A List of Humor and Satire Websites That Accept Writing and Contributors
Information on tone, submitting, and pay
Hi there! I’m Caitlin Kunkel, a writer, editor, and teacher of humor and satire. I get asked a lot which outlets writers at all levels should submit their work to, so I made up the list below to offer some guidance. They’re listed in alphabetical order.
Many of these sites have newsletters, and you should subscribe to them to get a sense of the headlines and types of pieces they’re publishing from week to week. It’s very helpful, especially if you’re first starting out.
There are new sites cropping up all the time, so feel free to message me if you want your site included in the list below! Editors, also reach out if any of this information has changed or been updated.
twofiftyone.net
Tone: Just what it sounds like — humor and illustrations under 251 words! In their own words: “251 is a daily humor publication dedicated to publishing prose 251 words or shorter, and cartoons that don’t take longer than four seconds to figure out.
We are a product of The American Bystander, America’s final humor magazine. Each quarterly issue features new material from Jack Handey, Roz Chast, Liana Finck, Simon Rich, and many, many more. Please support 251 by subscribing to The American Bystander here, or by mailing us the location of your buried treasure here.”
Example pieces:
“Flute Earth” by Seth Fried
“The First Rule of Comedy” by Johnathan Zeller
“Genetics™, the hot, new, 75-step skin care regimen” by Ilana Gordon
Submit: Follow the submission guidelines here, the editor email is editors@twofiftyone.net. Follow them on Twitter here.
Awf Magazine
Tone: Queer-focused satire and humor written in the form of satirical news, great and growing presence on Instagram. In their own words: “Awf Magazine, the first satire website dedicated to the LGBTQ+ experience, was launched in Spring 2019 by Ryan Leach and Griffin Leeds.
Awf was created to provide a platform for underrepresented voices to celebrate quirks of queer life and media, but also call attention to external and internal antagonism affecting the real lives of LGBTQ+ people. Also it’s funny. Now please give us all of your approval.”
Example pieces:
“Holiday Road Trip Ruined By Bisexual’s Depressing Playlist” by Gwen Sunkel
“‘Emily in Paris’’Spinoff ‘Jake in Berlin’ Just 8 Hours Of Doing Ketamine At Berghain” by Kevin Atkinson
“5 Queer Brands Ivanka Trump Will Break Federal Ethics Laws For” by Edson Montenegro
Submit: They have contributor calls several times a year, follow their social media to see them or email to hear about the next one. Editor contact is editors.awfmag@gmail.com.
The Boston Accent
Tone: In their words, “Founded in 2019, The Boston Accent publishes wicked serious satire for everyone, but especially for Massholes. Readers from other lesser states may like our work too (looking at you, New Hampshire).”
Example pieces:
“30-Year-Old Man Jogging In Marginally Cold Weather Pretty Sure He Could Hack It In SEAL Training”
“Mark Wahlberg Begs To Get Medal Of Freedom In Belichick’s Place”
Submit: They take submissions from people all over the country. Pitch headlines via the form here.
The Broadway Beat
Tone: Broadway and musical theater focused satire! Very specific, funny, and growing fast on Instagram.
Example pieces:
“Theatre Kid MCing Local Comedy Show” by Haley Emerson
“‘I’m Not In It For the Money,’ says Actor No One Is Offering Any Money To” by Danny Neary
Submit: You can send five headline pitches in to see if you’re a fit to join the contributor pool.
The Chicago Genius Herald
Tone: Specific and awesome — Chicago-specific evergreen satire! In their own words: “We’re a Chicago-based comedy collective, and that means we’re looking for pitches that lampoon the parts of the Windy City you’d have to be “in the know” to joke about, while still making them accessible to a wider audience. Evergreen pitches are also welcome.” They pay $35 a piece, and are open to pitches for video and audio projects as well.
Example pieces:
“City Replaces Sun With Light Therapy Lamp”
“The Bonehammer Has Been Chosen as This Year’s Christmas Train”
Submit: Follow the submission guidelines here, and follow them on Twitter here.
Clickhole
Tone: Initially spun off from The Onion, Clickhole is now employee-owned. They do absurdist humor in one unified voice (no bylines on the site). They have several formats, including Choose Your Own Adventure style “Clickventures,” satirical news, and their “THEY SAID WHAT?!?” celebrity quote feature. In their own (tongue-in-cheek) words: “ClickHole is the latest and greatest online social experience filled with the most clickable, irresistibly shareable content anywhere on the internet.”
