29 Places to Submit Short Christian Fiction

Paid and not paid places to share your stories.

You might be surprised that there are places looking for short stories with Christian content or themes. You can submit short stories for the practice, a little extra cash, or to get your name out there as you build your writing platform. Whatever your motive, there are options.!

Here is an extensive list of paid and non-paid opportunities to submit Christian fiction to literary journals, magazines, websites, and apps. But be sure to check all the requirements on the individual sites before you submit, because they might have changed since I wrote the summary.

Here are 29 places that want you to submit to them.

Understanding this List

To get the most out of the list, there are some key terms you need to understand.

Paying vs. Not Paying Gigs

As a Christian, money should not be everything--getting paid should not be the primary motivating factor for your writing. Even if it is your motivating factor, a strategy that consists of only sending your work out to blogs and publications that pay is not going to get you a living wage. However, for your convenience, I have divided the gigs into “Paying Gigs” and “Not Paying Gigs.” Some of the “Not Paying Gigs” might surprise you and pay something—they only fall into this category because their website does not say one way or another. All payment amounts are in US Dollars (USD) unless otherwise noted.

Do not dismiss the gigs that do not pay. As already mentioned, there are lots of reasons to write for other publications. If you prioritize submitting to publications that you can bring value to, you are more likely to get accepted and more likely to get a raving response from their audience.

Simultaneous submission

Submitting the same exact piece to multiple locations. If a publication DOES NOT accept simultaneous submissions, then they want to be the only one to receive your writing. This is often done to save them the effort of reading it and reviewing it, only for you to say, “Sorry, I’m going with someone else.” If a publication DOES accept simultaneous submissions, or if they don’t say one way or the other, then they do not care a bit if you shop around your article (but it is nice to tell them if you go another way).

Query

Many publications ask you to submit a query (or pitch or abstract) instead of the full manuscript. A query summarizes what you are going to talk about from beginning, middle, to end. It might also describe why you are an expert on the topic or why you are writing it. Queries save you and the publisher’s time. Publishers can make snap judgements on if the content and you as an author are a right fit without wading through a long article. You benefit by not spending the time writing an article they don’t even want.

Reprint

A reprint is an article, story, or poem that has appeared in another publication. Generally, publications prefer to not print reprints—especially online. If you posted an article on your blog, and now you want it to appear on theirs, they may not go for that because search engines could penalize both sites for having duplicated content. Other times, their reasoning is to keep their content fresh and original. Each place is different in how they handle reprints.

Happy submitting!

Paying Gigs

Brio

Focus on the Family’s Brio is a 40-page magazine for girls 13-16 which includes inspiration, fashion advice, in-depth celebrity profiles, and Biblical insight. They will accept fiction centering around teen girls that can help  them with their spiritual, relational, and mental health. Brio will pay $0.25 per word.

Learn more: https://media.focusonthefamily.com/brio/pdf/brio-writers-guidelines-2019.pdf

Cadet Quest

The magazine Cadet Quest is published by the Calvinist Cadet Corps for boys ages 9-14. They accept exciting fiction centered around adventure, sports, or humor, but they ask that you align your submission with the issues’ particular themes. Additionally, they’ll take your jokes, puzzles, and projects. Cadet Quest typically offers $0.05 per word and up.

Learn more: www.calvinistcadets.org/wp-content/uploads/Quest-Guidelines.pdf

Clubhouse

Focus on the Family’s magazine Clubhouse teaches Christian values to and entertains ages 8 to 12. They accept a variety of fiction stories like contemporary stories with a multicultural setting, humor-with-a-point stories, fantasy, science fiction, or choose-your-own adventures. Clubhouse isn’t looking for preachy stories or anything where adults solve all the problems. This publication pays about $0.15 to $0.25 per word (on the low end if it requires lots of editing). No reprints or simultaneous submissions. All submissions must be mailed in.

Learn more: www.focusonthefamily.com/clubhouse-magazine/about/submission-guidelines

Clubhouse Jr.

Focus on the Family’s magazine Clubhouse Jr. teaches Christian values and entertains ages 3 to 7. They accept fiction written at an age-appropriate level. For fiction, they are looking for charming and witty stories in contemporary multi-cultural settings, choose-your-own adventures, and humor-with-a-point. Clubhouse Jr. also accepts creative but accurate retellings of Bible stories. They pay between $0.15 to $0.25 per word. No reprints or simultaneous submissions. All submissions must be mailed in.

Learn more: www.focusonthefamily.com/clubhouse-jr-magazine/about/submission-guidelines

Creation Illustrated

Creation Illustrated is a quarterly nature magazine with no denominational attachments. Their goal is to show how nature “illustrates” godly character qualities. The magazine accepts submissions of children’s stories that include nature or animals and a moral lesson for kids ages 6–12. They prefer you submit a query rather than a full story. It pays $75.

