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Mslexia Publications Limited

Publishing a literary magazine and associated materials for women writers

PO BOX 656, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1PZ, +44 (0)191 204 8860

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About

Mslexia's purpose is to provide information, guidance and inspiration for published and unpublished women writers, and to help improve the quality and standing of women's writing in all literary spheres. Through its magazine, associated publications, competitions, events, website and wider online presence, Mslexia aims to be a showcase, platform and playground for its readers.

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International Priorities

We have no ongoing international partnerships, but we do have subscribers and readers in many countries outside the UK. Most of our overseas subscribers live in France, the US, Australia, India and Republic of Ireland.

Key Strengths

Mslexia is one of the foremost literary magazines in the UK with a wealth of experience running competitions, literary events and writing workshops. Women who are published in the magazine or who are finalists in our competitions are highly sought after by publishers and literary agents. Much of the content of the magazine, of our other publications, and our website, is applicable to women writers overseas. A major recent achievement is our guide to 400 independent literary magazines and book publishers in the UK and Republic of Ireland, Indie Presses 2016/17, which is a key publication for anyone overseas wanting to submit their writing and gain a reputation in this country.

Seeking Partnerships With

We would be interested in developing overseas franchises for Mslexia magazine. The price of postage from the UK is extremely high and makes an overseas subscription very expensive. We do produce a digital version of the magazine, but Mslexia is a high-quality boutique publication, so most of our subscribers prefer to collect physical copies. We would like to investigate the printing and distribution of a local versions of the magazine in other regions of the world.

We are also interested in running an online Festival of Women's Writing, that could include writers, writing organisations and publishers from overseas. This could include broadcasts of recorded or live literature events in other countries.

Purpose of Partnerships

Mslexia is a not-for-profit organisation that relies on income from sales of its publications, event tickets and competition entry fees. Our overarching aim is to foster women's writing and support women writers, but our activities must also pay for themselves – either through grant support or sales income of some kind.

For example, we would be happy to establish a mentoring scheme, pairing established UK authors with women writers overseas, and we can furnish specialist writing tutors to deliver workshops, but we have no funds to pay for such initiatives.

However, the new membership area of our website, Mslexia Max (launching later in 2016), is a place where women writers from all over the world can share their work and ideas in a supportive setting. Mslexia Max is also the perfect venue for an online Festival of Women's Writing (see above). Online collaborations are  something that can be achieved for relatively low cost and we'd be interested in exploring opportunities with overseas partners.