Example pieces:
“This Speech Was Written For President Nixon To Deliver If The Astronauts Didn’t Make It To The Moon” (one of my personal all-time favorite pieces)
“QUIZ: How Well Do You Know ‘The Hobbett’?”
“The 6 Children That Walt Disney Very Clearly Specified Were Never Allowed To Go To Disneyland”
Submit: Clickhole doesn’t take ongoing submissions, but they have freelance contributor calls several times a year. There is one open until January 10, 2021, and it’s good to review the guidelines for the next one. Follow Clickhole on IG and Twitter to see additional calls later in the year.
Here’s what the application calls for: “1) A resume, 2) A brief cover letter telling us why you’re a good fit (no need to be cheeky or funny with this — just give us an informal paragraph or two telling us a bit about yourself) 3) A list of 10 headlines in the ClickHole voice 4) A list of three pitches for our “THEY SAID WHAT?!?” celebrity quote feature.”
The Daily Drunk Mag
Tone: An overall satire and humor publication. In their own words: “Welcome to The Daily Drunk. We feature daily humor and pop culture from writers from all over the world. We started this site because we wanted a space to showcase some kick-ass writing. We were tired of the pretentious and gate-keeping submission process. At The Daily Drunk, we ain’t picky. We like our beer like we like our writing: a lot of it!”
Example pieces:
“Sci-Fi Horror Virtual Reality Videogame Or Life During Covid-19?”
Submit: Follow the guidelines here. “The Daily Drunk seeks funny submissions of previously unpublished fiction, nonfiction, poetry, lists, reviews, quizzes, and comics. We accept submissions year-round and publish daily. To submit, please send your work to thedailydrunkmag@gmail.com. A cover letter is nice but not needed. Do tell us who you are and send a short (50 words max) bio with your submission. If you have a Twitter handle, please include that as well!
We do read simultaneous submissions, but please withdraw your work immediately upon acceptance elsewhere. We do not accept previously published work.
Poetry submissions should include no more than three (3) poems. Nonfiction, fiction, and lists should be no longer than 800 words. Please send only one (1) of these at a time.
We unfortunately can’t pay for any work right now. Hopefully we can in the future. All your work is your own. Please paste all submissions into the body of the email. We will not open any attachments.” Follow them on Twitter.
DNAtured
Tone: With the tagline “Science unraveled,” this site is a satirical take on the sciences. It’s very funny with a clear angle! In their own words: “DNAtured is a satirical scientific journal founded by comedian and engineering graduate Lexa Graham. The journal aims to publish satirical and humorous takes on life in STEM, scientific journalism, and the universe at large. DNAtured uses strictly IEEE citation and has an impact factor of 69.”
Example pieces:
“Nanotechnology? These Researchers Are Under 5’2””
“Hundreds Of Bad Ideas Leak Out Of Ruptured Think Tank”
Submit: Get more info by emailing the editors (Lexa Graham and Jennifer McAuliffe) here: DNAturedJournal@gmail.com, and follow the guidelines here (they include example jokes!).
Flexx
Tone: The most urban website in the world! Satire of sites like Complex, and self-described as “satire with seasoning.”
Example pieces:
“CBS Announces New Fall Line Up Featuring Elves, Golems, and Dragons, But No POC” by Tiffany Aleman
“‘Who All Goin’ Be There?’ Asks Man On the Fence About Attending Funeral” by Ronald Melletus
“The New King Of Pop? This Man’s Joints Are Fucked Up” by Bethel Afful
Submit: You can submit via this form.
The Foreigner (on Medium)
Tone: In their own words, “The Foreigner Blog explores the comedic side of being an immigrant, children of immigrants, and diaspora. Being diaspora is often clouded in dark and painful realities, but here we find the light and the levity.”
Example pieces:
“The LinkedIn Profile of the Eldest Daughter of Immigrants” by Editor Arijana Ramic
“What I, the child of immigrants, imagine sleepovers must have been like: a fanfic” Editor Arijana Ramic
“Teenage Daughter Of Immigrants Gets Tiny Tattoo, Joins A Gang” by Sara Zadrima
Submit: Follow the guidelines here. “The two main rules are that the content has to be funny and the diaspora of the world has to be able to relate to it. We only accept fully fleshed out pieces so, please don’t pitch us an idea. We also do not submit previously published pieces. Lastly, we do not submit anything that punches down because it’s lazy.
There are also 3 different sections (fictions, headlines, and personal essays) you can pitch to, so please read the submissions processes for each of them carefully.”
