Submissions

We are looking for first-person stories of ordinary people making countercultural, courageous, or quietly radical choices because of their faith. These are not polished testimonies of arrival — they are honest accounts of the road. The best submissions capture a specific moment, decision, or season where faith made a tangible difference in how someone worked, parented, spent money, forgave, or showed up for a neighbor. We want readers to see themselves in your story and be moved to examine their own. Writers from all walks of life and denominational backgrounds are welcome. If your faith is shaping how you do life differently, we want to hear about it.

Requirements:

• 700–1,000 words; first-person narrative voice
• Must center on a specific, real experience — no general exhortations
• Scripture references welcome but not required
• Previously unpublished; simultaneous submissions must be disclosed
• One high-resolution author photo (300 dpi minimum)
• Images of the person or people being spotlighted (if they don't mind)

How to Submit:

• Send completed piece as a .docx attachment
• Subject line: Everyday Faith — [Your Name]
• Include a 75-word author bio and word count in the document header
• Response time: 2–3 weeks

The church has a story two thousand years in the making — and most of it goes untold in the pew. We want engaging, research-backed pieces that bring that story to life for a general Christian audience. This could be an examination of a turning-point council, an overlooked reformer, a heresy that shaped orthodoxy, or the way a specific era wrestled with a question that sounds familiar today. Write for the curious reader, not the seminary classroom. The goal is accessible prose, sharp narrative, and honest scholarship that leaves readers with a deeper appreciation for the faith they have inherited.

Requirements:

• 1,000–1,500 words; narrative nonfiction style preferred
• All claims must be supported; include source citations or footnotes
• Avoid denominational polemic; write for the whole church
• Original, unpublished work only
• A brief pitch (150 words) is welcomed before a full submission

How to Submit:

• Pitch or completed piece as .docx; Times New Roman, 12pt, 1.5 line spacing
• Subject line: Church History — [Article Title]
• Include author bio (75 words), word count, and links to 1–2 prior published pieces
• Response time: 2–3 weeks

This is our most demanding — and most generously compensated — category. We are seeking deep, substantive explorations of historical eras, biblical languages (Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic), theological figures, exegetical methods, and educational traditions within Christianity. Think of it as informed writing for the earnest student: not a dissertation, but not a devotional either. The best pieces combine scholarly rigor with clear, engaging prose and leave the reader genuinely equipped to understand their faith more deeply. Original research or unique synthesis of existing scholarship is strongly preferred. We believe the life of the mind and the life of faith belong together, and this section exists to prove it.

Requirements:

• 1,500–2,500 words; academic-accessible, not jargon-heavy
• Footnotes or endnotes required; cite primary and secondary sources
• Author must have demonstrable background: seminary, graduate study, or equivalent
• Original and unpublished; simultaneous submissions not accepted for this category
• Language pieces should include transliterated terms with brief definitions

How to Submit:

• Pitch first (200 words max) with your credentials and proposed angle
• Subject line: Christian Education — [Topic]
• Full submission: .docx with bibliography attached
• Include headshot, 100-word bio, and links to prior scholarly or published work
• Response time: 2–3 weeks

Somewhere right now, a Christian is quietly rebuilding something broken — a neighborhood, a family, a school, a community. We want to find those people and tell their stories. Community Spotlights are reported, profile-style pieces that illuminate the work faithful people are doing in their corner of the world. These are not press releases or ministry promotions — they are human stories with texture, tension, and grace. We are especially interested in under-covered communities, global contexts, and work that does not fit neatly into familiar categories of outreach. If someone's faith is driving them to serve in a way worth knowing about, pitch us.

Requirements:

• 300–400 words; journalistic, profile-driven style
• Must be based on at least one original interview with the subject
• You may not spotlight your own ministry or organization
• At least one photo of the subject or their work (300 dpi, rights cleared)
• Original and unpublished; previously published profiles not accepted

How to Submit:

• Send a 150-word pitch identifying the subject, their work, and why it matters
• Subject line: Community Spotlight — [Subject / Location]
• Upon approval, submit completed piece as .docx with photo(s) attached
• Include interviewee's name, title, and a note confirming their consent
• Response time: 2–3 weeks

From the illuminated manuscript to the hymn to the novel — the Christian tradition has always understood beauty as a form of witness. We welcome original poetry, visual artwork, and author spotlights that reflect this conviction. Submissions do not need to be overtly religious, but they should bear the marks of a maker who sees the world through the lens of faith: attentive to grace, honest about brokenness, and alive to the sacred in ordinary things. For author spotlights, we are looking for writers whose work deserves a wider Christian readership — emerging or established, fiction or nonfiction.

