Important Update: Closing Doors

Summary

PW News is announcing the closure of their platform due to the editor-in-chief's health issues, with the service ending on June 30th and a final newsletter set for July 1st.

Abstract

Pens and Words (PW) News has shared the unfortunate news that they will be ceasing operations at the end of June. The decision was made after months of consideration, with the primary reason being the declining health of the editor-in-chief, Ravyne Hawke. The platform will no longer accept submissions, and while the site will be archived, writers will be removed as contributors to prevent new content from being added. The last newsletter will announce the winner of the latest writing challenge and provide resources for writers to submit their work elsewhere. Hawke expressed hope that PW might reopen in a different format in the future, focusing on writing prompts rather than publishing content. The editor-in-chief extended heartfelt thanks to the writers, readers, and editorial staff for their contributions to PW's success.

Opinions

The editor-in-chief, Ravyne Hawke, has been struggling with health issues that have significantly impacted their ability to manage PW effectively.
Despite attempts to adjust work schedules and take breaks, these measures have been insufficient to address the health concerns.
Hawke feels a responsibility to the PW community and acknowledges that their reduced participation has not been fair to the writers and editorial team.
The decision to archive rather than delete PW is driven by the hope of reopening in a revised format should health improve, preserving the possibility of continuity.
There is an expressed desire to maintain the value of the platform for its writers by providing them with alternative venues for their work.
Hawke holds deep gratitude for the PW community, praising the creativity of the writers, the support of the readers, and the dedication of the editorial staff.

Sad news edition

Greetings PW writers and readers. I was going to wait to make this announcement in the last newsletter for June, but I believe it is important to not spring this information on you at the last moment.

It is with a heavy heart that I must announce that PW will be closing at the end of June.

This is not a decision taken lightly. It has been birthed over many months of deep contemplation. I won’t go into all of the small, intricate details for this decision, but there is one main reason — my health is at a detrimental point, both physically and mentally. I’ve tried altering my work schedule times and even taken a few short breaks, but none of that has truly helped. They’ve just been bandaids on a gaping wound. My lack of participation has not been fair to you nor to my editorial team.

Here is how this will work:

I have already closed Submissions.

The last newsletter will come out sometime on July 1st, as will the announcement of the winner for the latest writing challenge.

I will be archiving PW. This means that your work can remain here if you’d like. Or, you may remove your work from PW. That is entirely up to you.

Since Medium doesn’t have a means to archive, only to delete, I will be removing everyone as writers on June 30th. This means your work will remain here, but you will no longer be able to submit new work.

In the last newsletter, there will be a list of other publications where you can submit your work in the future, as well as where to find writing prompts.

Why Archive And Not Delete?

It is my hopes that if/when my health improves, I will be able to re-open PW, but restructured. If I totally delete it, I would have to start from scratch all over again. If and when I do open PW again, it will only be a place to grab prompts. I won’t be adding writers or publishing content.

I want to thank all the writers who made PW such a great success. You have dazzled me over these past nine months with your amazing, creative minds. I also want to thank those who came to PW as readers. And finally, I want to thank my awesome editorial staff. My gratitude to all of you is more than mere words could ever describe.

Much love Ravyne Hawke, EIC

PW NEWS

Important Update: Closing Doors

Sad news edition

Here is how this will work:

Why Archive And Not Delete?