Not every contribution needs to be a formal article. Some of the most enjoyable items in The Ringing World begin with a photograph or a question.
Tell us about something your band has done. Share a personal experience, an achievement or a moment that made you laugh.
Please do not assume that something is too small to send. A short contribution might be about:
Please tell us, if possible:
It doesn’t need to be complicated. Clear facts and one or two interesting details give us something to work with.
Our Christmas cards and gifts are on sale now, including 2027 calendars and diaries, and other new products.
Email your material to the Editor and see your ringing story in The Ringing World.
Some guides:
100–500 words for a short item.
1,000 words and two pictures usually makes a page.
2,000 words is a standard feature article length.
Please send as separate attachments, don’t place in Word documents
Send as many options as possible
Tell us who took them and what’s going on
Get consent for any under-18s
Letters allow readers to respond to something we have published, raise a question, contribute information or express a view.
A letter should normally:
Please include your full name and contact details. Anonymous letters are not normally published, although we may exceptionally withhold a name where there is a good reason. This encourages healthy debate.
Letters may be shortened or edited for clarity. Where a letter makes serious claims about a person or organisation, we may seek evidence or offer those concerned an opportunity to respond before publication.
A letter isn’t normally more than 500 words. A long letter or substantial opinion piece may be better suited as an article. We may make this decision or you are welcome to ask which form would work best.
You may have a story that is less about an event and more about what ringing has meant to you. If you’re a learner, believe us: someone else is in your situation too!
We welcome accounts of:
You don’t need to offer a grand conclusion or universal lesson. Honest, specific experiences are often the most engaging.
We welcome accounts of ringing outings, tours, holidays and visits, but a list of towers and methods is rarely enough by itself.
Consider including:
A short, lively account of one memorable episode may be more effective than a complete diary of every stop.
There is no fixed length for a story. As a rough guide:
These are guides, not rules!
Ringing does not happen only during the minutes when the bells are sounding. We are interested in the communities formed around towers, handbell groups, associations, events and shared interests.
Stories might cover:
These contributions help record the culture of ringing as well as its formal activities.
You are welcome to send material that has appeared in an association newsletter, parish magazine, tower website or social-media post.
Please tell us where it has already appeared and who wrote and photographed it. We may need to check permission before reproducing or adapting it.
Material does not always need to be exclusive, but The Ringing World should not be offered somebody else’s work without their knowledge.
You do not need to submit perfectly polished copy. We may edit contributions for length, clarity, accuracy and house style, while preserving the substance and character of the story.
We cannot promise to publish everything we receive. Timing will depend on available space, the balance of an issue and whether a contribution is time-sensitive. Occasionally we may hold a story for a later issue or suggest a different format.
If your contribution is published, we will send you a complimentary copy of the issue.