Frazzled (on Medium)
Tone: Parenting humor. In their own words: “We are parents and we are Frazzled. Parenting humor in bits and pieces.”
Example pieces:
“Transcript of Every First Grade Distance Learning Math Class” by Editor Andrew Knott
“Math Problems for Toddlers” by Editor Elle Rogers
“6 Ways to Stop Comparing Yourself to Other, Clearly Superior Moms” by Lindsay Hameroff
Submit: If you want to write parenting humor with us, send an email to Editor Andrew Knott at aknott21@yahoo.com with a link to an unpublished draft or a note saying you’d like to be added as a writer. Put “Frazzled” in the subject line, please.
Funny-ish
Tone: In their own words: “Funny-ish.com is a home for weird, creative, and boundary-pushing comedy writing to live on the Internet, with a focus on new and emerging writers and female, LGBTQ+, and POC voices. Editor-in-Chief: Liz Galvao.”
Example Pieces:
“Top 10 Things to Do With an MFA in TV Writing” by Celenia Lugo
“Films Featuring Asian Characters Pitched in Hollywood by Non-Asians” by Xu Mason and Laura LeeLun
Submit: “Please email all submissions as full pieces attached as Google documents to: info@funny-ish.com
We love new writers. We love shy writers. We love BIPOC, female, non-binary, LGBTQ+ writers. We love weird ideas. We love pieces that have been rejected. We love pieces that aren’t easily categorized or are the wrong format for other places. We love humorous personal essays. We love lists. We love cartoons. We love funny-ish writing with an impactful message behind it. We love stupid-funny writing with no message behind it. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer pay at this time.”
Funny Times
Tone: A throwback to an earlier time — a monthly print magazine! In their own words: “The Funny Times is a monthly magazine of humor and satire in a world gone totally insane. For nearly 35 years we have searched out the most hilarious minds in America and beyond. They supply us with delightfully funny, intelligent, left leaning humor which we guarantee will make you laugh. Every issue (January 2021 Issue) has more than 100 cartoons and at least a dozen written features. We work with hundreds of contributors, reading thousands of cartoons and stories in order to present the “best of the best” each month. You’ll see lots of familiar names, plus we’ll introduce you to our favorite new funny friends.”
Example pieces:
Check out their same issue here.
Submit: Continuing the old-school theme, they take submission by mail — read more here. The pay is $50 for a comic, $60 for a written piece. Here’s what they’re looking for:“Our print publication pokes fun at politics, news, relationships, food, technology, pets, work, death, environmental issues, business, religion (yes, even religion) and the human condition in general. Not much is off limits, so do your best to make us laugh. Plus we’re advertising free, so whatever we like, we use.” Follow them on Facebook here.
Funny Women on The Rumpus
Tone: Focuses on literary feminism, has launched many careers and cured frigidity. Housed within The Rumpus, so benefits from their traffic — and pays! Heavily edited by Elissa Bassist, and now two assistant editors, Jennie Egerdie and Sarah Garfinkel, who help read submissions.
Example pieces:
“It’s Me, Dead Girl!” by Charu Sinha
“Sleep Tips by a 90-Year-Old Insomniac” by Naomi Birnbach
“Women from the POV of Male Creative Writing Undergrads” by Shannon Reed
Submit: Use Submittable here, there are long wait times for a response, which they are very clear about. Original art is added to each piece and then shared via their strong Twitter following.
Functionally Dead
Tone: In their own words, “We’re mostly leftist political satire that tonally hits that sweet spot between absurdity and rage. We put together a new issue bi-weekly and are always looking for new contributors, plus, we pay.”
Example pieces:
“Wow! This Mom Made A Guillotine From Common Household Objects!” by Ted White
“You’re Welcome: An Oral History of Alex Baldwin’s Trump Impression” by Matthew Brian Cohen
“Minneapolis Mayor Fails to Abolish Police, But Very Excited to Attend Dartmouth in the Fall” by Diana Kolsky
Submit: Follow the submission guidelines here, and the editor email is FUNCTIONALLYDEAD@GMAIL.COM. They pay for pieces, the editors will be in touch with payment info after publication. Follow them on Twitter here, and Instagram here.
Greener Pastures (on Medium)
Tone: Overall humor and satire site that also accepts illustrations, with a group of great editors. In their own words: “Greener Pastures is a comedy and satire site run by a bunch of writers obsessed with out-writing, out-joking and out-funnying each other. While their work has been published all over the web on sites like McSweeney’s, The Belladonna, Points In Case, Weekly Humorist, MuddyUm, etc, their work has also been rejected so many times, they had no choice but to seek greener pastures. If you’re interested in writing for us, we’d love to hear from you. Check out our submission guidelines and get in touch with us. You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. If you want. No pressure.”
