Submission Guidelines
Works in Progress (WIP) is an independent news publication that works with organizers, academics, and community members to help create a better understanding of the world around us. We cover local, national, and international news through thoughtful reportage and analysis.
Our articles are sources from South Sound community members and connected people from around the world. We ground our reporting in our commitment to advancing economic, gender, and racial justice and encourage submissions to cover underreported issues from underrepresented perspectives.
Works in Progress situates itself within an ecosystem of social movements pushing for a more democratic society and is oriented towards empowering and galvanizing people to build power within their workplaces, households, and communities. If you are from an organization, movement, scene, or collective that would describe itself similarly, we highly encourage you to submit stories that are uniquely visible from your vantage point.
Contents of Articles
Works in Progress seeks submissions that offer original reporting on the forces changing our world, new perspectives on familiar narratives, and fresh arguments that reframe existing conversations. The best pitches make a strong case for their urgency, while emphasizing their context and lasting value beyond the moment they cover.
Pitches should lay out clear arguments and answer the questions: What are the stakes of this story and why is now the time to publish it?
Send us pitches for:
Short-form reporting of 500-1000 words that offers an easily digestible idea or story that is original and rigorously crafted.
Long-form reporting of 1000-1500 words that deeply investigates a topic or untangles connected stories.
Critical engagement in original reporting, ambitious investigations, and analysis on local matters of domestic and foreign policy.
Sharp, in-depth analysis of current events that makes substantive interventions in existing debates, or challenges the very terms of those debates.
High-quality reviews of literature, art, and culture that make an argument about the work. Review pitches should demonstrate why the work and its review is of critical importance to our audience.
Conversations/Interviews with or profiles of thinkers, doers, and makers that relate to other topics covered in the paper.
Analytical reports from the streets, the picket line, or other convergences related to our coverage.
What don’t we accept?
Articles that are contrary to our mission statement by reporting stories or making arguments in favor of the domination of one group by another.
Articles that are excessively sectarian or foment nonconstructive criticism of social movements, ideological currents, or organizations fighting for collective emancipation.
Articles that are longer than 2000 words.
Articles that fail to do either of the following. If you only do one that is fine:
Offer substantive and original reporting on an important story.
Offer an original piece of thinking that makes a strong case for its own importance.
How do I make a submission?
Send all submissions to submissions@olywip.org. We look forward to reading your work!
Our preferred file formats are: Word documents, Google documents, Proton drive, Cryptpad, etc. We do not accept PDFs. Subject line should read: Submission [month, author] and the body of the email should include the title as well as a one sentence summary of the piece.
For other ways to contribute or to get on our email list of contributors, fill out this form.
Reference for writers:
From Orwell’s essay “Politics and the English Language.”
A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that they write, will ask themself at least four questions, thus:
What am I trying to say?
What words will express it?
What image or idiom will make it clearer?
Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?
And they will probably ask themself two more:
Could I put it more shortly?
Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?
One can often be in doubt about the effect of a word or a phrase, and one needs rules that one can rely on when instinct fails. I think the following rules will cover most cases:
Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
Never use a long word where a short one will do.
If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
Never use the passive where you can use the active.
Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.