Oh yes, you might even get paid...

... but it won't be enough to pay your mortgage.

One of the wetpixel forum members has posted a question about rates of pay in the magazines.

While some magazines have variable rates of pay depending on the story and pics you have most have fixed rates of pay (if the title has contributor guidelines you might find the rate of pay listed there, see the below post on California Diving News). This might be per per word and photograph, or as in the case of DIVER and Sport Diver (in the UK) a fixed payment per page:

DIVER - 100 sterling per page, 150 for a front cover

Sport Diver - 50 sterling per page, 100 for a front cover.

My first articles were published in the above magazines in 1996 - back then the rate of pay was exactly the same. I don't believe the rate of pay will increase - the industry has become incredibly competitive with more magazines on the news stand and a proliferation of online titles.

I suppose you have to ask the question:

What is my motivation for wanting to contribute to magazines?

If it's money you're after I'd go out and get a newspaper round, per hour of time the rate of pay stuffing the Daily Mail through someone's letterbox far exceeds what you will get from the diving (or any other sport) media.

However - what price would you put on the fringe benefits? Press trips, commissioned assignments, the satisfaction of seeing your name in the byline?

Keep writing...

Brendan