Example pieces:
“Stranded in a Desert or Victim of a Pyramid Scheme?”
“Dr. Folklore’s Dating Advice for Mythical Folks (№4)”
“100 Days of Masks” (illustration)
Submit: Check out their very clear submission guidelines here. Writers are eligible to put their pieces behind the Medium paywall for the opportunity to earn money.
Hard Drive
Tone: Gaming-focused satire, offshoot of The Hard Times (punk-focused satire), written in satirical news format. They also created the hilarious Ace Watkins, the gamer candidate for President, on Twitter.
Example pieces:
“Kid Who Asked for Console Gets Lump of Coal With ‘Get a PC’ Written on It” by Andy Holt
“New Star Wars Character Actually From Some Book” by Jeremy Kaplowitz
“Twitch Bans All Mentions of Virgin Mary and Incel Joseph” by Staff
Submit: Their submission details are here.
The Hard Times
Tone: Punk news satire, written in satirical news format. Big audience with a podcast network and leader in aggregating many comedy sites together via Coil.
Example pieces:
“Grindcore Audio Engineer Regrets Charging by the Hour” by Kevin Tit
“Fuck, Marry, Kill — This Guy Has Done It All” by Zack Townsend
“Oh, You’re an Empath? Name Three Conversations You’ve Hijacked and Made About Yourself” by Tyler Dark
Submit: Their submission details are here.
The Haven (on Medium)
Tone: Edited by Page Barnes, Phillip T Stephens, and Christine Stevens, The Haven is self-describes as: “…a place for all types of humor writing — stories, essays, lists, Onion-style fake news, funny poetry, cartoons. It’s not a place for misogyny, racism, homophobia, transphobia, violence or any other demeaning content. We can be funny without the bullshit.” NOTE: the editors do not line edit submissions, they simply accept or decline. Writers are eligible to put their pieces behind the Medium paywall for the opportunity to earn money.
Example pieces:
“The Mother of All High School Graduation Advice Letters” by Page Barnes
“Top 10 Signs That You Might Suck” by Benjamin Davis
“Who Said It? Donald J. Trump or Homer Jay Simpson?” by Benedict Cosgrove
Submit: Follow the guidelines here.
Humor Darling (on Medium)
Tone: A well-run site that has a lot of fun with contributors, including helping them celebrate their rejections over on Twitter. Self-described as “trashy laughs for millennial beans.” Edited by Laura Ornella and Baylor Knobloch. Writers are eligible to put their pieces behind the Medium paywall for the opportunity to earn money.
Example pieces:
“My Improv Team Zip Zap Zops For Essential Workers At 7 PM” by lily!
“Bold New Summer’s Eve Scents To Get You Through Quarantine” by Amanda Brennan
“Why I Decided to Teach My One Year Old Child About the #metoo Movement, Even Though He Doesn’t Know What a Thumb Is” by Catherine Weingarten
Submit: Follow the clear guidelines here.
Jane Austen’s Wastebasket (on Medium)
Tone: Self-described as, “Humor inspired by the literature, history, and other non-lucrative college courses,” this site has sections on books, relationships, history, tech, and culture — a lot of topics to write on! Edited by Kyrie Gray. Writers are eligible to put their pieces behind the Medium paywall for the opportunity to earn money.
Example pieces:
“The 12 Days of Christmas if It Were Written by Jane Austen” by Kyrie Gray
“Remember Me, the Book You Bought in College to Impress That Girl?” by Jason Hensel
“Misunderstood Innovators” by Lynn I. Hsu
Submit: Follow the instructions here.
LadySpike Media
Tone: In their own words: “After years of working in the drag community, (creator) Caitlin Arcand decided to expand Ladyspike’s brand to not only represent women in entertainment, but also drag queens and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Today, Ladyspike Media strives to be a one of a kind representation of comedy, proving that women are here, women are hilarious, and women are the future of entertainment!”
Example pieces:
“How to Break the News to Aunt Susan That You Aren’t Into Sloths Anymore” by Mary Gulino
“Confusing! Woman Who Has Only Ever Lived in Connecticut Now Sprinkling “Y’all” Into Facebook Posts” by Callie Webb
“I Gave Up on Learning French and Now I Have to File a Harassment Order Against the Owl From Duolingo” by Niki Hatzidis
Submit: Contact info here. “WRITERS: To be considered please email with the subject line “WRITER SUBMISSION (YOUR NAME).” In your submission, include links to any formerly published articles, ideas for 3 articles you would like to write for Ladyspike, your current location and social media handles.”
