Guidence for Submitting Content to the Editor
| Magazine Issue | *DEADLINE* for submitting content to the Editor | Date of magazine delivery/collection from WI HQ |
1. Autumn 2026 edition | Thurs, 17th SEPTEMBER 2026 | approx. mid-late October 2026… |
2. Winter 2026 edition | (asap before) Mon, 2nd NOVEMBER 2026 | approx. early December 2026… |
3. Spring 2027 edition | Tbc… | Tbc… |
4. Summer 2027 edition | Tbc… | Tbc… |
The Ulster Countrywoman is an eclectic, colourful visual showcase of our organisation, which allows its readers to immerse themselves in the wonderful world of WI. However, we can’t put the magazine together without the input of you, our magnificent members!
Each edition is made up of contributions from WI members across the province and we need your most polished creative content to continue to make a bright, bold and beautiful publication. Please keep sending in your fabulous photographs, articles and anecdotes, as well as any new ideas, to the Editor. To help you along the way, we have set out some gentle guidelines for members preparing articles for print…
The ‘Features’ form the main body of each magazine, with photographs and imaginative articles depicting all sorts of fun and frolics – snippets and snapshots of WI Life – and all the great things our groups get up to when members get together! The most active and interesting articles are selected for publication in each edition by the Editor. Our magazine is circulated amongst family, friends and further afield and we must showcase the most complimentary content to the wider public.
When submitting photographs to the Editor for consideration, please choose a select few of the very best, sharp, flattering photos of your group/members, maximum 2-4 photos per Institute, and include a short paragraph or caption to put each of your images in context. Instead of including many separate images of individual members (for example at an awards presentation), please gather your group together for 1 or 2 photos – and please always remember to ‘look at the birdie’, strike a pose and SMILE!
It is not necessary to attach a large number of photographs of one event, or send a link to a huge photo database – please be selective. Photographs should be emailed as individual attachments, in jpeg format. Please do not submit photo montages created with editing software or add any artwork to your images. Photographs may be cropped where appropriate. Also, please do not place photographs within Word documents. It helps the Editor if a small selection is attached as separate jpegs within the same email, along with a short blurb typed into the main body of that email, or text typed out and attached in a Word document (please do not send scans or photographs of text). There is no strict word count for the Features section, however, for general Institute articles approx. 100–200 words are sufficient. Other seasonal articles or summaries of Federation events may be a few hundred words. Depending on the volume of content received for each particular issue, a greater word count may be permitted for other topical features of interest at the Editor’s discretion.
Hundreds of emails and photographs are received each month, so please collate your information and send all together in one message with a clearly labelled subject line. An array of the most diverse, action-packed features and photos are selected for each magazine, in order to depict a variety of activities and the very best of what WI has to offer.
The main Features section of each issue also includes reports of Federation events throughout the WI calendar, topical/seasonal items, regular/long-running articles and advertising for WI competitions/events, as well as outside businesses who pay a fee to place an ad. Space is allocated for each of these elements, meaning WI articles are fitted in around these items. We are limited with space in each issue (usually approx. 44 pages) so a variety of the very best WI articles by members are chosen for publication. With 120+ Institutes and 21 WI Areas, there is a lot of ground to cover, so please do not be offended if your submission does not make the cut for a particular issue.
No suitable items are deleted, in fact everything is collated and saved on file for consideration for the next consecutive issue. The Editor is very grateful to receive such a vast array of content from the members – and please keep it coming! Articles and photographs submitted for the main ‘Features’ section that don’t make one magazine are catalogued to be considered for publication in the next consecutive issue, or a future issue. The most creative content will also appear sporadically on WI’s online outlets of social media.
Please do read your magazine and look at each issue for inspiration when submitting features, look at the type of articles and imagery that are published. You can also check out the WI’s official Facebook and Instagram pages, which show the most interesting snapshots of WI life.
Space is also allocated in the main ‘Features’ section of each magazine for original stories and poetry written by WI members, as these are judged annually for Federation Trophies, such as the Dorman Trophy (for best original article) and the Mourne Cup (for best poem)! These can be serious or light-hearted, fact or fiction, it doesn’t matter – simply let your imagination take flight and write from the heart! It is wonderful to be able to promote the creativity and talents of our members through this medium, so if you have an original piece of poetry or prose, or simply a fun piece of fiction or true-life tale that you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to email it directly to the Editor. Imagery optional.
