If you’re comfortable with boating jargon and spend more time on the water than on land, you can get paid to write about it for boating blogs and magazines.
These 10 magazines and websites hire freelance writers for their writing skills and boating expertise (and you may already know a few more too).
What Can I Write about as a Boating Freelance Writer?
You may be thinking, “I’m not sure I know enough about it to get writer jobs with sailing magazines and blogs.” Ok, so let’s talk about what you can pitch and get paid to write about in the boating niche. You may like writing about all or just some of these relevant topics:
- Food and drink ideas while on long-distance sailboats and motorboats.
- Local and regional coastal destinations and the need-to-know details when traveling by boat.
- How to maintain and repair your boat (and what to know when hiring a professional).
- New product and boat reviews.
- Interviews and profiles of experienced boat owners.
- Amateur and professional boating competition stories.
You’ll find many other topics on boating blogs or their online magazines. Each publication has a slightly different type of reader: from experienced performance racing boat owners and long-distance sailboat owners to small day trip motorboat owners.
Focus on the type of reader you are most familiar with and pitch the publications they read first.
Do I Need to Be an Expert at Sailing to Write for Boating Magazines?
As you look through this blog, you’ll notice it’s almost a 50/50 split between sailboats and motorboats. You don’t need to be a sailing expert to write in the boating niche. You may even find some topics that fit both sailboat and motorboat owners. As you read through this writing gig list, you’ll find many different types of readers like:
- Deep-sea and lake fishermen with boats.
- Sailboat-owning racing enthusiasts.
- Houseboat owners.
- Long-distance sailboat and yacht owners.
If you know anyone with a boat, talk to them and learn more about what they want to read (and what they already read). It will help you send pitches to these blogs – and get hired faster.
Freelance Sailing and Boating Blogs and Magazine Jobs
Boat International
Boat International Magazine and website publish articles about luxury yachts. They hire freelance writers for topics like high-end yacht destinations, travel, and profiles. If you’ve got some experience in this industry, this publication pays its writers well for assigned stories. We recommend you send a letter of introduction with a few relevant published articles from your portfolio.
- Homepage: https://www.boatinternational.com/
- Contributor info: https://www.boatinternational.com/contact
- Pay: We hear from $300 to $1500.
- Contributor byline: Yes.
- Contributor bio: No.
Cruising World
Calling all boating enthusiasts: Cruising World pays writers. You’ll have to read through the site and magazine to get a feel for what their relatively affluent sailing enthusiast readers love reading. Their writer guidelines give advice on the technical side of pitching them (but not so much about topics). If you’re already got your sea legs, time to cash in on your sailing experience and know-how.
- Homepage: https://www.cruisingworld.com/
- Contributor info: https://www.cruisingworld.com/cruising-world-guidelines-writers-and-photographers/
- Pay: From $25 to $200 for short pieces and $300 to $1000 for feature-length stories (2000 words max usually).
- Contributor byline: Yes.
- Contributor bio: Yes, a few sentences.
Pacific Yachting
Pacific Yachting Magazine and blog want articles for their mostly Pacific Northwest coast readers. If you know the coastal areas from British Columbia to Alaska, you could get freelance writing jobs with this Canadian publication. Most of their current contributors have been long-time subscribers (so read what they’ve got before you contact them). If you’re new to the editors, they’d love you to send a completed story to see if they like your writing style. You can also send a pitch (and some of your past articles too).
- Homepage: https://www.pacificyachting.com/
- Contributor info: https://www.pacificyachting.com/editorial-submission-guidelines/
- Pay: We hear from $100 to $400 (Canadian).
- Contributor byline: Yes.
- Contributor bio: Yes, a short one with a photo.
Power Boating Magazine
Power Boating Magazine and blog focus most of their content on Canadian boating topics. If you’re knowledgeable and have experience with boating in Canada, you could get hired to write stories about personal experience, how-tos, travel, or even interviews. Read through the online magazine, printed version, or blog to get ideas before sending an introduction emails with your pitches.
- Homepage: https://www.powerboating.com/
- Contributor info: The editor details are inside the online or print magazine.
