Spirit Life Magazine Writer’s Guidelines
Spirit Life Magazine exists to extol, bring greater elucidation to, and together experience Life in the Spirit! The magazine is a publication of Real Truth Publications. At this time, the magazine is an online publication available on the website, though our vision includes publishing and distributing a digital version as well.
Spirit Life is funded by the publishing company, at this time, thus we are unable to pay freelance writers for articles, but we do provide full attribution, a bio blurb, and links to writers’ websites, which has promotional and PR value, in exchange for articles. We welcome article queries conforming to these guidelines from unpublished as well as published writers. However, only articles conforming to generally-accepted writing/publishing standards and conventions that are “publish-ready” will be considered. We are unable to perform any type of editing of articles. Writing style must be crisp, to-the-point, punchy, authoritative, non-folksy, and with the exception of a well-connected illustration, non-anecdotal. Unedited sermon transcripts virtually never translate to good article-writing, and thus typically would not meet our requirements for articles we would publish.
Readership Demographics
Although, due to the nature of our magazine, it is difficult to ascertain a lot of hard-fast demographical data concerning our readership, due to the nature of the magazine’s content and the demographic of potential readers we are directing our promotional efforts, here are a few things we believe it is fairly safe to assume about our readers:
- The vast majority of our readership (email-subscribers and frequently returning) are likely to be those who identify themselves as “Christians” or “Believers in Christ,” and beyond that, those who belong to the broad subgroup of Pentecostal and Neo-Pentecostal or Post-Pentecostal churches, groups, and networks — i.e., charismatic, so-called, “Third Wave,” and Apostolic-Prophetic Restoration — and various other subgroups of “mainline” denominations who identify with or were profoundly impacted by the Charismatic Renewal.
- Our best estimate concerning the median age of our readership is 52.
- Our best estimate concerning readership gender ratio is female-30%/male-70%.
- A significant percentage of our repeat readers and subscribers are in some form of ministry, whether vocationally or avocationally, and look to the magazine as a source of “cutting-edge” and “outside-the-box,” apostolic/prophetic-oriented, perspective, opinion, teaching, apologetics, and information.
Article Categories and Topics
Spirit Life Magazine publishes three categories of articles: informational, inspirational, and educational. The best way to ascertain the types of articles we might be interested in publishing is to study the current articles listed on the Archives page, as well as some of the sites listed on our Blogroll and the RSS newsfeeds sources appearing on the sidebars, looking for the kinds of topics we and our affiliated entities and sources cover. However, because the magazine is still relatively new, it is possible that some topics and issues we may be interested in publishing are not yet represented on the site itself. But, generally speaking, the demographics summary above will give you some indication of what our readers are interested in, which typically is what we’re interested in publishing. Sermons, extended and serial teaching articles, unsolicited news analyses, poetry, fiction, and non-paid promotional pieces are among the genre we do not publish.
Types of Articles We Publish
Short Stories:
- Inspirational: Short, inspirational, encouraging, and uplifting “true-life” stories focusing on a person, group, or organization who has/have made significant accomplishments — 350 words or less.
- Informational: Brief, timely, journalistically-written, and thoroughly verified, Christianity-related news stories about significant or newsworthy events or people, particularly people of note, who have recently done something noteworthy that likely would be of interest to or inform our readers — 200–800 words.
- Educational: Biblically-based studies or teachings regarding a frequently ignored, commonly repressed, or generally unknown or misunderstood, but scripturally-sound Truth or cutting-edge revelation, especially apostolic/prophetic related articles, serials, or columns that will advance the collective Body of Christ and once-applied enhance readers’ spiritual and/or natural lives — 500–1,000 words.
- Prophetic Words: Short/snappy prophetic words by seasoned and affirmed prophets concerning extant or coming natural or spiritual events, scenarios, or conditions, as well as divine calls to action, reproof, warnings, revelations, declarations, and decrees — 300–1,000 words.
Feature Articles (1,500–2,500 Words):
- Commentary/Editorials: Op-eds and commentary by experts or recognized and reliable commentators on particular topics, including but not limited to: politics, church polity and other church-related issues/trends/events, doctrinal disputes and controversy, sociological issues, international, national, and local news events, etc.
- Testimonies of Supernatural Intervention: Extraordinary accounts of supernatural miracles, healings, signs and wonders, and supernatural divine intervention in mundane human affairs. Particulars must be thoroughly researched, fact-verified, independently confirmed by other sources and/or firsthand witnesses, and church leaders (when possible), and recounted with flair and verve. Healings and physical miracles must be medically documented.
- Profiles In Courage/Faith: Stories of individuals, couples, families, or groups who are achieving uncommon accomplishments despite significant challenges and struggles through inordinate faith and an unusual walk with God.
- Trend/Change Tracking: Accounts of paradigmatic or sweeping change and ostensible emerging trends in methods or methodology for accomplishing the declared purposes and plans of God or the mission of the Church at-large. Must be thoroughly vetted, verified, and researched, written in journalistic form, illustrated with anecdotes, and validated with facts, quotes, and comments of recognized authorities/experts.
Query Letters/Emails:
Spirit Life Magazine and Real Truth Publications do not accept/reply to unsolicited manuscripts of any kind. Writers wishing to have articles published in Spirit Life Magazine may send query letters or query e-mails containing a brief summary and outline of a proposed article. Query letters must be typewritten and double-spaced on one side only of letter-size (8.5 X 11 in.) white bond paper. The sender’s address block should appear on the top left of the first page and include author’s name, mailing address, email address, and phone number(s), and be preceded by the date of the query.
Query letters mailing address:
Spirit Life Magazine
PO Box 911
Jupiter, FL 33468
Query e-mails address:
editor@spiritlifemag.com (This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
Writer/author retains copyright on all articles published by Spirit Life Magazine, but grants perpetual publishing rights to Spirit Life Magazine.