While the magazine is a promotional tool for the WI, featuring news, articles, events and competitions, there is also room for a little bit of light-hearted loveliness! As production gets underway and the magazine takes shape, there will be some spaces left for random little ‘fillers’ – small, miscellaneous anecdotes that can fill a spot on page! This might include jokes, words of wisdom, poignant quotations, historical items of interest, inspirational artwork, puzzles, pictures – or anything weird, wacky and wonderful that might raise a smile and spread some positivity!
We also welcome any handy hints, tips or tricks that you’d like to share with your fellow readers, for example: cleaning, craft, clothing, hobbies, health, ‘hacks’ – anything topical of the moment, the choice is yours!
Sharp, high resolution digital images should be submitted via email to the Editor. The printer cannot work with low resolution hard copies of photographs. Please select the most sharp, clear and flattering photos of your members. If photographs have to be scanned in before emailing (i.e. vintage wedding anniversary photos) please ensure these are cropped and clear.
For each issue, a member’s photograph is selected to feature on the magazine’s front cover. Cover images must be in ‘portrait’ layout and of high resolution/sharp quality – at least 300 DPI. Once again, digital images via email please. Please think about how the ‘Ulster Countrywoman’ heading at the top of the front page will fit within your image without obscuring the subject matter. Cover photographs should be seasonal and striking – something eye-catching that will grab attention and make you want to pick up our magazine! Please look back through the archives of our previous covers for inspiration.
*And remember: Cover photographs are judged annually for the Quoile Trophy, awarded at the AGM for ‘The best photograph (captured by a WI member) to grace the cover page of the Ulster Countrywoman during the calendar year’ – so please don’t be shy and send in your snaps to be in with a chance of winning!
Some helpful photography advice on setting up the perfect shot on your smartphone can be read at the following link:
Photography Tips – ‘Smartphone Photography’
When submitting digital images of your members to be considered for publication in the magazine, please be aware that these images may also be considered for publication on our online platforms, including the WINI website, as well as the WI Facebook page and Instagram account.
The best photographs are selected to depict the variety of activities happening in WI and generally show our members having fun. These photographs are an instant means of promoting our organisation to a wider audience in the public domain, as well as globally online.
If you have a concern regarding privacy or copyright and would prefer that your images are reserved solely for publication within the magazine and not posted online, please state this when submitting items to the Editor.
The Editor works around a month or more in advance of the release of each issue. Content is curated throughout the month, with the deadline usually falling at the very beginning of the month, for delivery landing in time for Executive Day at the very end (the last Thursday). The deadline is the final cut-off date, to allow enough time for the collating, editing, designing, proofreading, production, print, packing and delivery of the magazine.
Please always aim to submit items well in advance of the deadline date where possible – as the sooner content is received, the better!
Items do not need to be stored up until each deadline, please assist the Editor by submitting articles earlier / on time. With Institutes meeting on various days throughout each month, some may miss a deadline, but do not fear – all suitable content is carried over to be considered for the next consecutive issue.
Upcoming magazine deadlines for the new WI season, September 2025 – Summer 2026, are published (above) here on our website (as well as under the ‘Events & Activities’ section) , with reminders posted on the WI Facebook page, as well as in each edition of the magazine. Please make yourself familiar with these dates and keep an eye on social media (Facebook) for any updates or changes to the schedule.
Between magazines, when time permits, the Editor will also sporadically share the most striking and suitable content on the WI’s official social media platforms (Facebook & Instagram) throughout the season.
🔗Check out the links below:
Upon publication and delivery, the magazine collection day will be confirmed and announced on the WI Facebook page.
(On delivery day, the magazines can take several hours to sort – so for those Institutes close to WI HQ who arrange to collect their own magazines, please telephone the office to double check that your bundle is ready for collection before making the trip. Please note that due to unforeseen circumstances, particularly during busy periods or holiday times, there may be slight changes or delays to the set schedule).
Please drop an email to: editor@wini.org.uk
Or telephone WI HQ on: (028) 90 301 506
The Women’s Institute is one of the largest inclusive social organisations for women in Northern Ireland.
WI members are everyday women of all ages and backgrounds involved in extraordinary activities from local campaigns to national issues. The WI gives women like you an opportunity to change the world around you.
The Federation of Women’s Institutes of
Northern Ireland
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