How to Write for Backyard Church
Guidelines to Become a Writer
Welcome to The Backyard Church
My name is Dan Foster, and I am a recovering evangelical trying to work what it means to be a Christian now that I’ve walked away from the Church. Yep! I’m deconstructing my faith! I’m breaking it all down into tiny pieces and testing each part of the faith I grew up with for its usefulness and truthfulness. Maybe one day, I’ll be able to put it all back together again!
If you’ve got doubts about organized religion or the things you’ve learned about in Church, then this publication is for you. We write articles that take a light-hearted dig at the institution while asking the bigger questions about God, life, and the universe.
We push the boundaries and challenge people to think beyond their “belief box” and explore the possibility that God is much more expansive and all-embracing than what is typically taught in conservative evangelical circles.
Consequently, if you write for us, certain people will call you a heretic, a radical leftist, a heathen, and a devil-worshiper. Others will say you are destined for the bowels of Hell itself and urge you to repent. Don’t worry, though. They said the same things about Jesus.
Haven’t I frightened you off yet?
What are we looking for?
- We are looking for articles for people who have faith but who can’t, don’t, or won’t go to church. We also want those articles to be readable for people of no faith!
- We are looking for articles that tell great real-life stories that provide practical help and inspire or challenge. We want to encourage the strugglers, the doubters, and the seekers in their faith.
- We are not looking for Bible studies or heavy theological or apologetics pieces.
- We believe that the best critique of the bad is the practice of the better, so we always seek to be respectful of people of all faiths, traditions, and backgrounds.
How to become a writer for us
- If you think you’re up for that challenge, please email the Editor of Backyard Church (me) at [email protected] and tell me a little about yourself and your article ideas.
- Include any links to articles that you think might fit the scope of the publication.
- Once you’ve been approved as a writer, follow these instructions to submit your drafts to the Backyard Church.
- Once you’ve submitted, allow a day or so for your article to be reviewed and approved. Sometimes, there is a backlog of articles, so please be patient.
- Remember, we can’t and don’t publish everything we receive. If you have an article knocked back, don’t be disheartened. Use it as an opportunity to refine your craft.
Guidelines for Articles
- We only accept drafts rather than articles that have already been published.
- Our optimum article length is a 4–7 minute read.
- When you send us your draft, we want to have to do as little editing as possible. So, please make sure that you have checked your own spelling and grammar, have a cover image, a heading, and a subheading, and have full accreditation for any images and quotes you use.
- We prefer pieces to include the tags ‘Religion,’ ‘Spirituality,’ and ‘Christianity’ and then two other tags you think are relevant to your piece.
- There are no expectations on the frequency of submissions. Some of our writers submit regularly, others occasionally.
If you have any questions or require more information, please send me an email or comment below! I look forward to working with you!
