Submission Guidelines
We would like you to share a true story that has been inspired by Margaret Fishback Powers’ beloved poem, “Footprints in the Sand.” Your story can tell how the poem helped during times of difficulty. It can also be about an experience that relates to the poem’s words or message.
Length and Content
Length. 500 words to 1,500 words
Content. Only original, true stories, generally told in the first person
Subjects. No fiction. Your story should involve a personal experience that involves any or several of the themes below
Formatting and Presentation
Microsoft Word. Please submit your story in Microsoft Word for Windows or Mac.
Do not send it in Adobe PDF format or as a scanned document. Please do not use any fancy formatting.
Title and identification. Please include your name, address, and email address on the first page.
Include your name and the title of your story on all subsequent pages.
Spacing and page numbering. Please use double-spacing, with all pages numbered.
Please signify the end of your story with three centered number signs (# # #).
Spelling. You can use either U.S. or Canadian spelling, but please try to be consistent.
Margins and font. Use 1" margins all around—
top, bottom, left, and right. Courier or Times New Roman is preferable,
and font size should be set at 12.
Themes
• Acts of kindness, including random kindness
• Acts of love
• Christmas (and other holidays)
• Courage and strength
• Crises, challenges and opportunities
(overcoming adversity and obstacles)
• Faith: acts of faith; how faith sustains us
• Family, or individual family members
(children, parents, grandchildren, grandparents,
brothers and sisters, other relatives)
• Forgiveness
• Friendship
• Gifts and giving
• God’s love
• Gratitude
• Helping one another
• Hope
• Life lessons
• Love and kindness
• Mentors, role models, teaching
• Miracles
• Personal growth
• Positive thinking
• The power of prayer
• Reaching out
• Sacrifice