About Write

Our editors are interested in thoughtful craft essays on writing by emerging and experienced OCWW writers of all genres. At this time, we are looking for pieces that fall into one of these five categories:

• What I Learned—How you applied a lesson from an OCWW presentation or an outside conference or seminar..

• Interviews—Interview a writer, publisher, agent, bookseller, or another OCWW member on their craft.

• Craft—Explore a specific writing craft issue and dive deep into the nitty-gritty of how you do the work, how language works, and more..

• Writing Resources—Review a writing craft book, literary magazine, craft magazine, blog, etc. OR an explanation of how you use writing tools you like (manual or digital).

• Professional Practices—Information related to the business of writing (e.g., agents, publishing, book marketing, submitting, social media presence, etc.).

• Pitch us!—Writing-related, but outside our other defined categories.

Submission Requirements

To submit, you must be a current member of OCWW. Original pieces only, please. You retain full rights to your writing and may submit it elsewhere after publication on About Write. We request a link or reference to the initial post on our site. A.I. writing is not welcome. Word count: 1,000-2,000 words.

Please submit a Word Document with the following formatting:

• Word count: 1,000-2,000 words

• 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced

• One-inch margins

• Page numbers

• Include this information on the first page: 

• • Your full name
  • Title of your piece
  • Word count 
  • Email
  • Date of submission

How to submit

Send submissions and queries to: About-Write-Submissions@ocww.info

Subject Line: Submission: Your Last Name and Title of Article

Attach as separate files:

What to expect

The About Write editorial committee will respond to submissions and queries typically within one week of receipt. We will edit your article for clarity and style, and may contact you with questions or suggestions for more extensive revision. If your piece is not fit for publication on About Write, we will explain that decision.

Why should you submit? 

This is a space for OCWW members to share ideas and thoughts on writing. While we do not offer payment for submissions, we provide our contributors experience in the submission and publication process, and a wonderful publishing credit to add to your portfolio, website, and social media.

Read for Reference

Below are some of our most popular essays over the years: 

• Ruta Sepetys On Historical YA Fiction​​  (Interview)
• Scrivener: What I Like and How to Use It  (Writing resources)
• Back to Writing: Finding a Way After Traumatic Brain Injury  (Pitched)
• The Economies of Publishing and Agent Querying: Know Thy Shelf  (Professional practices)
• Writing Inspiration from Lyrics to Stories  (Craft)
• My First Writing Retreat: A Writer’s Journey at Fishtrap  (What I learned)