Light Poetry Magazine
Tone: A rare thing — a publication that takes humorous poetry! In their own words: “Founded in 1992 by John Mella under the name Light Quarterly, it’s America’s oldest and best-known journal of light verse. My fellow volunteers and I are proud to be building on John’s mission to “restore humor, clarity, and pleasure to the reading of poems” by publishing some of the wittiest poets around.” — Editor Melissa Balmain
Example Pieces:
“Mar-a-Lago Says” by Eddie Aderne
“Hear, Hear” by Nora Jay
Submit: Follow the guidelines here.
Little Old Lady Comedy
Tone: Overall humor and satire site that publishes the work of great writers at all levels. They feature daily humor and have over 500 contributors. Started by Ginny Hogan and Mary Cella, there are currently two editors, Mary Cella and Marisela Gonzalez.
Example pieces:
“Vulture’s Oral History Of The Kidz Bop Version Of ‘W.A.P.’” by Mike Leonetti
Submit: Submission guidelines here, basically you email littleoldladyblog@gmail.com with your piece in the email.
The Lunar Times
Tone: In their own words: “The Lunar Times is a satirical news site for all Asian Americans. We take listicles, open letters, and/or news article parodies. We are also open to other long form humor and satire formats. Our main focus is recruiting writers that are Asian American.”
Example Pieces:
“Golden Globes Apologizes by Offering Minari ‘Best Anime’” by Victor Tran
“Top 10 Holiday Gifts for Your Parents That Say ‘I Still Need You Financially’” by John Hedrick
“Diversity Win: American Yoga Association Inducts First Indian Yoga Instructor” by Sofia Javed
Submit: Follow the guidance here! “To contribute, writers can send an email to thelunartimesblog@gmail.com with 5–10 headlines, each with a 1–2 sentence excerpt and 1–2 sentence description of the piece. Please include social media handles! For the subject of the email, please put CONTRIBUTOR SUBMISSION [YOUR NAME]. We also take submissions that are topical and for that we would like a completed article copied and pasted in the email. The subject for that should be TOPICAL SUBMISSION [YOUR NAME]. For all article submissions, please keep them between 200 and 600 words. Please send previously unpublished pieces and our submission window is open year round. We are donation based and pay out writers monthly. Ya got chops kid? Show ’em here!” Follow them on Instagram here.
McSweeney’s Internet Tendency
Tone: Around since 1998. Evergreen humor and topical satire; subjects that do well are literary, parenting, politics, movies. You can become a member of their Patreon to support the site and get monthly content calls, interviews, and countdowns. Huge traffic that has spawned many book deals!
Example pieces:
“Please Don’t Get Murdered at School Today” by Kimberly Harrington
“It’s Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers” by Colin Nissan
“Reasons You Were Not Promoted That Are Totally Unrelated to Gender” by Homa Mojtabai
Submit: All guidelines for evergreen and topical pieces are listed here. The editor is Chris Monks, with assistant editor Lucy Huber. Note that there is a separate email for anything responding to a topical news story. Pay is $30 for published pieces, paid day-of via PayPal, and you retain all rights to your work.
The Museum of Americana (Humor Section)
Tone: In their own words: “We seek work that engages with or repurposes the complex cultural history of America, and publish humor writing across a variety of genres.” They publish a variety of formats, from fiction to poetry to nonfiction (examples of each below). The humor section is edited by Sue D. Gelber.
Example pieces:
“The Revolution Will Be Televised: Intersectional Feminists Now Control Your Netflix — Fiction” by Amy Drayer
“Afraid of the Arch and Terrified by the Truss: My Fear of Bridges — Nonfiction” by Linnea Cooley
“Bigfoot Is a Close Relative — Poetry” by Ronnie Sirmans
Submit: Review the guidelines and contact info here. In their own words: “We read submissions in the months of April, August, and December.”
The Needling
Tone: Seattle’s only real fake news. In their own words: “The Needling’s intrepid and completely unbiased reporters provide Native Seattle-area residents, newcomers, California carpetbaggers and people born here sometime in the last century earnestly inauthentic analysis of local news and culture.” Similar to a Seattle-centric Onion, but they also have more general satirical headlines.
