Sports Writing Jobs: 20 Publications That Will Pay You To Write
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If you’re a sports enthusiast with a knack for writing, freelance sports writing jobs are a fantastic way to combine your love of sports with your writing skills. If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming a sports writer, this post is for you!
There are numerous publications that will pay you to write. In this post, we share information about 20 websites, blogs, and magazines that accept submissions or hire freelance sports writers. For each publication, we’ll:
- Discuss key details about the sports in which it specializes
- Provide links to its homepage and its freelance writing applications
- Highlight pay rates (if this information is available)
We’ve also included a bonus section on essential skills for sports writers. Read on to discover your sports writing opportunity!
1. Last Word On Sports (LWOS)
Established in 2011, LWOS is a sports website with over 300 writers. LWOS is ideal for writers specializing in a specific sport or team, such as the Dallas Cowboys, an American football team. The site features baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer content. Prospective writers need to submit a sample writing piece as part of the application process. The site pays writers on a remuneration plan based on how much traffic their writing generates. LWOS is also a great way to move up the ladder because the organization hires from within.
2. Sport Fishing
While not your typical sports magazine, Sport Fishing is a wonderful opportunity for writers to contribute to the world of sport saltwater fishing. If sport fishing is your jam, Sport Fishing is for you! The publication seeks writers who have fresh ideas on saltwater fishing that will make readers say, “Whoa! Did not know that!” Sport Fishing pays up to $750 US for print features and $200 to $300 for online features of at least 1,000 words. Sport Fishing provides guidelines for manuscript contributions.
3. FanSided
FanSided is a network of fan-focused sports and entertainment websites. It offers opportunities for freelance writers to contribute articles about favorite teams and sports. However, you should know that such opportunities with FanSided would be with one of the numerous sites the organization manages, not FanSided itself. If this doesn’t bother you, FanSided is a good option – especially if you have a specific sporting genre and sports team in mind about which to write.
4. SBNation
SBNation is a network of sports blogs with millions of followers. It covers a wide range of sports and teams and offers freelance writing opportunities via its parent company, Vox Media, at certain times of the year. Scroll down to the SBNation section to apply for SBNation jobs. We recommend frequently checking with Vox Media for content-contributing roles with SBNation.
5. Adventure Cyclist
An example of a sports magazine, Adventure Cyclist features articles related to – you guessed it – cycling! More specifically, the magazine focuses on year-round cycling travel. For example, you might find an article about a summer biking tour through northern France. Adventure Cyclist offers payment rates between $0.25 and $0.50 per word for articles. Freelancers can contribute articles to two distinct categories: personal cycling tour narratives and essays exploring unique biking experiences.
6. TheSport Digest
The Sport Digest is another sports magazine. It accepts 300- to 500-word articles from freelancers. The Sport Digest focuses on college, professional, and recreational sports as well as health and fitness. It welcomes submissions via The Sport Journal on athlete development, ethical issues in sports, sports governance, and other pertinent subjects. It’s worth noting that The Sport Digest isn’t an up-to-date magazine. At the time of this writing, the last article was published on February 19, 2024.
7. Gripped
Based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Gripped is a magazine for climbing enthusiasts. If climbing is your preferred sport, take a look at the submission guidelines. Gripped offers payment ranging from $150 to $200 depending on the article’s length and category. The publication is Canadian-based, and it follows Canadian spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary. If you’re unfamiliar with Canadian English, be sure to thoroughly review your article before submission.
8. Trail Runner
Powered by Outside, Trail Runner is a magazine for runners! If you love trail running, consider contributing content to Trail Runner. The publication offers both digital and print editions, paying $200 for the former and $0.25 per word for the latter. You can contribute feature articles on running locations, race recaps, etc. The publication seeks articles of at least 1,200 words but also welcomes shorter submissions from 800 to 1,200 words.
9. Adirondack Life
Adirondack is an outdoor enthusiast’s magazine focusing on kayaking, hiking, and backcountry skiing. If you’re passionate about the outdoors, Adirondack is your opportunity to contribute outdoorsy articles. The publication values articles about the wildlife, history, places, and people of the Adirondacks. The magazine expects writers to contribute articles of 1,000 to 1,800 words.
10. Climbing
Are you a mountain climbing expert? Do you have some climbing-related tips and insights to share with the world? Consider contributing content to Climbing, which features articles related to mountain rock climbing! The magazine welcomes article submissions on area histories, epic tales, and controversial opinion pieces. Climbing accepts articles ranging from 1,500 to 4,000 words. It also accepts shorter pieces ranging from 400 to 800 words.
11. Cross Country Magazine
Does the adrenaline rush of paragliding or hang gliding fuel you? Do you want to share this passion with the world? Then we recommend contributing to Cross Country Magazine. Established in 1988, the publication has been the one-stop place for free-flying skills. Cross Country reaches a following in over 80 countries. If you’re passionate about the free-flying world, submit an article to Cross Country. The magazine also welcomes articles related to all things aerial, such as balloons, wingsuits, and powered rocket men. Articles should range from 1,500 to 2,000 words with 20 to 30 supporting photos.
12. Deadspin
Deadspin focuses on sports news with a satirical twist. The site looks for freelance writers who can deliver humorous and critical takes on sports events and personalities. Deadspin specializes in college and professional baseball, football, and basketball and professional hockey, golf, and soccer. At the time of this writing, Deadspin doesn’t feature a link to article submissions; however, the site does welcome email applications through [email protected]. We recommend including “interest in freelance sports writing opportunities” in the subject line. We also recommend submitting a sports writer–related cover letter and resume to Deadspin. Finally, we urge you to follow up promptly if you don’t hear back from the platform. Persistence pays off!
