by Madeleine White

(X/Instagram: @madeleinefwhite)

And we’re nearly into April. With Easter Monday and Eid falling in this second month of spring, as well as it being National Poetry Month, there’s lots to celebrate. But as with all celebrations, they are often linked to times of challenge – nicely bringing me to our new theme of ‘Overcoming.’ Whether we’re overcoming physical or mental trials, or even those of circumstance; in order to overcome, we need to be resilient enough to stand firm, while being brave enough to make the changes needed.

Being in the garden these last couple of weeks: pruning and planting and clearing out winter’s detritus, has made me think about the writing process and how much we need to overcome as writers. We must be engaged and immersed inwardly, but also employ that ‘outward eye’ when needed: cutting out, reshaping and restructuring to make sure we get the best results. You may remember me telling you a bit about my own writing journey recently. Some exciting news may be on the horizon and I’m looking forward to sharing with you when I can. In the meantime, back to the laptop and my new writing project….

On the subject of news, I’m delighted to share issue 20 here. Sponsored by Hay Festival and starring Kit De Waal, our spring issue showcases your wonderful writing, as well as featuring a Spotlight page on issue theme ‘Beginnings And Endings’ and the Local Flavour page, in which our columnist, H.B. O’Neill, tells us about his road to publishing success with Fahrenheit Press. A fab Big Debate, penned by award-winning writer Hema Macherla, explores translingual writing.

Issue 20 is available from libraries, arts organisations and universities up and down the country Alternatively, the digital version and all our back issues can be found on our  online magazines page. April has our usual pages across our suite of publications and we’ll be starting work on issue 21 at the end of the month. If you’d like to get involved, do join me for my free What Makes A Magazine Workshop on 1 May .

Our ‘Overcoming’ theme runs from April to June, so please do have a think about what that means to you and respond creatively. You can see our submissions guidelines here. And, as ever, I do hope that all the wonderful creative work, advice, fiction, poetry, prose and audio we bring you through Write On! will inspire you to get writing.

Write On! Audio, The Podcast ‘For Writers Everywhere’

Published And Coming Up

Amber Hall’s April  Monday Moments focusses on how writing/creativity can be a way to find oneself, or to come back to oneself after a difficult time. Out on 8 April.

Eithne Cullen’s April Thoughtful Tuesdays will be featuring creative responses to ‘near death’ experiences. Out on 16 April.

Farzana Hakim’s April Thursday Connectors  features the second part of her Menopause Special. Powerful personal stories and professional perspectives. Out on April 25.

The weekly April Showcases  are edited by Hannah Rooney from the University Of Sunderland. They draw from our bulging inbox to feature fabulous writers, including old favourites and new voices. Out every Wednesday.

Our Friday Features, out every two weeks, are packed with writing ideas and advice. April’s include a piece from writer and publisher Lynn Michell and, our former Showcase editor Dan Cross, shares how AI has affected his editing services and the trends he’s noticed.

Our Sunday Interviews, out every two weeks, showcase a range of talent. In April we feature non-fiction specialist writer Robert Nurden and the seminal Kit de Waal.

Saturday Spotlight, at the end of the month, features new launches from traditional publishers and small presses, as well as indie authors. Do send us information on your new release. If you have one coming up, we’d love to hear from you!

More About Us

Write On! is a quarterly magazine published by Pen to Print and its sister, the online Write On! Extra, and has been created to encourage established and emerging writers to come together around the following ideals: Publishing lies at an intersection of entertainment, information and education and is the method by which we record our shifting culture. You can find out more about how to get involved as a writer, creative, partner or advertiser through Write On! Together.

Take advantage of some great digital advertising opportunities with Write On! and Write On! Extra. We are currently running a £50 / 1/8 page offer. A Back Cover full page advert is £500 and issue sponsorship is £750. Get in touch with Pen to Print for further details.

Write On! Audio, the podcast ‘For Writers Everywhere’ connects emerging and established writers to each other, the publishing industry and a wider audience in an audio celebration of diversity, originality and excellence.

Issue 20 is out now and features stellar author, Kit de Waal.

Leading with Sunday Times columnist Melanie Reid, Issue 21 will be out at the end of June and you can find all our previous issues on our magazines page. Physical copies of Write On! are distributed in libraries and other centres across London, Manchester, Kent, Devon, the West Midlands and Essex. Distribution points now include the Universities of Sunderland as well as Dudley and Manchester libraries, Newcastle’s ‘Seven Stories’ writing organisation and the Amelia Scott Centre in Tunbridge Wells.

