by Madeleine White

(X/Instagram: @madeleinefwhite)

It’s July and I think summer is finally here! I hope you’ve been enjoying the wonderful weather of the last few days. With the Euros and Wimbledon in full swing and the Olympics starting on 26, it’s a month of sporting excitement. But hopefully our line up, which includes some great pieces around South Asian Heritage Month, will get you inspired, too. Another highlight is a competition we are running with All Stories (a non-profit organisation supporting new writers, helping them find ways into the world of writing for children). It is open from 1 July- 23 September. If you are a children’s or YA writer, do check it out HERE.

I do hope you’ve been able to get hold of a physical copy of our five-year anniversary issue. If not, you can see the digital version of Write On! 21 HERE. Themed ‘Overcoming,’ and sponsored by All Stories, it explores how to deal with difficult of situations, as well as finding acceptance and hope: whether in our writing journeys, or as in the case of our headliner, Sunday Times journalist and author Melanie Reid, a life-changing accident.

Other highlights include a menopause-focused page from Farzana Hakim and we get some footballing fervour from columnist H.B. O’Neill. The bestselling author Lizzie Chantree contributes to Michelle Sutton’s Spotlight page on Overcoming Creative Block. Meanwhile, based on the furore surrounding Baby Reindeer, the Big Debate sees Claire Buss examine how far we can go in terms of fictionalising reality. As ever, the Showcase pages, drawn from the online Write On! Extra featuring some fabulous emerging and established writers and pulled together through the vibrant Write On! community.

Do check out our back issues which can be found on our  online magazines page. 

We have lots to look forward to in our digital line up for July – see more details below  – and don’t forget, if you have a new book coming out, do let us know, so we can feature it on our Saturday Spotlight page at the end of the month.

Our new theme of ‘Change’ runs July- September. You can see our submissions guidelines here. 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 July Monday Moments focusses on Chance and Change. Should we stop trying to control our lives and futures, or is it important to stay in control? Out on 1 July.

Eithne Cullen’s July Thoughtful Tuesdays will be looking at how people change. What’s it like meeting up with friends and family you haven’t seen for a long time?  Out on 9 July.

Farzana Hakim’s July Thursday Connectors  explores South Asian Heritage Month. As ever, fabulous stories from fabulous people. Out on Thursday 18 July.

The weekly July Showcases are edited by Clara Khan. 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. July’s include London Typewriters  also, Mary Walsh tells us about how organising her poetry better has led to real opportunities.

Our Sunday Interviews, out every two weeks, showcase a range of talent. In July we feature Nilson Semedo  and Kat Hausler.

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.

Leading with Sunday Times columnist Melanie Reid, Issue 21 is out now 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 Warwick,  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  230, 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.