Humor, Listicle
Cracked
Cracked pays $100–150 for your first four articles and $200–250 for later ones, plus a $100 bonus for a top-10 hit.
🟡 Information needs verification Verified 2026-09
The docket
The nine things that decide whether a pitch is worth sending. Every answer below is either taken from the publication’s own guideline or computed by BRYME from the 304-publication desk. Where the publication does not say, the docket says so instead of filling the gap in.
- Payment
- $100–150 (first 4) → $200–250 (5th+); $100 top-10 bonusOf the other 51 records based in the United States that state a flat-fee figure, 22 state less, 21 state more, 8 state exactly this. On publication (PayPal).
- Length
- 6–8 entries per list
- Who can submit
- Open worldwideThe guideline states the call is worldwide. Diaspora writers are explicitly welcome.
- Reading period
- Not yet assessedBRYME has not recorded a reading period for this market from its guideline page. That is our gap rather than the publication's silence: it does not mean the window is open, and it does not mean there is none. Read the guideline linked on this page before you send.
- Response time
- Not statedNo response time recorded. A follow-up after two to three weeks is reasonable; silence past that is a soft no, not a rejection.
- Simultaneous submissions
- Not statedThe guideline does not address simultaneous submissions. BRYME records that as silence rather than assuming a yes: if you are sending the same piece to several publications, say so in your cover letter and withdraw it everywhere the moment it is taken.
- AI policy
- Not statedThe guideline is silent. BRYME records that 138 of the 304 publications on this desk do restrict AI-assisted work, so silence here is not permission — ask.
- Rights
- Not statedBRYME records that 162 of the 304 publications on this desk state their terms. This one does not. Ask what rights you are assigning, for how long and for what territory, before you sign anything.
- Experience
- Not statedThe guideline sets no experience requirement. BRYME records that as silence, not as a welcome — a first-time writer is not excluded, but nor are they invited.
What this record does not tell you
This publication leaves 6 of the nine questions unanswered. BRYME publishes that gap instead of filling it — a generated answer would look complete and cost you a pitch.
- Reading period — no window recorded yet, so check the guideline before you pitch rather than assuming it is open.
- Response time — expect to wait blind, and keep other pitches live.
- Simultaneous submissions — the guideline leaves this open, so declare it in your cover letter rather than assuming.
- AI policy — assume disclosure is expected unless the editor says otherwise.
- Rights — you may be asked to assign more than you expect. Get the terms in writing.
- Experience — look at what kind of writer this publication normally publishes before you pitch; its guideline does not say.
Record last human-checked 2026-09-30. Sources listed at the foot of this page. Figures are compared only against other records based in the United States quoted the same way, so a per-word rate is never ranked against a flat fee.
Quick facts
- Payment
- $100–150 (first 4) → $200–250 (5th+); $100 top-10 bonus
- Word count
- 6–8 entries per list
- Submission
- Email pitch (Cracked Comedy Workshop)
- International writers
- Yes
- Status
- 🟡 Information needs verification
- Last verified
- 2026-09
BRYME experience
Status (as recorded): Submitted · Payment: Pending / Not confirmed
This is BRYME's own firsthand record. Payment is only marked confirmed once it actually lands — never assumed. Dates, where shown, are when each step happened.
- Pitch submitted
What this publication wants
This is BRYME's summary of the publication's focus — not a copy of their website. Type of writing: Humor, Listicle. Official guideline: Cracked guidelines.
Topics, themes and styles they look for
- High-concept humour, weird history and pop-culture deep dives in the Cracked list style (per secondary reports - unconfirmed by an official page)
Key requirements
- The current official write-for-us URL was unavailable during the 27 September 2026 check; do not rely on historical rates or requirements without reconfirming through Cracked. Historical official guidance accepted feature pitches by email and asked experienced columnists for links to previous work.
Who can submit
Worldwide — no stated geographic restriction.
AI policy
Not stated in the guideline
How to write for them
Official requirement: always follow the publication's own guideline exactly.
BRYME's practical advice: write for the publication's audience, use a clear structure, keep paragraphs short, lead with a specific angle, and confirm the word count before submitting. These are practical suggestions — they are not the publication's official rules.
How to pitch
Where a pitch is required, this is the general pattern BRYME recommends — always adapt it to the publication's guideline.
- Research the publication and read several recent pieces.
- Choose a specific idea that fits their beat and audience.
- Write a concise subject line naming your idea.
- Introduce yourself in one or two lines (who you are, where you publish).
- Explain the proposed piece in a short paragraph — angle, structure, length.
- Say why it fits this publication.
- Include 2–3 relevant clips or links.
- Close professionally and thank them for their time.
- Send through the official channel only.
The official page does not state a current status.
How to submit
Email pitch (Cracked Comedy Workshop)
Apply through the official channel below. BRYME only records submission destinations it has verified.
- Official guideline: opens the publication guideline (new tab)
- Submission: Email pitch (Cracked Comedy Workshop)
- Submission email: workshop@cracked.com
What the guideline asks you to prepare
- Cracked does not publish a public submissions page. Checked 2026-09-30: cracked.com links only to /about-us and to article permalinks, with no write-for-us, submissions, contribute or pitch route anywhere on the site.
- Use the contact route on the /about-us page and ask whether the site is commissioning, rather than sending work unsolicited.
- The rates recorded here come from Cracked's own published pay structure, but without a public submissions page there is no stated route in — treat this as a commissioning market rather than an open one.
What happens after submission
Expected response: Official submissions page returned 404 at check (23 Sep 2026); status unconfirmed - treat rates as historical
If the publication does not state a response time, BRYME records that it is unknown. A follow-up is generally reasonable after a couple of weeks; if there is still no response, treat that as a likely non-acceptance rather than a rejection. Acceptance is normally communicated by the publication. If they accept, they will tell you exactly how to submit the final piece and, for most, how and when payment is made.
Check, question or correct this record
BRYME publishes its working, not just its conclusions. Last human check: 2026-09.