essays on nature or the environment.
POZ is a magazine for people whose lives have been affected by the AIDS virus, publishes personal essays in its "Life" section. Payment varies. Check out the archives on their website. Submit material to them at 349 West 12th Street, NY, NY 10014.
Reminisce seeks short personal essays that have a nostalgic quality.
Salon.com runs high-quality personal essays online. They accept queries and complete manuscripts via email. Study this zine before submitting.
Skirt Magazine is an online venue that publishes 14 personal essays per month. This non-paying market that reflects the diversity of women's lives is a good place to get noticed.
Smithsonian Magazine prints essays on the "Last Page" that range from 550 to 700 words and usually have a humorous tone. The editors warn, however, that they want personal narrative, not jokes. Payment ranges from $1,000 to $1,500.
The Sun pays from $300 to $750 for essays. They buy 60 manuscripts per year.
Teaching Tolerance, published by the Southern Poverty Law Center, pays $50 to $1,000 for reflection essays and personal experience pieces about teaching tolerance in the classroom. These run from 400 to 800 words.
Thoreau's Rooster is an online journal of national undergraduate creative non-fiction writing.
NPR's This I Believe is a public dialog about belief one essay at a time. They seek personal essays. Be sure to read the essay writing tips on their site.
The Threepenny Review, a San Francisco based literary tabloid, pays $200 for personal experience essays from 1,500 to 4,000 words. They do not accept electronic submissions, but guidelines are available on their website.
Tin House pays $50 to $500 for unsolicited articles and more for assigned articles. The personal experience essays that they print cover a number of topics.
Travelers' Tales considers personal, nonfiction stories for publication. They pay $.10 per word. Issues are themed. Upcoming themes are posted on their guidelines page.