About the Journal
What is the journal?
The Faith in Detroit Journal publishes brief (750 words or fewer) true stories based on personal moments or experiences of faith, hope, transformation, restoration, belonging, and renewal. We publish narrative prose exclusively, not poetry, drama, or screenplays. The Journal's mission is to use the power of storytelling to inspire deeper reflection and foster meaningful connections that unite communities across diverse backgrounds, faiths, and traditions.
We want to read your stories.
We are seeking flash narrative prose nonfiction pieces written by new or established writers that bear witness to how short, personal stories can embody the role of faith in Metro Detroit, its history, present, presence, and future as a city and idea.
Inspiration for writing.
Our inaugural issue will focus on renewal. If you experienced a moment that gave you hope when you thought all hope was lost or a time your faith in yourself or someone else’s faith in you pushed you to not give up on something, we invite you to share your story. If you had a time when someone gave you a second chance that significantly changed your life or someone else’s, you gave someone else a chance when no one else seemed to think they deserved it, a time you lost your faith in something but something restored that faith, your story should be heard. Authors will receive an honorarium of $180 after publication.
Submission and Review Processes
Learn about how to submit your story, the monetary compensation accepted pieces receive, guidelines, and the review process below!
Submission Process
For consideration in Faith in Detroit October 2026 publication, please submit your manuscript through this link by August 31, 2026. The first issue will focus on the theme of renewal. Authors will receive an honorarium of $180 after publication. Authors may submit only one manuscript per reading period.
Manuscript Guidelines
We accept manuscripts as an MS Word file in 12-point font, single-spaced, with no indentations. The author's name and identifying information should be removed from the manuscript, and authors should anonymize characters in their story unless they have explicit permission to include identifying information. The submission form asks you to include a 2-3 sentence biography, including previous publications (if any). Manuscripts generated using AI will not be accepted, and the Editorial team reserves the right to withdraw acceptances and remove previously published essays found to be partially or fully generated by AI.
Review Process
The Faith in Detroit Journal Editors and our panel of readers will review each manuscript and provide a status update to the author regarding its acceptance, rejection, or suggestions for revisions or edits. For manuscripts receiving suggestions for revisions or edits, a member of the Editorial team will work with those writers who choose to continue working on their manuscript, which can be resubmitted for further consideration. Questions? Email us at faithindetroit@oakland.edu