Weelunk is a nonprofit online magazine that shares Wheeling’s story. It’s created by the community, for the community. Weelunk is made up of a variety of community writers, all with their own perspectives. If you’d like to share your perspective, here’s how to get it published on Weelunk.
Not looking to become a writer, but want to submit an idea? Click here to send us your story idea.
Our Purpose
Weelunk’s purpose is to provide a space for conversation about the history and culture of the Ohio Valley. By sharing stories about our heritage, culture, and community, we hope to inform and inspire our residents to be a part of the revitalization happening in Wheeling.
Our Content
We tell stories that represent the diverse voices of Wheeling. Our work underscores the culture, history and positive things happening in Wheeling. Sharing Wheeling’s story means facilitating a dialogue between many individuals whose diverse experiences together create the collective whole that is Wheeling.
Our Tone
Our stories are for everyone. Our tone is approachable, open-minded and positive.
What Kind of Articles Do We Publish?
Stories that fit within the following themes:
Community
Stories that are about what’s happening around us. That might be a story on local traditions, an interview with developers of a long-vacant structure, or a feature on someone who’s working to make our community a better place.
Essays
An essay should be your first-person experience that relates to the community, like a community member’s experience at a protest in Wheeling or how a local mother is experiencing life with her children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
History
We love stories that provide context to the history that’s around us — for example, a piece on a long-time social organization or a feature on how a polio survivor compares that pandemic to COVID-19.
Multimedia
We are open to submissions that aren’t text-based. Examples of these are an idea for a quiz, a photo essay or something else!
What We Don’t Publish
While we want Weelunk to be a place for conversation, there are certain topics we don’t cover:
• Politics. We want Weelunk to be a welcoming place, and we don’t want to isolate people in our community by publishing political perspectives.
• General or breaking news. That’s for the local news to cover. Instead, we look for the community angle, like how something in the news affects our community.
• Complaints. Weelunk isn’t anyone’s personal soapbox or platform. We encourage thoughts and ideas, but we’re all about the positive aspects of Wheeling.
Content Guidelines
• The content should be an original piece that you own the rights to and not something you’ve had published somewhere else.
• Content should generally follow AP Style guidelines. If this is new to you, we’ll help you with this.
• You should fact-check your work and be prepared to provide sources.
• You should try to provide at least three photos with your article, and one should be horizontal. Make sure to use high-resolution images, provide credit to the photographer, and do not use copyrighted images.
• Submission does not guarantee we’ll run your piece.
FAQ
How long should my piece be?
We typically ask for 600 to 1,500 words. Listicles or pieces with lots of photos might be much shorter.
Do I get paid for writing for Weelunk?
Yes! Weelunk pays for each story, at a rate competitive with other online publications.
What if I have more questions?
Reach out to us at weelunk@weelunk.com.
Contact Us Below
Now that you know all about writing for Weelunk, fill out the form below to get in contact with us! If you have a story idea in mind, feel free to include it as well.