Description
All of Big Sky Journal‘s features, columns, poetry, fiction and photography focus on the Northern Rockies landscape, culture, people, places and wildlife. BSJ strives to capture real life in the Northern Rockies, focusing on backcountry and backstreet haunts that provide an insider’s perspective to our readership. We strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with BSJ before sending a query.
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Market Types, Lengths & Pay Scale
General
Features: Feature-length stories (1,000-1,800 words) that pertain to the local characters, culture, people, environment, communities, and other general-interest categories throughout the Northern Rockies region, including Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.
Originals
1000 to 8000 words
Non-Paying
General
Local Knowledge: Local Knowledge is a column profiling people in the region with a timeless craft, skill, or tradition that they are preserving in a modern world, for example, boot making, saddle making, fly tying, heirloom gardening, building sheep wagons, blacksmithing, etc. It’s a West that most of us often miss in this high-tech age of modern conveniences.
Originals
1000 to 1200 words
Unknown
General
Outside: First-person stories detailing adventures in the great outdoors, taking place in the Northern Rockies region, including Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, including tales of hiking, biking, fly fishing, hunting, etc. See examples of Outside columns here.
Excursion: A how-to column that covers a topic/location in the Northern Rockies region, including Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Examples include Backpacking Yellowstone, Fishing High Country Lakes, Visiting the Best State Parks, etc. Each one includes an overall introduction followed by two sidebars. See examples of Excursion stories here.
History: Tales of local legends or historical events that have taken place in the Northern Rockies region, including Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. See examples of History columns here.
Excursion: A how-to column that covers a topic/location in the Northern Rockies region, including Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Examples include Backpacking Yellowstone, Fishing High Country Lakes, Visiting the Best State Parks, etc. Each one includes an overall introduction followed by two sidebars. See examples of Excursion stories here.
History: Tales of local legends or historical events that have taken place in the Northern Rockies region, including Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. See examples of History columns here.
Originals
0 to 40000 words
Non-Paying
Essay
In the annual fly fishing issue, we sometimes publish “Fish Tales” a short essay section of six to eight nonfiction stories of 800 words or less related to fly-angling; tall tales are welcome.
Originals
0 to 800 words
Non-Paying
Essay
Essay: The hallmark of BSJ editorial is personal experiences of place. It’s a way for writers and readers to connect, relate and relive Big Sky Country. We accept short, creative nonfiction essays on living in the Northern Rockies with subject matter related to recreation, family, nature, Western culture, history, etc.
Originals
0 to 40000 words
Non-Paying
Essay
Images of the West: This is a photo essay that’s accompanied by text and captions. These commonly have a general theme that ties the images together, and they are photo-heavy with about 400 words of copy to explain the topic.
Originals
360 to 440 words
Non-Paying
Market Submission Types
AI Submissions?: Unknown Policy
Electronic Submissions?: Yes
Postal Submissions?: No
Multiple Submissions?: No
Simultaneous Submissions?: No
Translations: Original Language Only
Electronic Submissions?: Yes
Postal Submissions?: No
Multiple Submissions?: No
Simultaneous Submissions?: No
Translations: Original Language Only
Market-Provided Data
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Market Response Data (User-Reported)
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numbers will be so please be sure to log all of your submissions here and not just your rejections or acceptances.
numbers will be so please be sure to log all of your submissions here and not just your rejections or acceptances.
Count:
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Listing added: 12 March 2026
Last officially checked: 12 March 2026