Pen to Published
Welcome to the Pen to Published Contributor Info Hub. I’m so happy you’re here!
The next bundle is set for September 15, 2025, and everything you need to know about Pen to Published is outlined below.
Check it out, and if it feels aligned, please confirm your interest in being a contributor by filling out the interest form.
What is Pen to Published, exactly?
Think of Pen to Published as a resource roundup (aka “bundle”) with a philanthropic bonus. Participants will opt in with their name and email address to gain access to contributors’ lead magnets.
We’ll feature a collection of up to 30 resources from coaches, editors, consultants, and writers who serve writers and other creatives.
Pen to Published is designed to provide resources for writers at any stage of the writing process—from ideation, planning, and drafting, to pitching, publishing, and marketing.
For every new email subscriber who opts into Pen to Published, Unpolished Words will donate $1 to 826CHI, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skill and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.
If you’d like to contribute a resource to Pen to Published, please 45 seconds to complete the very simple interest form below. You are NOT required to submit materials with this form, so it’ll be super quick!
Who is the target audience for this collab?
Pen to Published is for writers at any stage of the book-planning and writing process—including publishing and marketing. My audience is largely writers of color and allies. They are creative, ambitious, and intentional, and they are always looking for ways to learn and express themselves.
If there’s something out there that will help them be more creative, finally get writing, or learn to better pitch and market themselves as authors, they want it.
Is it free to join?
Yes! I want this event to be accessible for any and every aligned person serving writers and creatives regardless of their financial situation.
We also want to collectively elevate every contributor with exposure to our shared audiences, which is why we don’t charge contributors and why every resources inside Pen to Published is free to folks who opt in.
Please note that while Pen to Published is 100% free for subscribers and contributors alike, Unpolished Words will donate $1 for up to 2,000 new opt-ins.
What’s the promo commitment?
The promotional period for Pen to Published runs from September 15, 2025 through October 15, 2025.
I will provide you with swipe copy to easily promote the collab to your email list.
All 30 contributors will collectively agree to send at least one solo email during the promotion period to their entire email lists to promote Pen to Published.
There are no email list or audience size requirements to join, but I do ask that writers and/or creatives make up a large segment of your audience.
How does it work?
All Pen to Published promo efforts will lead to a landing page that requests the recipient’s name and email address.
After opting in, folks will access the Pen to Published resource page with images and 50 word descriptions of each contributor’s resource.
Each item will also feature an orange button to click that will lead to the free resource’s opt-in page. Folks can elect to input their information to access each individual free resource and join your (the contributor’s) email list.
Due to privacy laws, you will not have access to the full list of folks who opt in to the whole bundle. But you will have the email addresses of everyone who signs up for your particular freebie from your specific opt-in page.
This form doesn’t require any real work on your end. I’ll collect info about your freebie later. Instead, this form is just to help me get contributors confirmed. It’ll take less than a minute to complete.
What’s in it for Contributors?
Philanthropy: For every new email subscriber (up to 2,000) who opts in to Pen to Published, Unpolished Words will donate $1 to 826CHI. It’s a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides free, high-quality creative writing programs for Chicago students.
List Growth: My goal is to help you attract more subscribers to your email list. With exposure to a collective audience of over 25k writers and creatives, you should see a nice boost in list growth during the event.
Quick Summary
Limited to 30 contributors
Cost to contribute: $0
Each contributor must promote the event to their full list ONCE between September 15 and October 15, 2025.
Contributors are encouraged to contribute a high-value freebie. The juicier your free gift, the more subscribers you can expect.
Once your Contributor Info Submission is received, I’ll be in touch with you regarding next steps.
If you have any questions in the meantime, please email me at sabrina@unpolishedwords.com
I can’t wait to collaborate with you!