Submission Guidelines

We love to ignite ideas in our readers and help them pursue their creative callings. Do you have advice to share from your own experiences as a Christian storyteller? Study the guidelines below and consider sending us an article.

Statement of Faith

Story Embers is an organization devoted to glorifying God through exceptional literature. As Christians, we uphold the following truths:

• There is only one God who is omniscient, omnipotent, eternal, holy, and the creator of the universe (Neh. 9:6; Isa. 46:9–10; Jer. 10:10; Rom. 11:33; Rev. 15:4). He eternally exists as three distinct persons who equally share His nature: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:16–17, 28:19; John 14:16–26; 1 John 2:22–23).
• God’s Son, Jesus Christ, is both fully God and fully man. He became incarnated, lived a sinless life on earth, suffered and died on the cross for our sins, physically rose from the dead on the third day, and ascended into heaven 40 days later (John 1:14, 10:30–33; Acts 1:3; 1 Cor. 15:1–4; Phil. 2:5–11; Heb. 1:5–13).
• All men fall short of God’s glory and will receive His eternal wrath unless they repent of their sins and believe Christ atoned for them (John 14:6; Rom. 5:8–11, 10:9–10; Eph. 2:1–2; 1 Peter 1:3, 2:24). Salvation comes by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:4–9), and on the last day those who are saved will be physically raised to eternal life and bliss (John 6:38–40).
• Scripture is the infallible Word of God and the supreme standard by which all human teaching is to be tested (John 17:17; 1 John 4:1). It instructs us how to live in a manner pleasing to God (2 Tim. 3:16–17).

Format & Style

Please familiarize yourself with the content we publish prior to submitting. We’re looking for articles 1,000–3,000 words long that delve deeply into story craft or writing habits and follow this structure: introduction (containing the hook, the context, and the thesis), body (marked with appropriate headers), and conclusion (consisting of a reminder and a call to action).

All articles must be original, unpublished works. We don’t accept simultaneous submissions, so you need to wait until you hear from us before sending your article elsewhere. Our acquisitions editor usually reaches a decision within 2–4 weeks.

Type your article’s title at the top of the page with your name below it, skip a space, and begin your material. Use 12 pt. Times New Roman, left-align text, bold headings, and italicize words of emphasis. Do not indent paragraphs. Apply single spacing between sentences and double spacing between paragraphs.

Follow American spelling/grammar and carefully proofread your article before submitting. A few typos won’t automatically result in a rejection, but numerous mistakes display a lack of professionalism. We value quality writing, and the more polished your article is at all levels, the higher your chances of acceptance.

Articles that directly contradict our Statement of Faith or contain graphic violence, inappropriate sexual references, nudity, blasphemy, or profanity will instantly be rejected. If you are unsure whether your piece violates these standards, please send us a query.

Note that we no longer accept short stories or poems outside of our annual contests. You can find information about how and when to enter those on our contest homepage.

How to Submit

1. Label your file with the name you want printed as your byline and the title of your article (e.g., Rose Sheffler – How Boredom Can Make You a Better Writer). Pseudonyms are allowed as long as they’re not taken from a famous individual, ludicrous, or inappropriate.

2. All documents must be Microsoft Word files (if you don’t have access to that program, we recommend preparing your text in Google Docs and exporting to Word).

3. Provide a headshot and a bio (75–150 words) so that readers can connect with you via your website and/or social media. If you don’t enclose a photo and bio in your initial email, your article will be published without it.

4. Check your article once last time to make sure it abides by our guidelines and send it to submissions@storyembers.org.

Editorial Policy

Because Story Embers advocates excellence in writing, all accepted articles are subject to a comprehensive editing process that involves macro as well as micro changes to strengthen the structure and sentences. We retain the right to reject an article at any time during this process for any reason, including nonconformity to our guidelines or refusal to cooperate with our editorial staff. We edit each article for content, length, clarity, flow, style, and grammar/spelling, although we strive to maintain the author’s voice and intent. Our goal is to polish each article to reveal its underlying luster and ensure that the text is as clear and concise as possible to provide an optimal reading experience for our audience. When you submit to us, you consent to have your work refined at our discretion.

Publication Policy

All accepted material will be used by Story Embers under these terms:

• Once an article has passed review, expect up to a 4-month interval before it appears on the website. If more time than this has elapsed, feel free to contact us and we’ll check on the status of your submission.
• Contributors grant Story Embers exclusive use of their articles for 3 months after the publication date. At the end of the 3 months, contributors are free to reprint their articles elsewhere.
• Contributors bear full responsibility for their work. Although we respect the individual views of our writers, we don’t necessarily agree with the opinions expressed in every article we publish. Story Embers disclaims liability for any material we unknowingly publish that has been plagiarized, contains hidden objects, or negatively represents real people or places. If you believe we have published harmful or plagiarized content, please email your concerns to info@storyembers.org.