1. Living a life of wonder can sometimes look like receiving manna from heaven or being guided by a pillar of fire in the desert. But, most of the time (in this century at least), the wonder in our lives is not quite as obvious.

It might hide itself in the bubbles of laughter formed on a newborn's lips, in the dew that covers fresh spring grass, in the steam that dances above your morning coffee.

This journal's theme is an invitation to look at the mundane details of our lives through the lens of wonder. Only then will we be able to live in it.

Wherever wonder, beauty, and goodness hide in your life, that's what we want you to share with us! Send us your wonder-filled poems, prose, short fiction, and essays.

2. What we're looking for: 

• Moments of joy hidden in the everyday

• Things you didn't notice before that now fill you with gratitude

• A memory of a time in which you saw God move mightily in your life...

• Or perhaps moments in which He moved in small, gentle ways

• Your struggle to find wonder—because not everything in life is always easy

• Vivid imagery

• Descriptive language

• Anything and everything that you think might fit this theme! Especially that which seems too insignificant to mention.

Essays and articles covering any topic that respects our Statement of Faith, from motherhood to apologetics. Do not exceed 1,500 words.

Creative nonfiction should not exceed one entry of 5,000 words. We publish short memoirs (2K-5K words), personal essays, and narrative nonfiction.

Flash fiction submissions should not exceed 1,000 words. You may submit up to three poems per submission. We did receive a flash that was three words, believe it or not.

Poems or prose (5 MAX) should not exceed 200 words each. All poems must be titled or will not be accepted.

Our annual print literary journal is published every spring of the year.

Print submissions will open January 1, 2025 for two months. Please allow 1-3 months to hear back about the status of your submission. The Spring journal will be published May 1, 2025.

Please email all PRINT literary submissions to our literary journal editor, Rosa Gilbert, at litjournal.callapresspublishing@gmail.com. (closed until next year 2026) 

Manuscript format:

• Google Docs with editing permission

• Document name: Author - Title - Year

• 1-inch margins all around

• Left justified

• No spaces between paragraphs; only indentations at the start of each paragraph

• 1.5 line spacing

• Page breaks (not spaces) between chapters/essays/poems

• Size 12 font, Cormorant Garamond or similar

• Completed footnotes (not endnotes) in Chicago Manual of Style standards (see this guide on plagiarism) 

• When a quote exceeds four lines, use a block quote; block quotes are indented 0.5 inches on both sides with a space below and above them in size 10 font

• Bold and use title capitalization on chapter/essays titles and headings throughout

• For section breaks within a chapter/essay, use three stars (***) centered in the document

• Avoid bulleted lists; try to write in paragraphs whenever possible

Grammar:

• American spelling

• One space after periods

• Use the Oxford comma

• Jesus’s NOT Jesus’

• Whenever you cite Scripture, abbreviate the Bible names and include the translation you are using (reference this guide, using the most commonly used option). See this guide on how to write a Bible reference.

• Take note that you are using the proper dashes in the right places (if you’re unsure, please reference this guide) 

• Capitalization:

  • names that refer to God (e.g., King, Savior, Lord, Father), but not pronouns that refer to God (e.g., he, him, his)

  • Scripture and Bible, not scriptural or biblical

  • Gospel is only capitalized when referring to the canonical Gospels (e.g.,. the Gospel of Matthew, Mark)

• Use active voice whenever possible, avoiding passive voice