Guideposts publishes true stories about people who have attained a goal, surmounted an obstacle or learned a helpful lesson through their faith. A typical story is a first-person narrative with a spiritual point that the reader can apply to his or her own life. The story may be your own or someone else’s. Observe the following as you write:

  1. The emphasis should be on one person and told from the vantage point of the individual most deeply affected by the experience. Focus on one specific event rather than an entire life story. Bring only as many people in as are needed to tell the story.
  2. Give all the relevant facts so that the reader can clearly understand what took place. Let the reader feel as if he or she were there, seeing the characters, hearing them talk, feeling what they felt.

Most important: study the magazine.

Payment for full-length stories (about 1,500 words) is made when the story is accepted for publication. Please do not send essays, sermons or fiction. We almost never use poetry and do not evaluate book-length material.

Learn about our new online course, “How To Tell A Great Story: The Essential Writing Course From the Editors of Guideposts”