Learn more: www.creationillustrated.com/writer-and-photo-guidelines

Dappled Things

The Catholic literary journal Dappled Things celebrates the intersections of faith and the arts. Dappled Things is looking for short stories, flash fiction, and dramas. While they don’t require your submission to be overtly religious, they do want submissions that engage with Catholic virtues or philosophy. They occasionally have short story contests that offer prize money.

Learn more: www.dappledthings.org/submissions

Greater Sum

The journal of faith and prose Greater Sum likes submitted work that “challenges assumptions, opens up new ideas, asks questions, and pushes beyond the status quo.” Faith could be a theme, or the author could be a person of faith—the way faith and art interact is up to you to interpret. Unpublished fiction and narrative nonfiction are both accepted. For each accepted submission, they pay an unspecified “small honorarium.”

Learn more: www.agreatersum.com/submit

Image

The Image journal uniquely creates a conversation between contemporary art and literature and Western religious traditions, such as Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. According to their site, it is a leading English literary journal. You can submit fiction or poetry dealing in some way with the topics the journal is interested in. While it appears you pay a small fee for submitting, they pay $25 per page of accepted prose.

Learn more: www.imagejournal.org/journal/submit

Keys for Kids

Keys for Kids desires stories with a Scriptural base and practical application for use in print and audio on their site and app. Submissions should be from the third-person point of view and in a contemporary setting. The story should be targeted at kids ages 6–12, but they don’t want you to shy away from real issues kids face. They will pay $30 flat for accepted stories (around 350 words), retaining all rights.

Learn more: www.keysforkids.org/WritersGuidelines

LIVE

Published by the Assemblies of God, LIVE is described as “a take-home story paper distributed weekly in adult Sunday School classes.” They publish true stories (or based on a true story), fiction, short humor, and poetry. Stories should be action-packed where characters use Biblical principles to solve problems. Payment is $0.10 per word or $35 to $60 for poetry.

Learn more: www.gospelpublishing.com/store/startcat.cfm?cat=tWRITGUID

Mysterion

Unique among Christian magazines, Mysterion publishes speculative fiction that engages with Christianity. They are interested in science fiction, fantasy, horror, or stories dealing with Christian mysticism, up to 9,000 words. Mysterion doesn’t want preachy stories, and they don’t even need your story to be expressly pro-Christian—they are looking for interesting tales with Christian themes, Christian characters, or Christian supernatural elements. Accepted stories will pay out $0.06 a word for originals, and $0.03 a word for reprints. No simultaneous submissions are accepted.

Learn more: www.mysteriononline.com/p/submission-guidelines.html

Nature Friends

Nature Friends publishes content about nature, the universe, and wild animals to kids ages 6–14. They accept stories about people interacting with nature and animal stories (but not the “talking animal” kind—just creative narration of their activity). Their guidelines are extensive, so read up to assure acceptance. Every year, they have one issue with only reader-submitted pieces, but they will publish freelance stories throughout the year. Nature Friends pays $0.05 per word for first rights and $0.03 per word for reprint rights.

Learn more: www.naturefriendmagazine.com/contributors/writers-guide-for-freelance-writers

Ruminate

Ruminate is an award-wining contemplative literary arts magazine that encourages and inspires readers in their spiritual and creative lives. They have various contests that come and go, and they accept submissions for flash fiction and short stories that “embraces curiosity and discovery rather than resolution.” Fiction works should not be previously published. Their guidelines state an interest in work from BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other historically marginalized groups. Ruminate pays $20 per 400 words along with a free contributor’s copy. There are submission fees.

Learn more: www.ruminatemagazine.com/pages/submit

St. Anthony Messenger

St. Anthony Messenger, a Roman Catholic magazine, is published by Franciscan monks in Ohio. You can send a 2,000- to 2,500-word story, keeping in mind that their readership typically consists of families and women between 40-70 years old. They will pay $0.20 per word. Reprints of simultaneous submissions are not accepted.

Learn more: www.franciscanmedia.org/writers-guide

The War Cry

Salvation Army publishes The War Cry which “looks to bring people to Christ, help believers grow in faith and character, and promotes redemptive cultural practices” from their ministry perspective. They accept only limited submissions of fiction and eve single strip comics but don’t give any details. They pay $0.35 per word for first time articles and $0.15 per word for reprints.

Learn more: www.thewarcry.org/submission-guidelines

Unlocked

Unlocked is a quarterly devotional for teens produced by Keys for Kids, which features daily Gospel-centered fiction and poetry. They ask that the piece centers around a particular Bible verse and discussion questions are included. Their preference is that stories are allegorical, mainly sci-fi and fantasy. The devotions are put online and on their app, and they are also recorded as audio stories. Fiction should be 200–350 words. Any author 13 years old and up can submit, earning $30 for each accepted piece. Simultaneous or previously published submissions are not accepted.