Requirements:

• Poetry: 1–3 poems per submission; poems can be any length
• Visual art: 3–5 high-resolution images (300 dpi, JPEG or PNG) with 300 words of artist statement or reflection
• Author spotlights: 600–900 words; must include an original interview with the author
• All work must be original; previously published poems may be submitted with full publication history disclosed
• No AI-generated content accepted in this category

How to Submit:

• Subject line: Art & Literature — [Poetry / Visual Art / Author Spotlight]
• Include a 75-word bio and, for visual submissions, image rights confirmation
• Send completed work as .docx (writing) or attached image files (artwork)
• Response time: 2–3 weeks

We are producing a line of faith-centered planners and we want the covers to be as intentional as what's inside. This is an open call for original cover designs that reflect the aesthetic and spiritual mission of In the Year of Our Lord — thoughtful, beautiful, and rooted in the Christian tradition. Rather than a flat fee, selected designers will receive a royalty on every planner sold bearing their work, creating ongoing income for as long as the design remains in print.

Each year we select one design for a limited edition run. Our editors will choose their twenty favorites from all submissions. Those twenty finalists are then put to a community vote, and the top three move to a public announcement. The winning design goes into production and is made available for pre-order. This is an opportunity to build something with us, not just sell something to us.

Designs can draw from illuminated manuscript traditions, liturgical imagery, Scripture typography, seasonal themes (Advent, Lent, Ordinary Time), or wholly original visual concepts — so long as the work is cohesive, print-ready, and speaks to a reader who takes their faith seriously. We are open to both minimal and richly detailed approaches.

Requirements:

• Original artwork; no stock imagery, clipart, or AI-generated elements
• Final files must be print-ready: 300 dpi minimum, CMYK color mode, PDF or TIFF
• Cover dimensions: 6"×9" with 0.125" bleed on all sides
• Designer retains original ownership; we license the design for the annual limited edition run
• Royalty rate is negotiated individually with the winning designer upon selection
• One submission per designer per open call; up to 3 design concepts may be included

How to Submit:

• Send a portfolio link or PDF lookbook (max 10 pages) showcasing your design background
• Include 1–3 original concept sketches or mockups for the planner cover
• Subject line: Planner Cover Design — [Your Name]
• Include a brief designer statement (100 words) describing your aesthetic approach and faith background
• Final print files requested only after selection
• Response time: notifications sent to all finalists and non-finalists after the editor review period

Somewhere between a letter from a friend and a tool for serious study, our Snail Mail Club lands in members' mailboxes once a month. It is not a magazine. It is not a brochure. It is something more personal than that — printed study materials that feel worth keeping, worth writing in, and worth spreading out on a table with a cup of coffee and an open Bible.

We are looking for a designer who thinks beyond the grid. These pieces might include folded reference cards, hand-lettered scripture inserts, illustrated timelines, double-sided study sheets, bookmark-style guides, or creative layouts that make dense information feel like an invitation rather than an assignment. The format can shift month to month. What should not shift is the sense that someone made this with care.

If your design work has warmth, texture, and the ability to make printed matter feel like a small gift — we want to hear from you.

Compensation is a flat fee per monthly project, to be determined and agreed upon before work begins.

Requirements:

• Print-ready files: 300 dpi minimum, CMYK color mode, PDF
• Comfort working across varied formats — single sheets, folds, inserts, cards
• No AI-generated design elements
• All designs must align with In the Year of Our Lord brand guidelines, provided upon selection
• Ability to meet an agreed monthly production deadline consistently
• Portfolio must include at least two examples of print work that go beyond standard layout

How to Submit:

• Send a portfolio link or PDF lookbook (max 10 pages) with tactile or printed work highlighted
• Include a brief designer statement (100 words) — tell us how you think about design for the printed, physical page
• Subject line: Snail Mail Club Design — [Your Name]
• Flat fee and monthly scope discussed with selected designer before work begins
• Submit to: submissions@intheyearofourlord.org