Write for PLY

Whether you’re a seasoned writer/designer or putting fingers to keyboard for the first time, we absolutely know you can write for PLY! We want real spinners, authentic voices, strong narratives, great stories, practical advice, passionate words.

Feel like you’re not the best writer in the world? We don’t care! It’s easy to help with writing, but it’s not easy to find somebody who knows what you know. We want your voice, your story, your spinning. We want you. That’s right, our goal is to get as many voices in this magazine as possible.

Feel like you don’t know enough about a particular topic? We still want you. While it’s true that some dense and heavy topics might require lots of knowledge and years of experience, we also have experimentation articles, learn as you go write-ups, spin it articles, spinner profiles, guild pieces, tip jar tips, etc. There is something for each and every spinner (to both read and write!).

Each issue has a theme and everything in the issue relates to that theme. The mood board (see below submission form for mood board) will explain the theme, give you some ideas of what we’re looking for, show you the color palette, and tell you the proposal due date and when you’ll hear a yes or no.

Won’t you write for us? We promise we’ll do everything we can to make it an easy and gratifying experience. Plus, it pays, and because we value the creative process, we only borrow the rights to your work. Twelve months after publication, the work reverts back to you and you’re free to do whatever you like with it.

Wanna be notified each time we put out a new call for submissions to PLY ? Sign up here for our contributor list!

View Autumn 2027 Moodboard

Autumn 2027: Luxury

What descriptions come to mind when you think of luxury and fiber? Extreme softness? Rarity? Exceptional warmth? Sleekness and luster? For our Autumn fiber issue, we want to hear about those fibers that come to mind when you imagine these characteristics, such as qiviut, cashmere, bison, yak, vicuña, Suri alpaca, angora, mink, camel, silk, and superfine Merino.

What do you know about these fiber animals? How are the animals raised, and how is the fiber gathered and processed? Where can handspinners find these fibers, especially the ones that are rare? How does the micron count of these fibers relate to their status as luxury fibers, and how is it measured?

Many of these fibers are short or fine, so tell us about the different ways to spin them and how much twist you recommend. What about making joins when spinning these short fibers or spinning for consistency? Should these fibers be blended with other fibers? Why might you want to blend them? What fibers can they be blended with, and how do you decide what and how much to include in the blend?

How do you finish yarns that contain these fibers, especially those that are more tender? What about their tendency to felt? How do you deal with the halo or bloom?

Luxury often means expensive, but we can experience luxury no matter our budget. Many of these fibers are considered luxurious because they are rare, but other less rare fibers can provide similar experiences. What are some economical ways to recreate the experience of working with luxury fibers? What readily accessible fibers provide a luxury experience? We can’t wait to dive into this world of luxury fiber with you.

Article and project proposals due by September 1, 2026.

You’ll hear back from us in October 2026.

Final articles, samples, and projects due by February 1, 2027.

—–

The last few mood boards are here:

Summer 2027: Whorl

Spring 2027: Blends

Winter 2026: Short Draw

Autumn 2026: Sericulture