It could be a human interest about a local family farm.
It could be a fictional story involving the life of a homeschooler.
It could be a great way to get your younger kids involved!
It could be a list of activities for a family on a rainy day.
It could be a family-favorite dessert for special occasions.
We may refuse any contribution request or submission for any reason at any time, even after the editing process has begun, and even after the editing process is completed.
As followers of Jesus, we do not want anything displeasing to the Lord to be a part of this magazine. As such, we will reject contributions that we believe are, even if the writer had good intentions. To avoid that, please ensure that your writing aligns with the following: (a couple common examples)
1. NOT MAGIC / FANTASY
There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
- Deuteronomy 18:10-12 KJV
And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
- Acts 19:18-20 KJV
God does not like magic. So, any magic, fortune telling, wizardry, card tricks, etc., are not things we want in the magazine. And for fictional stories, there may be rare exceptions, but in general, we want to avoid any fantasy.
2. WHOLESOME
What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
- Romans 7:7-8 KJV
But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
- 1 Timothy 1:8-10 KJV
Sometimes in stories, something bad is shown before something good is taught. And while sometimes this can be good, there are times when it is not. Consider a child. The child does not know many bad things yet, but if they read a story that shows someone doing something wrong, it may introduce the knowledge of that evil to the child. It could be like what is described in Romans 7:7-8 regarding the law. The law is meant for "the lawless and disobedient", but for those who do not do that evil, it may do more harm than good. So, if you want to contribute a fictional story, please consider this and make it a very wholesome (and likely very uplifting) story.
| Article | Short Story | Poem | List | Recipe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Word Count | 250-1400 | 300-1400 | 35-200 | 200-550 | 150-450 |
| Written Example | LINK ➚ | LINK ➚ | LINK ➚ | LINK ➚ | |
| Extra Notes | Remember, we are strict about what content and morals are allowed. | This can be a list without paragraphs accompanying each item. | An introduction, a list of ingredients, the instructions, and a photo will be required. |
| Word Count | Written Example | Extra Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Article | 250-1400 | LINK ➚ | |
| Short Story | 300-1400 | Remember, we are strict about what content and morals are allowed. | |
| Poem | 35-200 | LINK ➚ | |
| List | 200-550 | LINK ➚ | This can be a list without paragraphs accompanying each item. |
| Recipe | 150-450 | LINK ➚ | An introduction, a list of ingredients, the instructions, and a photo will be required. |
For more detailed information about writing types, including word count, please view this page on a computer or larger device.
If you haven't written anything yet, then first decide what type of writing you want to write. Next, pick your topic. We like the topics to be things that would be interesting/helpful to a large part of our audience. For example, a human interest article about How this Family of Eight Started a Restaurant would likely be interesting to more people than Detailed Tips to Improve Your Field-Goal Kicks. Next, make an outline or just start writing! Keep in mind though, that we want to maintain a very high bar for both the quality and purity of what we accept. So, just because you submit something does not guarantee that it will be accepted. Once you finish writing, you can submit it to us at info@TheYouthSpeak.com. After you submit, if it is something we think we might want to use, we may get back to you with some edits. And remember, our design team is responcible for the layout and design of the articles.
You may read our magazines online for free or purchase physical copies. Check out our Magazines page.
For minimum age, there is no strict requirement but the writing must pass a certain amount of quality to make it in the magazine. Since it is a Youth magazine, we do limit the maximum age to 24 years old.
There are five ways we allow names to be written. Let's say the contributor's name is David Thomas, and they are nine years old and from Ohio. Then, the ways their name may be written would include:
David, age 9
David T., age 9
David Thomas, age 9
David, age 9 from Ohio
David T., age 9 from Ohio