Learn more: www.unlocked.org/contribute

Not Paying Gigs

Agape Review

This new literary journal accepts previously unpublished submissions of fiction (1000–3500 words), flash fiction (less than 950 words), and poetry. Everything submitted must be “Christian-themed”, which they let the submitted interpret. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. This site will include links in your bio but does not pay (they call themselves a “zero-profit” organization).

Learn more: www.agapereview.com/submissions

Calla Press

Calla Press publishes prose, poetry, flash fiction, and creative non-fiction. Work submitted does not need to be explicitly Christian but should be appropriate for a Christian audience. They publish once a year and offer no payment.

Learn more: www.callapress.com/callapress-com-whatwepublish

Christian Writers

Christian Writers is an internet community formed around Christian publishing, writing, and reading, but they welcome filmmakers, artists, and other creative professionals into their community as well. They accept online submissions of short stories, devotionals, or informational articles. Most of these have Christian themes and elements, but there are no specific guidelines on what to submit.

Learn more: www.christianwriters.com/info-support/submissions-formatting-r2

Crux

The literary magazine Crux wants to share people’s stories. The magazine is not exclusively Christian, but it includes a distinct Christian influence. Each issue has a specific theme you must incorporate in your writing. During certain times, they accept submissions for short stories as well as personal essays and poetry. Unfortunately, Crux does not offer compensation.

Learn more: www.cruxmagazine.org/submissions

Heart of Flesh

The online and print Heart of Flesh literary magazine seeks submissions of short stories, poetry, and flash fiction with Christian themes. Works do not need to be explicitly Christian nor overly clean but should reflect common Christian virtues and a light at the end of the tunnel. Short stories should be 4,000 words max. Simultaneous submissions are welcome. They do not offer payment or even a print contributor copy (only a PDF copy).

Learn more: www.heartoffleshlit.com/submission-guidelines

Labyrinthine Passages

The online Christian triannual literary journal Labyrinthine Passages wants “to explore the nature of humankind under God.” They accept stories with raw emotions and poetry that inspires and will accept reprints if you let them know they are such. Labyrinthine Passages is offered free online and does not pay contributors.

Learn more: www.labyrinthinepassages.weebly.com/submissions.html

Letters Journal

The annually published Letters Journal accepts poetry, fiction, and nonfiction (including memoirs and essays) that creatively expresses religion, spirituality, and belief that connects faith to contemporary art. The journal is published by students in the Yale Institute for Sacred Music and Yale Divinity School. No payment is offered. No previously published material is accepted.

Learn more: www.lettersjournal.com/submit

Relief

The annual print journal Relief publishes fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and graphic narratives. This journal seeks to embrace the “troublesome and complex dimensions of our lives” and faith in imaginative ways. Fiction stories should not exceed 8,000 words, and you can submit up to three stories at a time. To submit to the print version, you must pay a small fee to cover operating expenses and your contributor’s copy of the issue.

Learn more: www.reliefjournal.com/print-submit

Rock & Sling

The literary journal Rock & Sling published out of Whitworth University believes that literature and language can bear witness to deep truths. They desire “work which embraces, wrestles with, argues with, celebrates and brushes up against our ideas of faith,” but does not necessarily need to contain direct references to Christianity. Rock & Sling is particularly interested in submissions from historically marginalized communities. They publish prose and poetry during certain seasons and comics year-round.

Learn more: www.rockandsling.submittable.com/submit

Solemn Press

Solemn Press runs a literary magazine that accepts theologically driven poetry, short stories, and homilies. Short stories should not exceed 40 pages long (practically novella length!). They describe the desired style as “Southern Gothic, experimental, postmodern, and country noir or ‘grit lit.’” Simultaneous submissions and previously published work (with proper attribution) are accepted. They are only open at certain times of the year.

Learn more: www.solumpress.com/submissions

The Other Journal

A product of the Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, The Other Journal discusses the intersection of theology and culture through creative writing and visual or performance art. They are interested in pieces that show how faith interacts with contemporary life, art, politics, sexuality, technology, economics, and social justice. Submissions should align with the current theme, and they prefer submissions that offer alternative views to mainstream narratives.

Learn more: www.theotherjournal.com/submissions

The Scriblerus

The Scriblerus (or The Scrib) is a literary journal produced by Greenville University, which authentically explores humanity and spirituality. They want art that has Christian values and is thought-provoking, but you don’t need to have neat Sunday School answers. They don’t publish graphic sexual content, but the topic of sex is not off-limits; swearing, if used, should be artistically essential. The Scrib accepts fiction, cartoon/graphic narratives, poetry, films, and spoken word. Fiction should be no more than 1,500 words.

Learn more: www.thescriblerus.com/submit

The Windhover

Produced by the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, this literary journal invites submissions for poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction “that considers Christian perspectives and engages spiritual themes.” Prose should not exceed 4,000 words, and they do not accept previously published work. Also, each Spring, the university invites their published authors and readers onto their Texas campus to participate in a writers’ conference that covers the intersection of faith and art.

Learn more: https://go.umhb.edu/humanities-sciences/english/windhover