Valiant Scribe is a new, annual online and print journal publishing fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, artwork, cross-genre, and religious work. You can read their first two annual issues on their website to get a feel for the type of work they accept. “Valiant Scribe sits at the nexus of faith and social issues. Independent of each other and complementary of the other. It seeks to shine a light on topics ranging from violence against women, forced labor, human trafficking, criminal justice, mental health, empowerment impediments to climate change, poverty, and migration.” For more information see my interview with Editor Debra Ayis and a link to submission guidelines below.

HOPKINSON: Tell me a little bit about Valiant Scribe. 

AYIS:  Valiant Scribe was established in December 2019 in New York, so it’s very much the new kid on the block. It aims to provide a platform for unique and diverse perspectives on human rights and social justice. It sits at the nexus of faith and social issues. Independent of each other and complementary of the other. It’s self-funded and supported by volunteers. 

HOPKINSON: How/why was Valiant Scribe originally started? 

AYIS: While there are a lot of great journals out there, I found that there were very few which bridged the gap between social justice, or social issues in general and the Christian faith. In a country where the Christian community is polarized and perspectives of faith have become politicized, I wanted to create an avenue where Christian and non-Christians, alike, could come to the table and find points of alignment. Secondly, I understood the danger of only reading international stories through a Western lens. I created Valiant Scribe to bridge divides and bring international perspectives to the table. We live in a globalized world, so it behooves us to be open to the realities of the world outside the borders of the USA through the life experiences of others, hence Valiant Scribe’s tagline of “giving a voice to the voiceless by retelling the human experience.” I wanted to hear the voices of Christians and others lost in the fray of a polarized America, and I wanted to give agency to those brushed aside because their lived experience does not align with the American mainstream. 

HOPKINSON: Who is your target reader audience? 

AYIS: My target audience is anyone who wants to make a positive impact, anyone willing to listen to those who have fallen between the cracks. Those willing to make a change and those willing to listen. These could be people of faith, who don’t realize that Christianity and social issues go hand in hand or others open to diverse narratives. People who are not easily offended but open to rigorous debate and finding points of consensus.

HOPKINSON: What type of work are you looking for? 

AYIS: I’m seeking work that straddles faith and social issues, complementary of each or independent of the other. I like unique perspectives, for instance we’ve featured authors who share their lived experience of being a third culture kid and the impact on their mental health. Perspectives of people impacted by conflict in the Middle-east and Asia; and the impact of Church culture in current civil rights movements in America.

HOPKINSON: What do you wish you’d see submitted, but rarely comes in? 

AYIS: I would love to see more work from international authors, I’d also love more work on Church culture and human rights and/or civil liberties

HOPKINSON: What are some of your favorite lit mags/journals?

AYIS: Relevant, Sojourners, and many more

HOPKINSON: What is your favorite part of being on staff with Valiant Scribe?

AYIS: I love getting the opportunity to read the submissions that come in and being a part of the selection process

HOPKINSON: Where can we send submissions? 

AYIS: Writers can submit through our website at https://www.valiantscribe.com/submit

HOPKINSON: If someone has a question, how can they contact you? 

AYIS: They can contact us through the contact form on our website at https://www.valiantscribe.com/contact

Click here to read submission guidelines.

• READING PERIOD: January 1 – December 15 
• NOTES: They do not send rejection letters and will only contact you if your entry is selected.
• THEME(S):Faith and/or Social Issues/Social Justice
• FORMAT: online, electronic (PDF/other), & print
• SUBMISSION FEE: None 
• PAYMENT: Monetary prizes for competitions, free contributor copy for journal anthologies
• ISSUE FREQUENCY: Winter/once a year
• AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME: 1 week to 3 months
• SUBMISSION METHOD: (Submittable, Duosuma, email, postal, etc.) email
• SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS: (Yes/No) Yes
• FORMS: Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Poetry, Artwork, Cross-Genre, Religious
• WORD LIMIT: 700 words
• SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram
• DUOTROPE: (URL) https://duotrope.com/listing/33062/valiant-scribe-literary-journal 

If you like this post, please share with your writerly friends and/or  follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. You can see all the FREE resources my site offers poets/writers on my Start Here page.