The digital journal Headland, designed to open a potential global audience to emerging Kiwi writers, is hunting funds from the crowd.

Headland is gearing up to launch in September and wants to be a springboard for aspiring authors to publish their early works. At least 75 percent of each issue’s content will be produced by New Zealanders and writers are free to tackle any subject they like.

“We are setting out to establish an online home for literary acts of courage and create a journal that we ourselves would love to read,” say co-founders Liesl Nunns and Laura McNeur.

“We also believe that there are a lot of people with a story inside them who might not currently believe that they can share that story with the world. With Headland, we want to connect more writers with an audience, and inspire more audiences to write.”

Headland will publish short fiction and creative non-fiction using Amazon.com and wants to be approachable for all writers, regardless of their qualifications or previous work, the co-founders say, adding the issues will be short and frequent. Occasionally, they’ll be themed and led by a guest editor.

Every team member is a volunteer and the venture’s ultimate goal is to pay writers for their work. Its funding goal is $3000, using the Arts Foundation’s crowdfunding site Boosted.

Although it doesn’t pay for contributions, the Headland founders say it will be an advocate that promotes an author’s writing and asks for first publication rights.