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Readers Write is a feature in The Sun where readers share their personal writing on a given topic—a unique fixture of the magazine since the section’s inception in 1978. Send us your true story on an upcoming topic, and if we publish it you’ll receive a complimentary one-year subscription.
Not sure what to write? See below for some prompts to spark an idea. Writing style isn’t as important as thoughtfulness and sincerity, and topics are intentionally broad to give room for expression and interpretation.
Read a sample Readers Write section here
Upcoming Topics |
Tents The musty waxed-canvas ones at summer camp. The lightweight tech-y sort you pack in when you’re mountaineering. The big white ones you string with café lights and flowers for a wedding reception. Leaky ones, the ones with a circus inside, the kind with a raccoon sniffing around outside the door, the kind where you can take the rain fly off and see a giant sky hung with stars. Pitch us your true stories about tents by August 1. |
Chores Did you—or your kids—grow up helping out around the house, the farm, or a family business? Do you dread cleaning day, or is it your form of meditation? Do you secretly love to file your taxes? Maybe the real chore for you isn’t vacuuming or laundry, but social obligations or keeping up with the news. Dust off your true stories about chores and send them to us by September 1. |
T-Shirts Remember that free one from summer camp that was more comfortable than any shirt you’ve owned since? Or the overpriced tie-dye you bought in the parking lot after the concert? Maybe you inherited your mom’s. Maybe your kids are now wearing your old favorites—and getting compliments on something so retro. Send us your true story about T-shirts by October 1, and we’ll see how well it fits. |
We consider English-language submissions from anywhere in the world.
We do not have a set word limit for Readers Write submissions. Most pieces that we publish come to us at around 300 to 1,000 words. But we have published some Readers Write pieces that are just a few sentences long, and we have edited some down from many pages.
We prefer manuscripts in any legible 12-point font with double-spaced paragraphs, page numbers in the footer, and 1-inch margins.
On page 1 please include the author’s name and the Readers Write topic.
While we appreciate careful proofreading, we don’t disqualify submissions for formatting inconsistencies or typos. Please don’t withdraw and resubmit just because you spot a mistake.
We consider submissions online via Submittable.
There is no fee to submit to Readers Write.
We do not consider submissions via email.
To submit by mail, send your typed or neatly handwritten manuscript to:
We cannot return mailed Readers Write manuscripts.
We notify writers of our decisions within six months of each topic deadline.
You can check the status of your online submission by logging in to Submittable.
Unfortunately we cannot track submissions that were mailed to us, and we are unable to answer questions regarding the status or receipt of mailed submissions.
You can withdraw your online submission from consideration via Submittable.
Complimentary one-year subscription.
We request one-time rights. All other rights revert to the author upon publication.
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