13. Equestrian Living
Equestrian (EQ) Living is a magazine that informs readers about the world of horseback riding. You should consider writing for EQ if you’re a horseback riding aficionado! EQ welcomes articles ranging from 1,200 to 3,000 words and pays $200 to $300. We encourage you to read the submission guidelines carefully before applying.
14. Gray’s Sporting Journal
Gray’s Sporting Journal is the ideal writing place for hunters. It has been providing literature on bird and big game hunting since 1975. If you enjoy sharing tales, expeditions, and poetry related to hunting and fly fishing, Gray’s welcomes submissions from writers. Gray’s Sporting Journal expects writing pieces to range from 2,500 to 3,000 words and poetry submissions not to exceed 1,000 words. The pay rates are $600 to $1,250 for non-poetry and $100 for poetry.
15. Horse Network
Like EQ Living, Horse Network is a digital platform for horse lovers. Horse Network features articles on various horse topics, such as news, rider profiles, health, and lifestyle. The platform welcomes submissions from freelance writers if you can contribute horse-related stories and articles. It seeks articles ranging from 500 to 700 words and pays $100, provided that your post is shared 1,000 times or more on social media. However, the Horse Network will pay $50 or more if your post isn’t shared a thousand times. Please note that the platform requires a link to your website and a 75-word “About the Author” bio as part of the submission process.
16. Paddling Magazine
Are you a kayaker, canoer, or stand-up paddler? If so, Paddling Magazine is your paddling writing opportunity! The publication values pieces about paddling tips, skills, and gear. It invites submissions from paddling enthusiasts and seeks articles ranging from 400 to 3,000 words. Please note that for those who haven’t written for it, the magazine requires links to previously published work.
17. Sailing Magazine
Do you have a passion for sailing? Since 1966, Sailing Magazine has been informing sailing enthusiasts about sailing safety, tips, and destinations, to name a few subjects! It’s the oldest continuously published sailing magazine in the United States. Sailing Magazine welcomes submissions from sailing sports writers. It pays $50 to $500 for sailing stories. At the time of this writing, the website doesn’t indicate the required word count for articles. However, Sailing does ask that all submissions adhere to AP Style. Additionally, articles should follow US English conventions.
18. Sports Afield
Since 2002, Sports Afield has been a magazine for hunters of big game. Field Sports Publishing in California, USA, owns it. The magazine focuses on big game destinations, such as North America and Africa. It aims to inspire hunters with epic stories about the most desirable game species. Sports Afield is always looking out for exciting hunting stories from writers. Articles can range from 800 to 2,500 words. If you can deliver clear, concise, and engaging hunting articles, Sports Afield would love to hear from you via email.
19. Triathlete
Are you passionate about the sport of triathlon? Triathlete is the most prominent American magazine dedicated to everything triathlon, concentrating on various aspects, such as multisport training advice and exercises, nutrition, equipment reviews, athlete profiles, triathlon travel, and current news related to the sport and lifestyle. Triathlon writers are encouraged to submit to Triathlete. The magazine accepts full-length news and nutrition features ranging from 800 to 1,500 words and training articles ranging from 500 to 800 words. Triathlete asks all prospective writers to be familiar with the history and personality of triathlon.
20. Powder
For the skiing enthusiast, Powder magazine has been providing articles and stories about popular ski destinations, equipment, and reviews since 1972. If you can pitch an exciting and relevant ski story, Powder would love to hear from you. Please note that the magazine accepts email submissions only and prefers stories accompanied by supporting photos.
Sports Writer Essentials
Although sports writing experience isn’t always required, besides good writing skills, you must satisfy the following essentials to secure sports writing jobs.
- Ability to Meet Deadlines: When you take on a writing piece (voluntarily or assigned), it will usually have a deadline. Deadlines can range from a few days to a week. It’s vital to write and proofread your writing piece by the deadline. Missing deadlines is the cardinal sin of sports writing. In other words, if you miss deadlines, get ready to return to job searching!
- Good Communication: Although you’ll likely be working remotely, you’ll still have supervisors to report to. As a result, you’ll need to frequently communicate with them regarding assignments (i.e., your sports writing pieces). Good communication involves responding to supervisor emails promptly.
- Sports Vocabulary and Terminology: As a sports writer, you must be knowledgeable about sports-related vocabulary and terminology. Of course, the required vocabulary will depend on your sports niche. For example, if you’re writing about baseball, you should be familiar with home run, strike, and inning, to name a few. If you write about American football, you need to know (to name a few) fumble, touchdown, and line of scrimmage.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Savvy: You should write SEO-friendly posts. Doing so includes writing articles with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion to optimize readability. You should be able to write posts that are easy to find using Google search, for example. To appear at the top of search engine results, your posts need to feature relevant keywords.
Let’s say you wrote a blog post about the New York Rangers’ Stanley Cup win in 1994. For readers to find your post online, you might want to include the keywords in bold:
The New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994 in seven games over the Vancouver Canucks. Captain Mark Messier was the Rangers’ talisman on their road to victory. It was the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 54 years!
Becoming A Freelance Writer
Are you interested in learning more about how to become a freelance writer? Consider our comprehensive course, Becoming A Freelance Writer. You’ll learn everything you need to know about launching a successful freelance writing career. You can learn at your own pace, free from looming deadlines, and have access to our tutor support whenever you need it! We offer free lessons for this course.
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