- Pay: We hear from $100 to $400 (Canadian).
- Contributor byline: Yes.
- Contributor bio: No.
Sailing Magazine
Sailing Magazine and blog publish stories about learning to sail in your local lakes, crossing oceans in cruisers, and even competitive sailing. And they hire freelance writers (if you have experience sailing your chances of being published go up). Avoid pitching far-away destinations. Their readers are more interested in sailing (and how they can get to the destination without extreme difficulties). Read the site and magazine, then go pitch them. And be patient, they may take up to 3 months to accept your pitch or article.
- Homepage: https://sailingmagazine.net/
- Contributor info: https://sailingmagazine.net/flex-32-writers-guidelines.html
- Pay: From $50 to $500 for articles (and $50 to $500 for photos too).
- Contributor byline: Yes.
- Contributor bio: No.
Sailing World
Sailing World Magazine and blog publish stories about performance and competitive sailing (think races and tournaments). Most of their readers are experienced and knowledgeable sailboat owners, so you’ll need to be familiar with sailing lingo to get writing gigs with this publication. They prefer pitch emails. Make sure to introduce yourself, mention your sailing experience, and any previously published articles about sailing you’ve written.
- Homepage: https://www.sailingworld.com/
- Contributor info: The editor’s info and other reader details are in the media kit.
- Pay: We hear around $400 for most articles.
- Contributor byline: Yes.
- Contributor bio: No.
Southern Boating
Southern Boating Magazine and blog are looking for content about boating mostly in the Southeastern United States, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean. They regularly publish how-to, engine maintenance, travel destination, product review, and personal profile articles. You can read through the website, print or online magazine to get ideas for your pitch emails (with an introduction and your relevant boating experience).
- Homepage: https://southernboating.com/
- Contributor info: https://southernboating.com/contact-us/
- Pay: We hear $300 to $650.
- Contributor byline: Yes.
- Contributor bio: No.
Sport Fishing Magazine
How much do you love saltwater fishing? You could get paid to write for Sport Fishing Magazine and blog. Their readers are successful, boat-owning fishermen who are always looking to up their game. Think how-to-do-this-cool-new-technique, interesting fishing trip ideas, new gear (and how to use it), and conservation issues. Please only send queries – after you read their submission guidelines (with helpful insights about getting published).
- Homepage: https://www.sportfishingmag.com/
- Contributor info: https://www.sportfishingmag.com/contributor/editorial-guidelines-and-policies/
- Pay: From $200 to $300 or more for digital articles. They pay $750 for print features (and more for photos).
- Contributor byline: Yes.
- Contributor bio: No, but you get a writer’s page.
Wooden Boat
Did you know there’s a magazine dedicated to designing, building, and caring for wooden boats. You could get paid to write about past and present boating personalities, boat building how-tos, photo essays of boating events, or building and restorations. Read through the site and magazine, then send them a proposal or outline (and read the detailed writer guidelines for more tips on getting published).
- Homepage: https://www.woodenboat.com/
- Contributor info: https://www.woodenboat.com/woodenboat-editorial-guidelines
- Pay: We hear $250 to $300 per 1000 words for feature articles (and $25 to $350 for photos).
- Contributor byline: Yes.
- Contributor bio: Yes, a few sentences with links.
Yachting Magazine
If you’ve got experience with yachts and love talking about it, you could get paid well to write for Yachting Magazine and blog. They’re looking for freelance writers who can write stories with technical details about yachts and boating for their affluent expert yacht owners. Read through the blog and magazine to get an idea of what this publication wants.
- Homepage: https://www.yachtingmagazine.com/
- Contributor info: The editor’s info and reader details are in the media kit.
- Pay: We hear $200 to $1000.
- Contributor byline: Yes.
- Contributor bio: No.
This List Needs YOUR Help!
Have you written for one of these blogs? Will you tell us about your experience?
Or do you know of another blog that pays at least $50 per post on boating topics?
If you’ve got a tip about a blog that pays writers $50+, please send it to teambafb@gmail.com in exchange for our undying gratitude — thank you for your service.
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