Writers' Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in writing for the Imagine magazine.

Imagine is the quarterly newsletter of Republic. It is produced in a full-colour format and includes news, comment and analysis, letters and much more. We are very keen to receive contributions from a range of writers and supporters. This guide has been written to help you submit an article or essay that we will be able to publish in Imagine.

Please read the guidelines below, and send all submissions to imagine@republic.org.uk.

Submission deadlines

Issue 1: February 1st

Issue 2: May 1st

Issue 3: August 1st

Issue 4: November 1st

Content guidelines

  1. Submission of an article does not guarantee publication, although we do try our best to include all submissions.
  2. For all full-length articles we require a portrait photo of the author (in jpg/jpeg format).
  3. All submissions must be made via email, using a PC-compatible format, (preferably MS Word, a text file or in the body of an email).
  4. Pictures, illustrations and photographs can be submitted with an article. The decision to include or crop any image rests with the editor. Please submit images as JPG/JPEG format.
  5. The decision to use an article rests with the editor, who may also choose to publish part of the article. All attempts will be made to seek the approval of the author before publishing if the article has been significantly cut.
  6. Articles should be limited to no more than 700 to 800 words. If you wish to submit a longer article please speak to the editor beforehand. Shorter articles have more chance of inclusion.
  7. The article must be directly relevant to the issue of republicanism, the monarchy or our campaign for its abolition. Articles about other issues (eg fox hunting, tax reform etc) will not be included. What we consider 'relevant' is however quite broad. An outline of the sorts of issues and topics we would like articles on is below.
  8. It would be preferred if the article is about contemporary issues, rather than historical matters.
  9. The tone of the article must be reasonable and the language must be moderate. We want passionate argument and strong criticism (where appropriate), but we don't want angry rants or overt aggression toward members of the Windsor family or their supporters. Our campaign is based on principles, not personalities.
  10. By submitting an article for publication you are granting copyright of the work to Republic. Republic reserves the right to reproduce any article used in Imagine in any other format or publication it sees fit, including on the Republic website.

Guide to relevant issues and topics

When writing articles you are free to take whatever stance you wish. We are seeking a range of opinion pieces and so you are not required to stick to any 'official line'. We are keen to give you as much freedom as possible in shaping your own work. The key is that the articles produced should provoke debate and discussion, and perhaps even persuade people of our cause.

Suggested topics

NB: This list is by no means exhaustive. It is intended to give you an idea of what sort of issues we are interested in discussing in the Imagine magazine.

Constitutional: Royal Prerogatives, Church of England, Written Constitution, Dissolution of Parliament, Appointment of Prime Minister, Fully elected Upper House, Abolition or reform of the Privy Council, Reform of the Commonwealth.

Ceremonial: State opening of Parliament, Queen's Speech.

Royal Family: Removal of FOI exemption, Freedom to debate monarchy in Parliament, Reform of royal finances & taxes, Monarch to be subject to the law in every sense, Open and publish all archived files relating to royals, Remove block on publication of wills.

Symbolic: Renaming of public bodies (e.g. HMRC, HMPS, Royal Mail, Royal Navy), Reform of the Honours system, Removal of monarch's head from coins and stamps, A new National Anthem, Change of text in Passports, Change of the country's name from 'United Kingdom', Oaths of allegiance to Queen abolished, Prosecutions no longer made in name of the crown, Removal of ban on Catholic monarchs, Abolition of honorary military ranks and medals, Repeal of the Treason Felony Act.

Land and property: Access to royal art collection, Open royal palaces, Abolition of Duchy's of Lancaster & Cornwall, "National Estates" to replace Crown Estates, Parliamentary Commission to determine what property belongs to royals, Remove ban on protests outside Buckingham Palace.

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