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 Summer 2027 Moodboard

Summer 2027: Whorl

Spindle spinners, it’s your time to shine! This issue is focused on this seemingly simple yet vastly varied tool. We want to hear what you know about the different types of spindles and how to choose one for specific projects and fibers. Tell us all about the materials spindles are made from, how those materials impact the spindle, and how to make your own spindles.

What about the whorl itself? What exactly is a whorl, and how does it work? Does it matter where the whorl is on the spindle? Are some whorl types better suited for specific purposes than others? Do tapered whorl-less spindles function similarly to spindles with whorls? What are the differences between whorled and whorl-less spindles, scientifically and practically?

Let’s talk about spinning different fibers with spindles: What factors do you need to consider when spinning wool, cotton, silk, or flax? How important is fiber prep for spindle spinning and how can you manage the fiber supply so it doesn’t get in the way? What can you tell us about winding the cop?

How about plying? Do you need to use a different spindle for plying? What setup do you use? How do you keep track of and organize singles for a large project?

We could go on with questions about spindles as there’s so much to talk about, so don’t limit yourself to what we’ve written here. We want you to geek out about spindles and dig into the questions you have and want to explore!

Article and project proposals due by June 1, 2026.

You’ll hear back from us in July 2026.

Final articles, samples, and projects due by November 1, 2026.

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The last few mood boards are here:

Spring 2027: Blends

Winter 2026: Short Draw

Autumn 2026: Sericulture

Summer 2026: Purpose