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This post is about getting paid to write, specifically, for sailing magazines. I’m including a list of 16 sailing magazines that pay for articles to get you started.
There are definitely more than 16 sailing magazines that pay for submissions, but these are the ones that I was able to get the submission guidelines AND the rates that they offer for articles and stories.
Read my last two posts, What Magazine Editors Want and Keys to Getting Published in Magazines to greatly increase your chances of getting published — things that most writers overlook, and what sets apart the writers who are getting paid from the amateurs.
Also, I want to mention before I get into the magazines that DO pay, that there’s one sailing magazine that has developed a reputation for NOT paying, and that’s Blue Water Sailing Magazine. I don’t have experience myself with this magazine, but know MANY professional writers who never got paid. Don’t write for them, even if the editor (George Day) tells you he will, because chances are, he won’t. You’ve been warned.
Cruising Outpost Magazine – cruisingoutpost.com
- $50 – $250
- Submission guidelines
Cruising World – cruisingworld.com
- $25 – $200 for shorts, and $300 – $1000 for technical or feature articles
- Submission guidelines (read carefully)
Good Old Boat – goodoldboat.com
- $50 – $700
- Submission guidelines
Latitude 38 – latitude38.com
- $50 – $125
- Submission guidelines
Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors – maineboats.com
Description: We are the magazine of the coast of Maine with a strong focus on boating. We occasionally venture northeast into Nova Scotia or south into the rest of New England, but generally only if there is a strong Maine connection inherent in the story.
- $250 – $500
- Submission guidelines
Ocean Navigator – oceannavigator.com
- Between 20¢ and 25¢ a word and $20 to $35 per photo depending on the size we use.
- Submission guidelines
Pacific Yachting – pacificyachting.com
In the pages of Pacific Yachting, powerboaters and sailors share a common interest in recreational boating in B.C. and the Pacific Northwest.
- Up to $500/article
- Submission guidelines
Passagemaker – passagemaker.com
PassageMaker Magazine is a publication covering all aspects of trawlers and ocean motorboats, and welcomes contributions from around the world. Our lifestyle focus addresses the realities of cruising under power and passagemaking.
- $150 – $950
- Submission guidelines
Porthole Cruise Magazine – porthole.com
- Up to $600
- Submission guidelines
Practical Sailor – practical-sailor.com
- Varies – $145 and up
- Submission guidelines: email queries here
SAIL Magazine – sailmagazine.com
Sailing Breezes – sailingbreezes.com
Your midwest and Great Lakes sailing source
- $50 – $150
- Submission guidelines
Sailing Magazine – sailingmagazine.net
- $50 – $500
- Submission guidelines
Southern Boating – southernboating.com
Southern Boating is dedicated to exploring the boating lifestyle and values the contributions of freelance writers. We cover boat reviews, cruising destinations, charter experiences, live-aboard lifestyle, boating rendezvous, boat shows, and generally anything that is related to the boating lifestyle.
- $100 – $600
- Submission guidelines
- Helpful notes: “We rarely publish first-person accounts of cruising. We look for targeted pitches with specific angles.”
WoodenBoat – woodenboat.com
- $250-300 per 1000 words, but they pay $5-25 for short news clippings or news blurbs
- Submission guidelines
Now that you have a list of sailing magazines that pay writers for articles, you can get to writing, submitting, and getting paid!
