Posts For Unprecedented Times
(Bluesky/Instagram: @madeleinefwhite)
I can’t believe June is nearly upon us. The reason I’m so excited, other than the fact I’m off on my travels to Ireland and Madrid for part of the month, is that our Silver Jubilee Issue will be with you, whether digitally or in print, on Wednesday 25 June.
What a journey it’s been, from a room with a few people who were interested in the idea of creating a magazine, including Eithne Cullen and Claire Buss and a trusty flipchart, to Write On!’s 25th edition. We’ve had some wonderful experiences along the way, from interviewing Mark Haddon, Melanie Reid, Louis de Bernières and Kit de Waal, to hosting a panel discussion at Hay.
One thing I will say though; all the way along, everything has been dictated by our absolute belief that everyone deserves to have a voice, and if you have the courage to speak out, we will do our level best to give your work a home. After all, that’s how we all started. In my case, I was placed in Pen to Print’s poetry competition in 2018, and many others in our immediate team were part of the Book Challenge, Pen to Print’s flagship competition. Talking of competitions, there’s a new one out, ‘ Adventurous Voices’: you can check it out here. We’re working in partnership with the Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation and Oddizzi, who have provided the wonderful Amazon Rainforest Video Soundscape writing prompt !
Write On! happens because all involved have a mindset of courage and a willingness to give our time for something we believe in, that includes our wonderful publishers Pen to Print. How lucky are we!
I hope those positive vibes come through in our new cover, featuring the amazing Sheila O’Flanagan. Sparkling with writerly insight and summer fun, from the 25 June you’ll be able to immerse yourselves in pages that explore editing and the author mindset. You’ll also hear from our issue sponsors, The Romantic Novelists’ Association president Sue Moorcroft, literary agent Laetitia Watson and The Verb’s Ian McMillan. With an amazing giveaway from Libraro, a ground-breaking tech platform that connects writers to readers to the publishing industry and RNA’s ‘First Page’ writing competition to win two ‘Aspiring’ memberships, it’s a worthy Jubilee edition!
In terms of our digital and audio offerings, as ever, we try to be topical as well as reflect our overall theme. As young people head into the exam season, I do hope some of the writing shared will support their mindset, and that of us parents, as we try to support them. In the meantime, stay inspired, stay creative, and share your work with us. Our next season’s theme (from July to September) will be ‘Reflections.’ Our submissions guidelines here.
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Write On! Audio, the podcast ‘For Writers Everywhere’ is out every Tuesday.
We kick off the month with Writers Tips on Tuesday 3 June, brought to you by Anna Britton, author and creator of the podcast The Rejected Writers Club. Our Listener Contribution on Tuesday 10 comes from award-winning London poet Lee Campbell and is linked to Pride Month. On Tuesday 20, we have a poem of the month and June’s Interview out Tuesday 24, sees the international bestseller, Sheila O’Flanagan, in conversation with Azmina Sohail. You can find us on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Podchaser and many more. Just type pen to print into your browser and look for our logo. Alternatively, find us via our Spotify For Podcasters hosting site, which links you to our content on a variety of podcast platforms. Do subscribe. Write On! Audio can be accessed here.
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Published And Coming Up
Amber Hall’s June Monday Moments explores how our mindsets aren’t fixed, so what changes them? Circumstance? Time? Experiences? Out June 2.
Eithne Cullen’s June Thoughtful Tuesdays is about ‘Busting Out’ as the song says. Whether it’s a mindset…a rut…a tight sweater…or a dead end job or relationship. Out 10 June.
Farzana Hakim’s June Thursday Connectors is a Youth Connectors special, edited by Saniya Iqbal. Out 19 June.
June’s Showcases, out every Wednesday, are edited by Lisa Scully-O’Grady, a writer with an interest in writing for creativity and healing. Lisa will be featuring lots of wonderful poetry, prose and fiction from our own bulging inbox .
Our Friday Features, out every two weeks, are packed with writing ideas and advice. June’s include Deputy Editor Claire Buss sharing an insight into the process of recording an audio book.
Our Sunday Interviews, out every two weeks, showcase a range of creative talent. In May we feature Australian pet and artist Andrew Shilham and Sheila O’Flanagan.
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!
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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. 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 24 is out. You can see it here and find all our previous issues on our magazines page. Physical copies of Write On! are distributed in libraries and other centres across the country. Issue 25 will be out on 25 June.
Be part of the Write On! family; one that includes The London Library, Dialogue, Hay and The Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook. So far, over 297, 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).
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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!
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How To Submit:
We are looking for pieces (poetry, prose, fiction etc.) around our new theme of Reflections (this theme will be active from July). We want to know what the word means to you in terms of your personal or creative life and are looking for creative pieces, features and prose insight as to what this means to you, looking backward to move forwards for example, or maybe, looking in the mirror and wanting to see a new direction reflected?
- 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 ten 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.
