Writer's Tools - The URBANwell Magazine

Welcome!

You are interested in writing for URBANwell Magazine – that’s awesome! We created URBANwell Magazine for writers like you – wordsmiths who engage the depths of faith, culture and community.

Once you have completed this form and click the submit button, your application will be submitted to our editors. Your information will be reviewed and we will contact you with more information. Please understand our response times will vary based on our work and submission loads.

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Your Information
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Name
Name*
First Last
Address*
Street Address City State ZIP Code

Contact
Primary Phone*
Secondary Phone
Email*
Website

Advertising Interest
What UW Magazine(s) are you interested in?*
- URBANwell Magazine (Print)
- URBANwell Magazine (OnLine)
What Department(s) are you interested in submitting articles for?*
- Gatherings
- Perspectives
- The Well
- Roots
- The Square
Select Genre*
Brief BIO*
- Please subscribe me to the URBANwell Magazine Newsletter

Writers FAQs

What is URBANwell Magazine?

URBANwell Magazine is a full color magazine print publication that is published quarterly on the third week of February, May, August, and November. The magazine is direct mailed free of charge in Ellis County, Texas and beyond. It currently runs 36 pages, with a circulation reach of about 81,000+ and a roughly 70:30 editorial to advertising mix. In addition, we offer a digital experience including The Well, a reservoir of original articles written by urban folk like you.

Who publishes URBANwell Magazine?

In 2014, the founders of Q Ministry Project, Charles and Kristine Frame, were inspired to launch a magazine that reflected the unique character of Ellis County, Texas. As students of the Bible, Charles and Kristine turned to a particular story about a woman who met Jesus at the well. As a metaphor, “the well” seemed fitting for a faith-based hyperlocal magazine. After all, community wells serve the common good in everyday ways, even today.

What kind of voices and styles are you looking for?

We enjoy publishing well-crafted, story-driven articles about faith, culture and community that engage, enable and empower urban folk. We welcome all writing styles that are redemptive and restorative – from serious to light and reverent to irreverent (not foul but constructively critical).

What kind of articles are you looking for?

For our printed publication, we are mostly looking for articles that compliment our quarterly themes. Our editorial team prayerfully and intentionally selects each theme three months prior to our print deadline. Anyone is welcome to suggest and write the content as listed below, and if you have something else to offer that you think we might like, don’t hesitate to query us.

∆ Features (1500-2500 words)
∆ Spotlights & Interviews (600-1000 words)
∆ Columns & Reviews 300-800 words
∆ Bible Theology & Doctrinal Teaching (1000)
∆ Op-eds (500-1500 words)

For our digital platform, you are also welcome to craft posts that fit with our quarterly themes as well as any of the topics below.

FAITH
∆ Bible Engagement
∆ Science & Faith
∆ Theology

CULTURE
∆ Counseling
∆ Family
∆ Trending Topics
∆ Generations Q
∆ Health & Fitness
∆ Marriage
∆ Perspectives
∆ Opinion Editorials
∆ Relationships
∆ Roundtable Q

COMMUNITY
Profiles and Q&As with members of the following groups
∆ Art & Culture
∆ Business
∆ Church
∆ Education
∆ Entertainment
∆ Events
∆ Ministry
∆ Nonprofit
∆ Sports

Writer’s Submission Policy

Who can write for URBANwell Magazine?

We welcome submissions from writers currently living in, or who are from the Ellis County area. However, we will consider writers from other local areas outside of Ellis County on a case by case basis.

Submissions may be published to our print publication and/or our digital platform.
We have a small team, as such, we regret that it can take us a few weeks or longer to review your query/submission and get back to you. If you feel the subject is time-sensitive, email us at hello@urbanwellmag.org and we’ll try to respond ASAP (so you can resubmit it elsewhere).

Does URBANwell Magazine pay for content?

How do I submit an article to URBANwell Magazine?

We’ve created an online submission platform in WordPress. Here’s how it works:

∆ Enter your information at https://www.urbanwellmag.org/contact-us/become-a-writer/. Click next.
∆ Read and accepted the Terms & Conditions. Click submit.
∆ You will receive a registration confirmation email including your login credentials from our writer submission platform.
∆ You will receive a welcome email from our editors and help to post your first article.

What happens after I submit an article?

Once we accept your work for consideration/publication, our editors will get to work. Submitting an article indicates an agreement to work with our editors to create an article in our style and to our standards. Typically, we will edit for spelling and grammar or simply to make something you write, that may be unclear or confusing, a little more understandable. If we need major changes we will notify you. There may be back and forth process, usually inside our website writer platform or by email. You will be part of that process, as we see it as a collaboration with our writers to ensure we both are proud of the final work.

Will my article be published?

We do not guarantee that your submissions will be published. Our editorial staff will review all submissions; the writing quality of your submission, as well as the topic will help us assess your ability to write for us and determine if we will publish your submission or not. Whether or not we accept your idea, be assured that we appreciate your interest in the magazine and value your continued loyalty.

What are your rights as a publisher? What are my rights as a contributor?

If we accept your idea and publish the finished content in either our print magazine or our website and any of our other media/content platforms, you are giving Q Ministry Project and The URBANwell Magazine first North American serial rights in English to your story/article/column/feature/content and or media in all forms submitted, which includes electronic reproduction, plus the right to archive your content, re-print, as well as post it on our website(s) and social media accounts as we solely determine.

We assume all articles submitted are original and unpublished, and submitted exclusively to us. Whether your material is copyrighted or are Second Rights, upon submission to our platform you are authorizing us to publish it.

First rights: The article has never been published before in print or on the Internet.

Second rights: The article has previously been published, in print or on the Internet. A blog or similar piece that has been posted on the Internet is considered second rights.

We recognize and agree that you are able to do anything you desire with your “original” content, so long as it does not violate, interfere with or otherwise diminish our (Q Ministry Project and URBANwell magazines) rights to the content submitted. “Original” means as you originally submitted it – you can not reproduce our final published article with our added content/graphics/pics and elements without our prior written consent.

Writer’s Tips

Listen
For “as told to” stories, use a recording device to capture the interview with your subject. During the conversation, listen for details that will add life and color to your story. Please do not conduct interviews by e-mail.

Show, Don’t Tell
It’s all about the story. Appeal to the five senses through strong descriptive writing that offers examples, anecdotes and specific stories. Use colorful words and strong verbs to describe a person, place or thing.

Focus on the best Scenes
Don’t try to tell it all. Pick scenes that are relevant and develop those to the fullest.

Verb Usage
Pay attention to your verb usage. Use active verbs and refrain from repeatedly using being verbs (are, there are, am, is). Refrain from starting sentences with “There are… .”

Active Voice
Stay away from using the passive voice in your sentences (Instead of “The story was presented”—“The pastor presented the story”).

Quote Usage
Do not write with running quotes. A quote should be short and colorful, and should not include information you could paraphrase or convey in some other way.

Capitalize Pronouns for Deity
Our practice is to capitalize pronouns for deity (He, Him, His, Himself).

Endnotes
With rare exceptions, we do not use endnotes, so necessary citations should be worked into the body of the text (e.g., “In his book How to Train Koala Bears, John Smith argues . . .”).