Departure is a digital magazine that centres on travel, urban subculture, and the exploration
of cities.
We believe:
- That travel writing isn’t about hotel reviews, and city life can’t be encapsulated in a press release.
- That there is a need for an online medium that fuses the rigour of journalism with the dynamism of digital content.
- In creating an online space where words and honesty are valued over clickbait and circulation numbers.
1
If you’re a fellow creator, do send us your stories, photos and other works. We’re happy to accept new and unpublished writers: submissions@departuremag.com
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If you’d like to donate to our ‘feed-a-starving-writer’ fund, watch this space for our Patreon page.
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If you’d like to feel emotionally blackmailed by our editor, keep scrolling down.
An open letter
Dear reader,
I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking: This is the bit where they ask for money.
And yes, I’m not going to lie. That’s certainly part of it.
Departure is a startup. Our team works out of coffee shops and skate parks, bedrooms and hostels. Some of us have enough savings to focus on this full-time; most of us are juggling this endeavour with 8-5 jobs.
Departure is fuelled primarily by passion,
not by big investor dollars.
Unlike traditional media outlets – overly dependent on the advertising dollars of the very entities that they’re supposed to investigate – or ‘influencers’ – who’ll write endorsements for the first brand to gives them a freebie – we want to ensure that our writers tell you nothing but their honest opinions.
We want to make you laugh and ponder. We’d like you to argue with us, and explore new spaces with us. We want to do right by you.
Basically, what we’re saying is: will you marry us?
Just kidding. That escalated quickly, huh?
Joking aside, your contribution – whether in the form of editorial submissions, a marketing collaboration for your startup, a donation to our Patreon account, or just a heads up on a newsworthy happening – will help us in two essential ways.
Firstly, it will help us to grow: We believe that you want to read well-researched, engaging stories that will help you to explore the spaces that you live in and travel to. Meaningful contributions will help us to expand on the work of our editorial team.
Secondly, your contribution will help us to maintain our independence, and create a space of trust for both Departure readers and writers. If there’s one thing we want to ensure, it’s that no advertiser will ever be able to buy our editorial integrity, or our commitment to you.
Thank you for reading. Safe roads ahead.
Raphael Lim,
Editor (Storytellers)
Departure Magazine