You don’t know these artists. Truth is I don’t know most of them yet, either. Who are they? They’re the writers who will be published in the first issue of Greater Sum. 

“And what’s that?” you might rightfully ask. Here’s a little FAQ:

What is it?

It’s a literary journal. (For you non-writers or non-MFA folks, it’s a magazine, a book, a collection of stories by a bunch of writers. Here is one brief history/description, and here is another.)

We’ll publish twice yearly in print, with occasional content online. The goal is to provide a forum for work about a particular subject matter and to prompt discussion and reflection thereon.

How is it different from the bazillion other literary journals out there?

For one, it’s specifically focused on the idea of faith. Not in the Judeo-Christian line, necessarily, though that’s my own background. We want content that explores, demolishes, analyzes, longs for the idea of faith. There are some other journals doing this, but Greater Sum is for prose only. (We have nothing against poets; we also don’t publish many other forms of writing.) We believe good art and faith can and should mix.

Why are you doing this?

It’s simple, really. I love writing and editing. I have skills and gifts that can be put to use. See, in addition to being a full-time dad, I run an editorial and consulting business called Corder Creative. I work for a living. Most of my clients are businesses, but I have a few individual writers/authors I work with, and I love those close artistic relationships. I spent a couple years as senior editor at a small publishing house and have worked on several lit journals over the years, and there is nothing more gratifying to me both personally and professionally than establishing a good relationship with a writer and helping that writer make their work better.

Plus, Greater Sum fills a niche that other journals aren’t right now. And, too, let’s be honest: The bar for “Christian art” is set unbelievably low. It’s time to raise our standards.

What do you want from me?

Your undying love and support, of course. Mostly I want you to read it when we publish the first issue in the spring. (You can even buy a copy through the convenient link to our Kickstarter project on www.agreatersum.com!) I want you to tell people who read and write about the journal. We need more submissions and we need more subscribers. I want you to share this post. And I want you to pray for this endeavor.

Why are you doing a Kickstarter?

Because publishing a journal isn’t exactly free, and I’d like to pay the contributors. Right now we can’t afford to do that on top of the basic administrative and production costs. But I also see the Kickstarter as a litmus test: Does the world want and need a journal whose aim is to promote great writing and great faith? You tell me.