The Western is dedicated to Western Sydney people and culture, publishing works from writers near and far. More specifically, we aim to platform bold, radical, and incisive writing that brings a strong presence to our platform’s new creative direction; works that spotlight provocative ideas and offer new perspectives to both current and future readers.
We accept pieces that follow at least one of the following criteria:
- The piece is about a Western Sydney platform/work/personality
- The writer is living/based in Western Sydney
- The piece reflects topics or narratives related to Western Sydney
Pitches
Pitches for The Western are currently closed. Please keep an eye out on our Instagram, Facebook, and newsletter for future announcements on our next pitch rounds.
Pitches are submitted via Jotform. Unsolicited pitches will not be considered for publication.
Before pitching…
We highly recommend workshopping and revising your pitch in your own time before hitting “submit.” We want to make sure your pitch is at its fullest potential, and that you’re bringing your best ideas to the table!
We also recommend reading our Pitch Guide for a comprehensive view on what we look for in our pitches, alongside additional resources and info on the genres of writing we publish. This is especially helpful to anyone who has never pitched a work before, or are unsure about what to write.
If you have any questions or need further assistance with your pitch, please reach out to us at the.wstrn(@)gmail(dot)com. Good luck!
What we publish
We are interested in publishing:
- Features, essays and commentaries
- Reviews/criticism of art, film, music and more
- Interviews with artists, creatives and businesses
- Memoirs and personal essays
We unfortunately do not have the capacity to accept short stories, fiction, poetry, visual art, or audio-visual works. However, our guidelines are subject to change over time, so please keep an eye out for any new opportunities that may arise!
We are open to all writers of experience. Emerging and/or unpublished writers will be taken into higher consideration, and are strongly encouraged to pitch.
As a volunteer-run online magazine, please understand that we do not have the funds to pay our writers. We organise The Western purely out of our own passion for writing, and aim to offer as much moral and editorial support in every step of the process.
What we don’t publish
The following are a hard no for us: listicles, clickbait, sponsored content or advertorials, entertainment news, event promotion (or “What’s on” listings), gossip, infotainment.