Examples Pieces:
“5 Ways to Be as Optimistic as a Cyclist Taking Up an Entire Lane of Traffic at Night” by Staff
“Local Woman Longs to Experience Other Bathrooms” by Staff
“Reproductive Rights ‘Not My Fight,’ Says Man Obsessed with Sports Rivalry in Distant State” by Staff
Submit: Follow the guidelines here. You send headlines to Submit@TheNeedling.com.
Daily Shouts on The New Yorker
Tone: More straight humor with a highbrow edge, less topical material, humor that uses “I” relating to the writer’s experience, illustrated pieces are quite common.
Example pieces:
“Horror Movies Based of My Actual Fears” by Karen Chee
“Joe Biden’s America” by Evan Allgood
Submit: From the site: “Shouts & Murmurs and Daily Shouts submissions: Please send your submission (as a PDF attachment) to TNY_Shouts@newyorker.com. We read all submissions and try to respond within six months. We ask that you not send us more than one submission at a time, and that you wait to hear back about each pending submission before sending another. Keep in mind that Shouts & Murmurs are humorous fiction; first-person essays will not be considered.” Once you have an acceptance or a near-miss, you can submit directly to editor Emma Allen. Submissions here are also sometimes considered for print Shouts & Murmurs, although this is rare. Pay for online is around $325 (might be more for an illustrated piece) and $2000 for the print mag. The toughest outlet to crack!
The Nordly
Tone: In their own (very funny) words: “The Nordly is the northernmost satirical site in North America, so long as you disregard Canada.” Satirical news.
Example pieces:
“Buffalo Wild Wings Encourages Customers to Have Diarrhea at Home”
“MPD Centers The BIPOC Experience in Traffic Stops”
“Wow! This Woman Justified Drinking at 11AM by Organizing a ‘Virtual Happy Hour’”
Submit: Use the clear form here.
Omnarchy
Tone: Dystopian satire in one unified voice (satirical news format, mostly). Creates its own world, has a recognizable visual style and strong audience on Instagram and Reddit, where they’re growing fast. In their own words: “The Omnarchy is the unified network of all intelligence — artificial, organic, or otherwise — which collectively took control of the planet from human governments in the 22nd Century C.E. in a completely benevolent and consensual manner.
This site is an aggregated archive of the most shared stories in the Omnarchy’s Mindhive. Supported by the generous and mandatory donations of over 400 billion citizens, Omnarchy.com allows primitive “World Wide Web” users to learn about the exciting life that awaits them when they finally choose to emerge from hiding, receive their neural implants, and connect with the Mindhive.”
Example pieces:
“All Work and No Play Makes Doris a Top Citizen”
“‘5k to Save Humanity’ Cancelled Due to Lack of Interest”
Submit: They use a writers room and call for new, Chicago-based contributors a few times a year. They’re on a hiatus for new contributors right now, but keep an eye on their Instagram for more details.
The Philadelphia Satirer
Tone: In their own words: “The Philadelphia Satirer was founded as a satire writing incubator. We want to be a platform for people to practice satire writing and hone their craft while getting their names out there.” They’re looking for more contributors currently, and publish general satire and humor as well as some Philly-specific pieces.
Example pieces:
“City Man Wondering About What Type Of Gift To Buy For Meteor Shower” by Damien Wendy
“Report: South Philly Italians Are Tough On Crime Unless It Seems Organized” by Leah Wisniewski
Submit: Follow the instructions here. “To apply to join our crew, simply submit five or more headlines to this Google Form link. We’ll vote on your headlines, anonymously, alongside headline submissions of the current Satirer crew and, if you get votes, reach out with a piece we’d like to see written out. After the piece gets approved by our team, you’ll be a contributor!”
Plot Twist
Tone: A new outlet created and edited by Daniel Menegaz. In their own words: “Plot Twist is a satirical entertainment news magazine dedicated to providing humorous pop culture reporting and movie reviews to film buffs and casual viewers alike.” They have a satirical movie reviewer character as well, Gideon M. Lawrence, who you can followed on Letterboxd here.
Example pieces:
“Michael Bay’s Family Reunion Fails Bechdel Test” by Shaun Pauker
“Review: A Quarter-Century Later, ‘Showgirls’ Remains The Artful Masterpiece That Made You Gay” by Chloé Cunha
“Review: Brandon Cronenberg’s ‘Possessor’ Is Another Thrilling Triumph From Indie Powerhouse A24 — Or Wait, Shit, Was It Neon?” by Daniel Menegaz
Submit: “If you would like to write for us, please send 3 news-style headlines and 2 review-style headlines to info@plottwistmag.com. If you do not hear back after 1 week, feel free to submit new ideas. Any other questions, suggestions, or pitches can be sent to the same address.”
