Freelancers who understand that "budget" doesn't mean "cheap" have plenty of writing opportunities at this magazine, writes Keith R. Hernandez in the update of this How to Pitch guide. Containing items ranging from 100-1,000 words, "Where" and "How" are two freelance-friendly front-of-book sections. "Where" features destination-based information, while "How" offers more strategic guidance. Generated in-house, "Trip Coach" and the back-of-book "True Stories" page are both closed to freelancers. Contact Budget Travel via email. If you haven't heard back about a pitch in three weeks, editors recommend taking it as a "No." Read more here.

Forget the politics and rants: The buds are back, says Noah Davis in the update of this HTP. They're looking for travel and cultivation pieces, but no political diatribes. Email pitches, please. Find more info here.

This entertainment biz spinoff helps Hollywood industry honchos know what to do when they're off the clock--and the pitch guide has recently been updated for your pleasure! Common story structure is an intro graf summing up what and why, followed by two or three short reported grafs and the all-important expert's quote, followed by an equal amount of reporting delivered via a list, chart, or some other digestible format. Sections to pitch are ones like "Nurture," "Collect" and "Taste." Some sections, like "Do Good" and "Go Home" are in-house. You can pitch by email but make sure it's concise no matter what. More details here.

Keith Hernandez has updated the HTP on this sexy website--although the site isn't just looking for sex. They're looking for "everything from literary fiction and reviews to Q&As and op-eds -- so long as they're written in what [editor-in-chief Michael] Martin calls 'the Nerve voice.'" The site is VERY freelance friendly, including sections like "Sex Advice From -- ", "The Screening Room," "Life's Work" and "Dispatches." No erotica and no straight-up memoir, though. Submit by email pitch only.

At AAA's Western-states mag with a huge circulation, the freelance opportunities are as open as the road, writes Amelia McDonell-Parry in the update of this HTP. "On the Road" needs ideas for regular items such as "Trailblazer", "Opening", "Round Up", and "How To." "Traiblazer" (formerly known as "Smart Quotes") is an interview with a travel-related personality. Other pitchable columns in this section include "Great Drives" (formerly "Boulevards") which is a profile of a famous road or route, such as Lombard Street in San Francisco, or Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles. Make sure your pitches don't cover destinations that have been recently featured, and make sure your pitches are well-honed. Pitch snail mail.

Known for its "feminist perspective," this magazine foremother now focuses on current affairs, leaving pop culture to the young'uns, writes Keith Hernandez in the update of this HTP. The FOB national news section, "Ms. News," is open to pitches, as is the feature well, "Global News," and, to some extent, the book reviews section. No rants of manifestos, please. Snail mail pitches are preferred.

Heather Marie Graham has updated the guide on pitching mental_floss: Cheeky but not intimidating, this pub seeks "timeless" stories on a range of subjects to stimulate its highly educated readers. Once writers have a sense of the magazine, pitches are welcome in the right_brain (arts, music, literature, etc.), left_brain (science, technology) or spinning the_globe (geography, culture) sections. right_brain regularly features lesser-known artists and authors, but floss's editors are looking more for original ideas that have a "secret history" or a "who knew?" aspect to them. Once again, this is a magazine that you really have to know to pitch.No opinion pieces, no first-person narratives, no newsy stories thick with interviews, and nothing that doesn't feel fun and entertaining. Unlike most magazines, mental_floss actually discourages timeliness. Pitches are best sent via the magazine's online submissions form, located at the bottom of the magazine's web site.

Heather Marie Graham gives the lowdown on the freelance-friendly title focused on the future of business has also endured the economy's ebb and flow to outlast many of its original competitors. Consider pitching the sections "Next," "Ideas for the future -- now," and "Zigging When They Zag." No services pieces, please. Email pitches to the appropriate editor.

Got an interesting angle on Georgia's capital city? Pitch the front of this book and work your way back, as its editors invite your Atlantan insights, writes Heather Marie Graham. Front of book sections like "Our Town" as well as essays for "On My Mind" are great ways to break in. If your story doesn't have anything to do with the ATL itself, forget it. Email pitches, please.

With the 2003 arrival of Atoosa Rubenstein as editor-in-chief, focusing on "real girls" became the magazine's mission at this teen mag, writes Cortney Harding. As executive editor Leslie Heilbrunn says, the magazine's "about and for real girls. We want to understand the way they live today, and help them achieve their goals. They want to look good, be healthy, and take care of themselves." Furthermore, she asserts that "an extraordinarily high percentage of the young women featured in our pages are real girls, not models." The gates are open to freelancers when it comes to health and news stories for the "My Life," "Exposed," and "Trauma" sections. Save your fashion, beauty, and celebrity stories for another outlet, though. Pitch via e or snail mail.

Audience-wise, Heilbrunn points out that the average Seventeen reader is over 16, and that the magazine gears its coverage towards high school seniors and college freshmen.