Submission Guidelines for Living Jubilee

So you’d like to write for Living Jubilee? Welcome. 

This blog exists so that you, a college student or recent college grad, can share your story in your own words. We are looking for stories from the intersection of faith and life. What happens when the Gospel of Jesus Christ meets your major, your academic life, your friendships, your summer plans, or your dreams for the future? It’s a big question—if Jesus brings good news to all parts of our lives, what does all look like?

This is why we need your stories. 

Guidelines for submissions are as follows:

1. Aim for 500-800 words. If you’re a bit over or under, we can work with you, but the key word here is a bit. We will not entertain submissions of over 1,000 words.

 2. Tell one personal, true story. Allow us to break this down—

One: We know, and you know, that Jesus transforms every part of your life. And it’s all connected. So you may be tempted to tell the story of how this book you read had an impact on the way you see your classes, and then this one class changed your career plans, and so you decided to take a different internship, leading to a relationship with a new mentor. This is a great story—to share over four blog posts. In 500-800 words, pick one story and tell it well. You can submit again!

Personal: the predominant pronouns should be “I, me, my, we, and us”, not “you” or “they.” Occasionally you, the writer, may want to tell the story of a non-writerly friend (with permission, of course!), in which case you can use “she” and “he.”

True: It happened to you, or to your friend.

Story:  Tell us what happened, with lots of details.  Where were you? What did people say? What did things smell, sound, taste, feel, or look like? You can include some reflection, but mostly you want to bring the reader along for the ride.

3. Be prepared to work with an editor. If your submission is accepted, we will begin an editing process. You will be asked to make changes. Be open to suggestions or questions from your editor, but also expect help along the way. 

Now you’ve got the guidelines, so if you’ve also got a story to tell, submit it below! Questions? Contact blog editor Jen Pelling.