Submit a Story!
Deadline Extended to March 31!
We are looking for excellent writers, both published and as yet unpublished, who want to participate in an important 365-day devotional project being compiled for a major Christian publisher. We hope you will consider submitting a story, or several stories, for consideration.
This devotional is part of a popular annual devotional series--one of the top brands in the Christian market. Your successful participation will, therefore, offer you visibility to some of the primary editors in the industry, as well as building your name recognition among thousands of readers.
Please be aware that we will not be able to use all the stories submitted. If your story (or stories) is chosen for inclusion in the devotional, you will be notified by email after the publisher has approved the stories submitted, which will likely be sometime in the fall of 2010.
Following are the details of this project and how you may participate with us. Please note that submissions that do not conform to the following criteria cannot be considered, due to time constraints.
Submission Deadline: February 15, 2010, or sooner, if possible
Story Length: Minimum 275 words; maximum 325 words, including the title you create, your name, a short opening scripture verse, and a short closing prayer. Each devotional must fit on one book page, thus the short length requirement. Submissions that are too long cannot be considered.
Story Requirements: This devotional project is based on humor. Therefore, each story must be funny. We are looking for true stories, preferably told in the first-person, that are funny and also make a spiritual point. Please see the sample on the following page by clicking the link at the bottom of this page. The reader should be able to "get" the spiritual point from the story itself, rather than having to include an actual statement of the point at the end. The scripture at the beginning and the prayer at the end should also focus on the spiritual point of the story.
Bible Version: Please use the New Living Testament (not The Living Bible) for all scripture references. No permission is required.
Editorial Style: Please follow the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition (University of Chicago Press: Chicago 2003).
Submission Format:
1. Please send each submission in Microsoft Word ".doc" format as an attachment to your email (not within the email).
2. Preferred font: Times New Roman in 12-point size
3. Please create a meaningful or catchy title in bold for each story and place it flush left on the page, as shown in the sample.
4. Your name should appear flush left under the title of the story.
5. Single-space each submission. Do not put extra spaces between paragraphs of the story itself.
6. Please use only one space after a period or closing punctuation, not two.
7. Do not use ALL CAPS for any reason.
8. Use bold type only for the title and nowhere else.
9. Please put the scripture and the prayer in regular Roman type, not italics.
10. Please check the spelling in your submission electronically before sending it.
11. The first paragraph of the text of the story should be flush left. All other paragraphs should be indented seven spaces.
12. Your name, email address, mailing address, and phone number should appear at the bottom of each submission so that we may contact you when your submission is chosen. Please do not imbed this; just put it on the face of the document.
Editing: We reserve the right to lightly edit submissions chosen for inclusion to ensure consistency of style and formatting throughout the devotional.
Payment: A flat fee of $20 will be paid to writers whose stories are chosen for inclusion in the devotional. Due to the need for 365 stories, no other payment options are available; please don't ask.
Rights: Following are the rights required by the publisher for stories submitted for inclusion in this devotional:
- The right to print the submitted story in their 365-day devotional, as described above, for the life of the product or its derivatives.
- You will be asked not to submit this same story to another devotional
book publication, since that is considered direct competition.
"Devotional book publication" is defined as a book designed to be used
in daily or weekly devotions by the reader.
- All digital rights, since this book will also be published as an ebook. That means you may not publish the story elsewhere online or in any kind of electronic, searchable database.
- However, you may publish your story in other media, such as magazines, newspapers, or as part of a fiction or non-fiction trade book.
These rights will be spelled out in the agreement you receive from our permissions editor when your story is finally chosen for the devotional.
Submission Address and Subject Line:
Please email your submission to "ACreativeShop@aol.com" with this subject line: Devotional Story Submission.