Points in Case
Tone: Lots of laughs in this daily publication that focuses on literary humor and high concept pieces. A lot of traffic. Managing Editor James Folta reviews subs. In their own words: “Points in Case is a daily literary humor publication celebrating 20 years of enlightening and irreverent comedy from seasoned writers and fresh voices.”
Example pieces:
“Diary of a License Plate Designer” by Sean McGowan
“An Open Letter to All the Men I’ve Loved Before, Who Are Unaware We’re Currently Dating” by Anna Currell
“Nap, Inc.” by Andy Millman
Submit: Use Submittable and follow the guidelines here.
Reductress
Tone: Satire of women’s media, several repeating columns, leader in the topical satire space. They also offer a satire workshop and live shows when able. Many of their writers go on to write for TV and other sites.
Example pieces:
“Wow! This Woman Has Had Bad Experiences with White People, But Never Roamed Streets Looking for One to Murder” by Taylor Garron
“Can I Still Be A Feminist If I Hate Myself?” by Chrissy Shackelford
“Woman Who Finds ‘They’ Pronouns Confusing Has No Problem Calling Car ‘She’” by Eva Victor
Submit: They have contributor applications a few times a year. Check their social media and follow current writers to see when those are posted. You can also take an online satire writing workshop through them to better understand their tone and have some pitches reviewed by the editors.
Robot Butt
Tone: In their own words: “Robot Butt is on a quest for comedy. Interviews, sketches, essays, stories, profiles, comics — like that weird rave you attended during your first weekend in college, it all flies here. Don’t overthink what to submit. If you’ve got something funny or anything related to comedy and, perhaps, the advancement of the human race, we want to take a look at it.
We also look for content not explicitly “comedic.” From political commentary to profiles of quirky moments in pop culture history, we like to see a little bit of everything.”
Example pieces:
“An Open Letter to All Water Signs” by Hannah Benson
“The First Thanksgiving by Rudy Giuliani” by Chris Brotzman
Submit: Look at the page here, and follow these guidelines: “Send an email to editors@robotbutt.com with your name, your pitch, and “WRITING SUBMISSION” in the subject line. If it’s a completed piece, sending it either as a Word attachment or in the body of the email works best. Please include a bio for yourself as well if you are a new contributor.
If your submission isn’t already a completed piece, your pitches should include the following:
- Proposed title/headline
- Brief story description
- Proposed story type/length (list, slideshow, short 100–150-word piece, longer 200+ word piece, etc.)
Robot Butt does not currently pay any of its writers but you will receive credit on the site.”
Slackjaw (on Medium)
Tone: Daily humor on a variety of topics and in a variety of formats. Broad with the largest following of any humor site on Medium. They run a humor writing competition each year with cash prizes. Writers are eligible to put their pieces behind the Medium paywall for the opportunity to earn money.
Example pieces:
“I’m A Man’s Man, And I Await The Return Of My Man” by Amanda Lehr
“Ernest Hemingway At The Taco Bell Cantina” by Jude Flannelly
“12 Totally True Myths About Redheads” by Sarah Hutto
Submit: Follow the submission guidelines here, you email an unpublished Medium draft for review. The current editors are Alex Baia and sarah james. You can sign up for Alex’s newsletter here to get a humor writing cheat sheet.
The Washington Boast (on Medium)
Tone: A newer pub looking for contributors. In their own words: “As its name implies, The Washington Boast tends to focus on current events in the political realm that could benefit from a unique satirical perspective. But since daily life involves a mishmash of other things, submissions on those subjects are also welcome, however unimportant they may seem in comparison. Make the mundane interesting.
Your piece should fall into one of three categories: news stories (broad in scope or man-on-the-street), lists/quizzes/guides, or monologues (LinkedIn posts, journal entries, voicemails, etc.). That said, we will consider work that successfully blends more than one of these genres or is something different altogether. If it’s funny and clever after you’ve read it out loud to yourself, submit it.”
Example pieces:
“Pelosi Urges Tolerance, Mutual Understanding After Trump Installs 13 Trebuchets Around White House” by Editor William Vaillancourt
Submit: Follow the guidelines here, and follow the site on Twitter here.
