The Prairie Times is always looking for new writers! It doesn’t matter if you’re five or ninety-five, as long as you have a story to tell. All we ask is that your words inspire, uplift, entertain or leave the world a little better than you found it.
Charity Bishop enjoys nurturing new talent and helping established voices refine their work. She accepts up to 6 stories per author per year.
📌 What We’re Looking For
We publish material from all ages (our youngest writer was six!) and across a variety of topics. Here’s what we accept:
✅ Family-Friendly Content
- No drinking, sexual content, profanity, or abuse of God’s name
- Suitable for readers of all ages
✅ Personal & Humorous Stories
- First car, childhood memories, pets, or that time your dad set the house on fire
- Clean humor—make us laugh or cry!
✅ Inspirational & Thoughtful Content
- Pieces that stir the reader’s spirit and imagination
- Life lessons, triumphs over adversity, wisdom, or gentle encouragement
✅ Historical Nonfiction
- Nostalgic stories
- Local history, old west heroes, cowboys, ranchers
- A “simpler time” tone (not necessarily better, just different)
✅ Creative Lifestyle Content
- Practical ideas for relationships (e.g., “how to stay in touch with a grandchild six states away”)
- Animal stories (but end before the pet dies—Charity doesn’t want to cry before lunch!)
🚫 What We Do Not Accept
- Hunting stories (the editor and our readers love animals)
- Rants or negative pieces
- Profanity or angry political essays
- Full autobiographies (pick one incident or theme instead)
🖋 Submission Guidelines
- One submission at a time, no more than 8 stories per year
- Include your name and address on every manuscript
- Email to: charity at prairietimes.com
- Mail to: Prairie Times Editor, Box 880, Byers, CO 80103
Think Ahead:
Issues fill up 5–6 months in advance. If submitting holiday or seasonal content, send it six months before publication.
Example:
- Valentine’s stories = submit in mid-winter
- Summer stories = submit in spring
- Autumn & holiday stories = submit in summer or early fall
💵 Payment & Rights
We pay by final word count, after editing and post-publication (usually 2–3 weeks after the issue date). We buy first-time rights, which means we can reprint your story in future issues without additional payment.
| Final Word Count | Payment |
|---|---|
| 400 words | $5 |
| 500 words | $10 |
| 600 words | $15 |
| 700 words | $20 |
| 800 words | $25 |
| 900 words | $30 |
| 950+ words | $35 |
| Over 1,000 words | $35 |
Tips for Writers
- Focus on the story, not the facts—enhance details for dramatic effect
- Your goal is to entertain; good writers know when to exaggerate
- Learn from your editor; notice what changes are made to your drafts
- Never send your first draft—send your final, polished version
- Choose wisely; only the best submissions are accepted