Be part of the Write On! family; one that includes The London Library, Dialogue, Hay and The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook. So far, over  210, 000 of  you have engaged with us online, as readers and contributors; from the UK, but also from 198 other countries (Google Analytics lists 230 countries).

Your Writing

Write On! accepts written pieces (prose, poetry, essays, opinion), video or spoken extracts/ snapshots, illustrations and artwork. Do remember, if you have a features idea, you may be interested in recording it for Write On! Audio. Get in touch to discuss, if this appeals! Depending on content and theme, your work will be featured in one of the following ways:

Monday Moments – Stories and experiences drawn from myriad perspectives. Fresh and engaging; a real ‘magazine’ feel. (First Monday of the month.)

Thoughtful Tuesdays – Mindfulness, inspiration, poetry, quotes and ideas shared to create leadership and hope, to see us through the week. (Second Tuesday of the month.)

Write On! Showcase – This creative writing showcase includes poetry, short stories, flash fiction and book extracts. Although most will reflect the seasonal theme, some work, such as memoirs or book extracts, offer a non-themed perspectives also. (Weekly.)

Thursday Connectors – Everyone and everywhere has different experiences and different ways of dealing with these strange times. This internationally-flavoured page is all about people and their experiences, connecting us with ideas and ideals, reaching out from east London to encompass the UK and the world at large. (Third Thursday of the month.)

Write On! Features – Essays, opinions and features. In Write On! Extra, we focus on topics relevant to publishing and writing arenas, but also include wider content to encompass thinking and ideas relevant to our times. (Two per month.)

Saturday Spotlight – Spotlight offers a round-up of indie, traditional and small press releases, bringing readers an overview of what can be found on digital and physical shelves. (Monthly.)

Write On! Interviews – This Sunday profile opportunity features writers, publishers, editors, agents and other creatives, along with individuals from diverse communities in a number of different occupations. (Two per month.)

Write On! Audio – Out every Tuesday, our podcast ‘For Writers Everywhere’ connects emerging and established writers to each other and the industry. There is an opportunity to submit to our Listener Contribution Slot, as well as record your creative work and any tips and feature ideas you might have. See our pilot episode for tips on ‘how to’. (Weekly.)

Please do continue to submit your work. Our aim remains the same: bringing people together to share their experience, strength and hope, as well as having a bit of a laugh!

How To Submit:

• Creative prose submissions should be between 800 and 1000 words and, if possible, fit the seasonal theme.
• Poetry can be as short as necessary, but no longer than 500 words.
• Features are generally between 1000-1500. It’s best to send your feature/essay ideas through initially, so we can finalise the topic together.
• Write On! Audio Listener Contribution Slot. See our pilot episode for tips on ‘how to’. Listener Contributions should not be longer than six minutes and should include a brief introduction to you.

Any contributions should include an image of the writer and any copyright-free images you would like us to use (adhering to our submission guidelines) to illustrate your work. For any images/ video content that include you, or someone identifiable, we will need a permissions form. This will be sent to you. Write On! Extra is also happy to accept video or audio content. Please include contact details and any relevant social media IDs, such as Instagram, X, Threads, Substack or Facebook.

Submit via our Submit To Write On! page.  Further guidance can be found on the themed pages. All submissions are subject to  Pen to Print terms and conditions and can also be held in reserve until such time as publication opportunities arise, which may well be several months after the initial submission. Please note all submissions are subject to editing, at the Editor’s discretion.

SUBMISSION DEADLINES are based on the overarching theme. For example, it is worth sending in work aimed at the new theme a month before it starts.

We invite local people get in touch, as well as those who have something to say from further afield. We also welcome partnership discussions with organisations wishing to contribute, so the voices of their beneficiaries and teams can be heard. Details will be published on pentoprint.org.

Our culture is shifting. Therefore, the worlds we create don’t just serve us, but serve to inspire others as well. Make a difference to your community from your own four walls and get creating and writing!

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in individual articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Write On! or Pen to Print. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied, Write On! Extra cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the consequences of error, or for any loss or damage suffered by users of any of the information published on any of these pages. All facts and dates are correct at the time of publication.