Gardening Tools – Theme Lists

“Your piece doesn’t meet our needs at this time.”

As rejection letters pile up, it’s easy to get discouraged. What would meet their needs at this time?

Do you ever wonder what publications really need? Some tell you. They provide theme lists that tell you the focus of future issues. Sometimes, the theme list covers a whole year, other times it’s just a few months. Either way, a theme list gives you a road map for your writing. They tell you what topics the publication will cover and what questions they want answered. You can make informed decisions on what to write and what to send them.

Who uses theme lists? You can find that information in the Christian Writer’s Market Guide.

You can usually find themes lists online. Sometimes, you need to request them. If you’ve worked with a publisher before, they may put you on a list so that you receive the themes lists as soon as they come out.

Take-Home Papers

Publishers produce a wide variety of take-home papers from papers for children all the way through to adults. These papers usually support the Sunday School curriculum. Therefore, the theme lists will be tied to that curriculum. These publications need fiction, articles and devotionals. Many of them are published by denominations. Standard Publishing also publishes an array of take-home papers for all ages.

Denominational Publications

Denominations publish more than take-home papers. In many cases, denominational publications use a theme list. Since these publications feature articles that are important to the specific denomination, you need to familiarize yourself with the denominational beliefs.

Devotional Publications

People use devotional publications to strengthen their walk with Christ. Some devotional publications use theme lists to guide the devotionals and meditations they produce. The publications usually don’t support outside curriculum. They need short pieces, often less that 500 words. Many also use poetry.

Brainstorm for Ideas

The advantage of theme lists is that the publication develops the topic. You create pieces that fit that topic.

When you receive a theme list, let your mind wander. Various topics on the list may spark a memory or remind you of a sermon you heard. If the topic is Praise, think of times when God has used praise to bring you closer to Him. If a take-hope paper is going to address the 10 Commandments in a quarter, think of times you’ve obeyed or disobeyed the commandments.

If you write fiction, use the topics to create stories that convey the topic in a believable way.

Theme lists do half the work for you. They provide the topic. They help you focus so that your writing meets the publication’s needs.

© Deborah Christensen