Spirit Guidelines for Writers

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 into May.  Spirit is designed for a predominantly Roman Catholic audience.  The editors' aim is to help young people connect their life experiences - successes and conflicts in family, neighborhood, classroom and workplace - with the Sunday Gospels in a realistic, down-to-earth manner.

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 scope.  Spirit accepts submissions only on speculation; payment is made at publication and purchases all rights.  Spirit pays $250 per article.

The editors often receive stories from writers who contribute to Christian periodicals and make Bible verses turning points in their stories.  Roman Catholic tradition finds the holy in ordinary life.  For our Catholic audiences we prefer stories that explore teens' conflicts and achievements realistically.  Please do not contrive pious, religious elements to stories you submit.

The editors appreciate stories that reflect the cultural diversity of American Catholic teens:  African-American, Hispanic-American, European-American, Asian-American.  We ask that authors not contrive these settings, but to write of cultures with which they are familiar.  We also welcome stories which feature varieties of families - single parent, nuclear and extended.

The editors appreciate stories linked with current events and problems such as unemployment, single parents, break-up of ethnic neighborhood, refugee issues, peace initiatives, and homelessness.

We are also very interested in articles that feature youth service projects in parishes, schools, neighborhood or cities - especially if authors include quotes from teenagers and photos of teenagers participating.  Spirit pays $50-125 for one-time photo use.

Authors may query storyline ideas by mail or email.