Successfully Selling Essays

Long-time IWW member and successful author Dawn Goldsmith notes that she sold an article several years ago to Writers Weekly in which she outlined her favorite essay markets. Click the link to read the article, or review a few of her suggestions here.

• Christian Science Monitor, The Home Forum section - "Pays $75 for short pieces (300 words) to $160, on publication. The Home Forum submissions should be original, upbeat personal essays from 400 to 1,100 words. The two mistakes they see most frequently are 'essays that are mere descriptions, that lack forward motion or a theme' and 'essays in which the story has obvious meaning for the author, but he or she has failed to communicate the significance.'"
• Field and Stream Magazine - "Pays from $100 to as much as several thousand dollars, depending on the quality of the work, the experience of the author, and the difficulty of obtaining the story. Study essays in past issues and know the magazine before submitting."
• Skirt! Magazine -"Payments vary for essays of 800 - 1,000 words written to reflect a specific theme for each issue and targeting a female audience. E-mail submissions accepted and response time is remarkably quick. Read the online essays at skirtmag.com for examples of style and voice."
• The Sun Literary Magazine "Pays up to $1,500 for major essays (up to 7,000 words); $300 to $750 for other essays; half-price for reprints. Favors personal writing."