SPIRIT
Call for Stories and Articles
SPIRIT is a weekly periodical for high school students. The periodical’s themes follow the lectionary cycles of Sunday Gospel readings in 28 issues from October through April. SPIRIT is designed for a Roman Catholic audience. The editor’s aim is to help young people connect their life experiences—typical conflicts and challenges in family, friendships, school, neighborhood, and work—with the Sunday Gospels in a realistic, down-to-earth manner. Roman Catholic tradition finds the holy in ordinary life.
Specifications and Payment
Stories and features for SPIRIT should average 1100 words in length. Stories need to focus on small, specific events or conflicts in young people’s lives that can be brought to life in realistic detail within this length. Stories should be told from teens’ point of view. SPIRIT accepts all submissions on speculation; payment is made at publication and purchases all rights. SPIRIT pays $300 per article.
The editors appreciate stories that reflect the cultural diversity of American Catholic children—African-American, Hispanic, white, Asian American. We ask that authors not contrive these settings but encourage writers familiar with non-white cultures to use these settings. SPIRIT also includes stories that reflect varieties of families—single parent, nuclear, extended families.
The editors appreciate stories linked with events and problems current among Catholics such as unemployment, single parents, break-up of ethnic neighborhoods, refugee problems, peace initiatives, and homelessness. Stories that deal with friendship and dating are perennial needs.
We are also very interested in articles that feature youth service projects in parishes, schools, neighborhoods, or cities—especially if authors interview the teens involved in regard to the impact of their experience and can provide photos. SPIRIT pays $50-$150 for one-time photo use.
Authors may query storyline ideas by mail, and submit stories by email as well: JMCSJ9@aol.com, julie@goodgroundpress.com.
