Part of our goal is to train Christian writers so that there'll be more Christian writing. We want to encourage you to write for us, get feedback from us and publish your work here. If you live around Sydney you can also come to our training groups.
What are the rules?
Content: We will publish material that we believe to be in accordance with the teaching of the Scriptures and which is useful in helping other Christians to know and love God and serve his church. We will publish material that we disagree with if we think that the disagreement is over a “disputable matter”, but we will not publish material that promotes heresy.
Format: You can try any format you like. Below the rules are some suggestions.
File Type: Please do not send material in the Microsoft Word .doc format. By all means, use Microsoft Word, but when you are ready to send it, Save As a .rtf (Rich Text Format) document. All your formatting should be intact and the risk of viruses is much reduced. Also if you are able to zip it using Winzip or similar programs please do that.
Additional Material: In addition to your piece, we would like you to send us a short description of yourself and, if possible a photo of yourself, but only if you're comfortable doing so.
Spelling and Grammar: We'll correct spelling and grammar. Any American spelling will be changed to British/Australian.
Bible Translation: We prefer the English Standard Version. If you have not used this translation, in the editing process we will update all Bible quotations accordingly. However, if your point depends on the translation you have used, we will retain the translation but make a note of which one it is.
Copyright: You retain copyright of your work as the author but agree to let us publish it on this site. You are free to publish the same piece elsewhere.
I don't know what to write!
If you're just starting out as a writer it can be difficult to know what to write about. Here are some suggestions:
- If you've been reading something in the Bible or heard a good talk on a passage, write about it. It might be something that surprised you, comforted you, disturbed you, excited you, changed you, fascinated you, whatever!
- If someone has asked you a difficult question about Christianity or the Bible or challenged your beliefs think through a response and write it down. Talk about how it made you feel or who helped you to understand the problem and answer it.
- If you've just read a book, summarise the argument and publish it here as a Book Summary.
- If you've just watched a movie, or something on TV or listened to an album, review it and write about your response to it.
- If you're thinking through a theological issue, or having a theological discussion with someone, write about it. Maybe present both sides. It's ok if you haven't made a decision on it yet, the piece could be about your journey in thinking about it.
- Interview someone. Someone famous, someone unknown, your minister, whoever! Think beforehand about what kind of angle you'd like to take and what kind of direction you want the interview to go in.
- Write a poem!
Submitting your work
When you've finished writing and are ready to send it to us for some feedback, email it to submissions at hippocampusextensions dot com. Remember not to send .doc format but save it as .rtf and zip it if possible. We'll do our best to get back to you about it within a week.