Write For Sojourners

Write for the Sojourners Online

What kind of pieces do you publish?

Before submitting a pitch, please acquaint yourself with Sojourners’ editorial policies and the material on our site. We accept pitches for reported pieces, analysis, and commentary that address social justice issues or appeal to a well-informed faith audience. We are also looking for pieces that use a solutions lens when reporting on social issues.

How do I submit a pitch?

Reported Pitches: Story pitches for reported pieces should include a news or analytical hook that covers a current event, trend, or social justice movement through the lens of faith along with a 1-2 paragraph summary of the idea and at least three confirmed or potential sources. Please provide links to writing clips if you have them, as well as a short bio and headshot. Email completed pitches to news@sojo.net with the words "story pitch" in the subject line. 

Analysis/Commentary Pitches: Story pitches for analysis pieces should include a 1-2 sentence thesis statement that connects to faith and/or social justice issues, as well as the types of data sets, research, or other material you are planning to pull from to support your argument. Analysis pieces are expected to be well-researched and offer a unique take on a current event or trend. Commentary pitches should offer an opinion on an event, movement, idea, or cultural work as it intersects with faith and/or justice. Commentary pieces can be first-person reflections, sermons, or short opinion pieces. If you have never written for Sojourners before, we ask that first time authors send us a completed draft (not exceeding 1000 words) of the piece they are proposing. All authors should provide links to writing clips if you have them, as well as a short bio and headshot. Email completed pitches to opinion@sojo.net with the words "opinion pitch" in the subject line. 

Do you accept completed submissions?

Yes! Submissions for online publication should be no more than 1,000 words in length and should directly address the intersection of faith and justice. Before submitting, please acquaint yourself with our material. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity. Please email finished submissions for online publication to submissions@sojo.net with the word "submission" in the subject line. Include a one- or two-sentence biography and a headshot.

Because of the large volume of submissions, we are unable to respond to all authors whose pieces we are unable to use. 

Do you pay?

We pay for reported pieces, based on depth of reporting, and for strongly researched analysis pieces.

Do you receive tips or story ideas?

Yes! If you have a story idea, press release, or event announcements for potential Sojourners coverage, please email story@sojo.net with the words “story idea" in the subject line.

Write for Sojourners Magazine

For feature articles for Sojourners magazine, please send a query of 400 words or fewer in the body of an email (no attachments) to queries@sojo.net.

Queries should briefly describe the article you are proposing to write and include your contact information as well as a two- or three-sentence bio. Please do NOT send the entire proposed manuscript. We generally respond to all queries within six to eight weeks; thanks for your patience.

We especially welcome queries from writers of color and other underrepresented groups.

Our feature articles are typically 1,800-2,000 words. We do not publish material that has been previously published, including on blogs and online publications. We assume all queries submitted to us are original, unpublished, and not slated for publication elsewhere. If your material is copyrighted, we assume you are authorizing us to publish it. Unless otherwise indicated, we also assume full reprint permission (in all media including various electronic media) of any item we publish. North American serial rights to the article include electronic rights and posting on our Web site (sojo.net). We reserve the right to accept, edit, or reject any article submitted.

For Poetry submissions to the magazine: 

1. Please send electronic  poetry submissions with attached Word documents to poetry@sojo.net. Submit no more than three unpublished poems at any one time. Since we receive hundreds of poems a month and print only one or two, we ask that you select from your poems those which you think are most appropriate for our pages.
2. Include a three-sentence description of yourself with your submission, with information on where you work and live and any interesting hobbies. In addition, please make sure you include your address, phone number, and e-mail.
3. If we decide to publish your work, we’ll contact you within six weeks.
4. Themes. There is no restriction on topic or theme, but poems that intersect with and illuminate the perspectives found in Sojourners are most likely to be used. We look for original ideas or images, well-drawn portraits, and new perspectives on the issues we cover. We are also looking for poetry that reflects simple celebrations of life and beauty. We often try to use poetry geared toward particular seasons, such as Christmas (incarnation theme), Easter, Pentecost, or other significant days (i.e. Hiroshima memorial, Dr. King’s Day). To use a poem in December, we have to have it by September, to use a poem in April, we have to have it by February.
5. Length. We publish poetry on one magazine page, which limits us to shorter poems (25 lines each).
6. Payment. We pay $50 per poem upon publication. We also send complimentary copies of the issue in which your poem appears.
7. Please check all spelling and punctuation very carefully. It is extremely unlikely that we would publish a poem that contains exclusive language or sexist or racist images.
8. All poetry submitted for publication must original and unpublished. If your material is copyrighted, we assume you are authorizing us to publish it. We also assume full reprint permission for any item we publish, unless otherwise indicated. This includes electronic reprint permission, the posting on our Web site (sojo.net), and the use of excerpts in other Sojourners material.

Copyright Policy

By submitting your work to Sojourners, or otherwise giving Sojourners permission to publish your work, either in print or electronically, you represent and warrant:

1. that all works submitted are your creation, have not been published previously, and are submitted exclusively to us;
2. that Sojourners’ reproduction and distribution of the work will not violate any copyright or other right of any third party;
3. that you are granting Sojourners exclusive print publication rights to the work submitted;
4. that you are also granting full and exclusive reprint permission for any item we publish, unless otherwise indicated;
5. that you are also granting the subsequent right to reproduce, distribute, adapt, or display the work for any purpose and in any manner or medium worldwide during the copyright term of the work, without additional compensation except that spelled out below.

The rights granted may be exercised in any form or media in which the work may be reproduced, published, distributed, or displayed (including but not limited to compilations, microfilm, library databases, videotext, computer databases, CD-ROM, and the Internet). Rights to the article include (but are not limited to) the use of excerpts in marketing materials and the posting on our Web page (sojo.net). We reserve the right to accept or reject any article submitted. A fee will be paid for any solicited article that is rejected. If we receive payment of $50 or more for the electronic or hard copy reprinting of a non-staff-written article, 50 percent of the payment shall be paid to the author.

Content available online at sojo.net may have been updated or corrected from the originally published print material. Sojourners reserves the right to correct any errors or omissions in this content.

Additional Information

Additonal information is located on our Editorial Policies and Procedures page.