Deadlines for 2026: January 5 – for March18 Easter drop date
April 20 – for July 14 Summer drop date
August 19 – for November 10 Thanksgiving/Christmas drop date
Know your Audience
Our readers are women, ages 18+, living at, or below the line of poverty. Some are single, many may be raising children, some may be married, most have experienced severe trauma more than once in their lives. (Read the following profile for added clarity.)
Most of our readers are receiving Reach UP because they are in crisis and affiliated with a program.
Typically, this demographic is not known for being readers, thus we edit to a third grade reading level. You can help us by working at communicating your ideas and concepts simply, yet engagingly. It’s important to keep in mind that while you cannot fling your three-and-five syllable words around, you are engaging with adults, not children, not colleagues and quite definitely, not potential donors.
As a writer, remember that Reach UP writers talk WITH our readers, not ABOUT the women. This is our hallmark of distinction. A good practice is to imagine one woman, or perhaps a class of marginalized women, sitting and listening to what you wish to convey.
Be careful to avoid slang, Christianese (common phrases and expressions that assume a basic church insiders’ knowledge like “God spoke to my heart”), and idioms. Not only is language ever-evolving, it also holds different meanings regionally, generationally as well as culturally. So added to the fact, that Reach UPis translated into Spanish, it is best to write using thought-out, simple words and phrases rather than rely on easy idioms and clichés.
Our audience responds to engaging illustrations, tips, short articles, and pictures whether graphics or photos. They respond to sincerity, practicality and inspiration. They especially respond to first-person stories that relate to their socio-economic world and living conditions.
Our readers do NOT respond to denigrating comments, statistics, complicated sentences, or subject matter that does not relate.
Technicals
Word count: From 350-530. This fills one page with enough white space for graphics.
Titles Capture Readers: Work on your title, but it may be revised by the Editor-in-Chief.
Pictures and Graphic ideas are always welcome. Graphics supplied by WORD are not suitable, except perhaps to demonstrate to our RU team what you are envisioning. True vector images from apps like Adobe, VectorStock work well. Photographs (must have permission if clients are in them) are okay if lighting is good and dpi is 300. (Screenshots do not work for print.) Logos most helpful if several options provided whether B/W, eps, jpeg, etc.
Please supply support information for your company/organization. Brief bios (at most 3 sentences) may be submitted.
Email Word doc to: crystal@reachupmag.org
Use WeTransfer.com for pics and graphics to: crystal@reachupmag.org
Your article will be edited by our Team. If you wish to see an initial, edited version of it, please indicate your desire in your email. However, Reach UP is not obligated to have you sign off on the final version. This offer is a courtesy and not an industry standard.
If you require assistance with writing your articles, submission for request should be at least two weeks prior to the deadline date.