Introducing...Sky's the Limit Press!

Should I have introduced this new special project of mine several months ago to build up anticipation and hype? Oh, yeah, for sure...but can I be honest? It wasn’t until this year that I was absolutely sure that Sky’s the Limit Press was coming to fruition.

So here we are. Today, March 6th, 2022, is the official release day for my new online publishing company, Sky’s the Limit Press! Sounds boring? Yeah, yeah, I know it does...but STLP is a lot more than just the name on a book’s copyright page...which is exactly what it was since this time last year, when I decided to start using the name to publish my books under (just check out my ebook listings on Amazon or the copyright pages of my newer books). But it’s morphed into so much more, and I can’t wait to share all about it!

First...you must know our origin story…

Where We Began

To tell you the story of STLP, I’ve got to tell y’all my story.

I started writing when I was about ten years old, and by the time I was twelve, I was serious about it, so much so that I wrote two novels and then self-published one of them (the best of the two, in my opinion) through Kindle Direct Publishing at age thirteen. When I started assimilating into the world of writing and publishing a couple years later (the hermit writer gig wasn’t getting me any sales), I found out a wild and disturbing truth.

People don’t want Christian fiction. People don’t want clean fiction. People don’t want young writers. People don’t want self-published books.

Now, I’m not talking about the readers—most of them will purchase and read whatever looks interesting, regardless of the content (or lack thereof), author age, or publication method—I’m talking about the people behind the readers. The agents, the publishing houses, the literary magazines, the market gatekeeper.

Finding a contest (particularly ones with cash prizes...hermit writers also don’t make money) or a publication to submit to that would accept or even prefer a piece of wholesome Christian fiction was nearly impossible. Finding awards for self-published Christian books (that don’t cost $50 to enter, that is) is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Finding writing tips and advice that doesn’t lump profanity, witchcraft, and sexual immorality in with the nuggets of writerly insight...tough.

I stumbled upon a diamond in the rough when I found Kingdom Pen and Story Embers, two amazing online communities for Christian writers—both young and old—but there’s still something missing in this secularized world.

In comes Sky’s the Limit Press. My dream is for STLP to be the Writer’s Digest for young Christians, providing them with the resources and insight they need to create quality fiction, encouraging and fostering their convictions instead of degrading them, and offering them opportunities to grow and experience the world of publishing.

But right now, our main focus is on The Journal—a digital literary journal (more of a magazine, but journal sounds cooler) that features writing/publishing advice, short stories and poems, and spotlights on indie books and authors. The Journal isn’t just for one or two stories, though. We have a cycle of contests for poetry, photos, articles, reviews, and more, as well as a submissions period that’s always open and always free. Plus, for those of us who are already moving up the world, we offer affordable advertisement opportunities so that you can continue being a hermit and leave the marketing to us!

I hope my story can be your story too—our story—that you can share in all that Sky’s the Limit Press has to offer, that you can learn and grow with us, and that together we can surpass the limits the world has put on us and go beyond the sky! (Should I have called this Beyond the Sky Press? Probably so...and, to be honest, that sounds so epic...but the story behind the name is another story for another day!)

Who We Are

We're writers of light and life who have big dreams and aspirations. We stick out, stand up, and break the mold. We have convictions and beliefs and ideas that don't cater to the popular or politically correct. We follow our values and not the world. Sky's the Limit Press was created for Christian writers by Christian writers, to give them a place where their beliefs are fostered and cultivated into beautiful stories of hope and truth.

What We Do

Equip: We equip writers with the tools they need to craft quality stories, cultivate their writing careers, and exceed their limits! Encourage: We encourage writers' convictions and beliefs rather than discredit them, to inspire them to write what they feel led to! Expose: We give writers the exposure they need to help them launch their work into the world!

Or, more specifically...right now, we have The Story Column, which is our (I say “our” and “we,” but in actuality, it’s just me right now...volunteer positions are open!) blog all about writing advice, author spotlights, and stories and poetry! Submissions are always open for The Story Column, and we accept articles on writing, editing, and publishing, short stories, and poetry. We don’t have a word limit or even many submission guidelines or formatting criteria (because I personally think it’s all pointless), so all you have to do is write your article, poem, or story, whatever it is and however you like it, and submit it to skysthelimitpress@gmail.com with the subject line “The Story Column Submission.” I mean, do include what you’ve written and tell us a little bit about it and send it in a .docx, .odt, or Google Doc (we accept anything but PDFs, really), but otherwise, whether you use 12pt font or 11pt or 13pt doesn’t really matter to us.

If you’re interested in our submission guidelines, though, we do have a page for that here!

We will probably update our submissions criteria and process as time goes on, but right now I want this to be as simple as possible to allow for more writers to join us!

AND (you know there’s an and) we also have...ooh, drum roll, please…*drum rolls*

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*drum continues rolling*

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*drum rolls for half an hour*

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I can see the look on y’all’s faces now. I’m getting there, I promise!

THE JOURNAL!!!

The Journal is my nickname for Sky’s the Limit Literary Journal (which is a mouthful), our digital free-to-download literary magazine (but it’s called a journal because that just sounds way cooler)! The Journal is full of stories and poems and AMAZING articles and all. kinds. of awesomeness.

In fact, a lot of y’all reading this post have contributed to all that awesomeness, for which I am eternally grateful! Y’all are the best!!!

Right now, The Journal is simply a PDF that you can download here and read in your browser, but there are so many valuable resources in it! We’ve got articles from Julie Lessman, Hannah Linder, Issabelle Perry, Linyang Zhang, and yours truly; stories and poems from Issabelle Perry, Grey S. Park, Joelle Stone, and Catherine Jones; and an author interview with E. C. Colton plus a spotlight of her novella Shards of Sky! Not to mention a Q&A with TONS of fantastic self-published authors, including Kellyn Roth, Angela R. Watts, Hope Ann, and more!

I am SO excited to share this project with y’all! I’m simply amazed at the kind of content and the people who have come together to help me make this dream a reality—it’s something only God could orchestrate (especially considering almost everyone I asked to contribute said yes and that I actually managed to put all 44 pages of this thing together in Canva within two months).

I make no promises as to how often issues of The Journal will release...possibly two a year? But, if so, our next one is gonna have to be much shorter. Formatting this thing was torture.

But so, so worth it, and I really hope y’all enjoy it! More than that, I would LOVE to have y’all share your work—whether it’s a poem or some advice or a pretty picture—in our next issue (whenever it comes out; more word on that when it comes in *winks*) by entering one of our contests!

Y’all, there is so much more that I could say about Sky’s the Limit Press and The Journal, but we’d be here all day! So without further ado, let me permit you to check out STLP’s website and download your copy of The Journal!

Sky's the Limit Press

The Story Column

The Journal

Enter a Contest!

Thank you ALL for reading this post, having a hand in The Journal, reading our little magazine, checking out our website...all of it! Your support and excitement is greatly appreciated!

No, seriously. Had it not been for several people *cuts eyes at them...you know who you are * continually reminding my forgetful self about my cast-aside project cheering me on, I wouldn’t have done this! Bless y’all, you lovely people! And bless all of you, my fellow readers and writers! Y’all are the reason I’m doing this, to give you something our community of young Christian writers didn’t have!

The sky’s the limit, guys...and I know we, through the grace and power of God and His Holy Spirit, can surpass it!

Yours in spirit and script,

Grace

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