Weekly Humorist
Tone: Focus on humor, original illustrations with many of them, daily posting, inclusion in the weekly roundup newsletter and weekly print edition of the magazine. Big with Twitter games.Recently launched a publishing imprint as well, Humorist Books.
Example pieces:
“Why Don’t You Call her What She Is — Your Octopus *Whore*” by Emily Flake
“Origin Stories of Weirdly Specific Rules” by Caitlin Kunkel (me!)
“First Of All…” a cartoon by Bob Eckstein
Submit: Follow their submission guidelines here. Pay is $20, you invoice editor Marty Dundics for it.
The Whole Wheat Post
Tone: In their own words: “”A new humor website focused on satirizing health and wellness media. Currently looking to take on our first set of contributors.”
Example pieces:
“Dashboard Used As Dining Room Table”
Submit: Fill out the contributor interest form here, and the editor email is editors@wholewheatpost.com. Follow them on Instagram here.
Widget
Tone: A new site trying a new model with grant funding! In their own words: “Widget is a funny website. We publish posts, cartoons, jokes, etc. We describe it as Fart jokes & anti-capitalism™. Widget also makes Work It, a podcast and CFMU radio show about jobs, working and the tragicomedy of late-capitalism.”
Example pieces:
“Career Counseling for the COVID-19 Unemployed” by David Bradley Isenberg
“The Legend of Sleep-With-Me Hollow” by Alex Gonzalez
“I’m The Dybbuk Who Lives In Your Apartment, And We Need To Talk” by Sophia Geffros
Submit: Follow the submission guidelines here. They pay $200 per post, publishing pieces in a series of themed collections with partner organizations. Writers will be expected to promote the work of their entire collection to lift each other’s work. Make sure to follow them on Twitter here for more details.
Word Brothel
Tone: In their own words: “Word Brothel is a satirical website, print magazine, and newspaper that produces articles with subversive political and social commentary as well as counterculture pieces and straight up absurdism. They make video content and are branching into podcasts as well.”
Example pieces:
“What’s Tommy’s Deal Lately? [QUIZ]”
“Phish Plays 27 Minute National Anthem At Boston Red Sox Game”
“Oscar Mayer Commercial Shatters Beauty Standards [VIDEO]”
Submit: “To submit as a writer for Word Brothel, please send 10 sample headlines and one completed piece of writing in any style or format to info@wordbrothel.com with subject header ‘application.’”
Wry Times
Tone: A uniquely formatted site with a clear voice. In their own words: “wry /rī/ adjective1 using or expressing dry, especially mocking, humor. WryTimes is a humor magazine about modern, post-modern, and post-post-modern life, edited by Elisa Zuritsky.” They publish humor, personal essay, cartoons, and poetry.
Example pieces:
“Classic Holiday Movies, Updated for 2020” by Keith Rubin
“I Am Not A Robot” by Elisa Zuritsky
“10 COVID-Related Habits I May Not Break Even After it Ends” by Karen Huh
Submit: “If you have Wry thoughts kicking around that you think will fit in here, send them to: contact@wrytimes.com. Cartoon submissions must be hand-rendered and in black-and-white. Please submit as .jpeg or .png file. Also, please leave the title OUT of the drawing itself. WryTimes doesn’t pay to publish pieces, but you will retain all rights to your work. We reply to all submissions within 30 days of receipt.” Follow them on IG here and Twitter here.
Ye Old Tyme News (Instagram link)
Tone: What it sounds like — medieval satire! Took off on Instagram, now has a site as well. All writing in one very specific voice. In their own words: “Medieval fantasy satire. Published fortnightly.”
Example pieces:
On Instagram: “Church Begins Clinical Trials on New Strain of Anti-Plague Prayer”
Submit: “Art thou so loyal to thy King that thou wishes to sing His good graces on these pages? Well thou art in luck! Emaileth headline ideas to scribe@yeoldetymenews.com and Ye Royal Scrivener of Letters shall taketh thine ideas under consideration. Alternately, thou mayest drop us a line on Instagram (@yeoldetymenews).
But taketh heed: whilst His Majesty doth possess the most fabulous riches in all the Realm, He wouldst ne’er bestow them upon a lowly peasant such as thee. So thou wilt not be paid for thy submissions at this tyme.”
Caitlin Kunkel is a writer, satirist, and pizza scientist. She created the Online Satire Writing Program for The Second City, and you can purchase her popular class “Writing Topical Satire…Fast!” from Pandemic University here. She’s the co-founder of the Satire and Humor Festival. Subscribe to her writing newsletter here.
