Wednesday, March 11, 2009
A Book of Miracles
Chicken Soup for the Soul, A Book of Miracles, with co-author LeAnn Thieman, is looking for true stories showing signs and wonders God is performing today. We invite people of all faiths to share their stories of ordinary people whose lives are transformed by wondrous events. Whether a "Divine coincidence, " an appearance of God, or answered prayers, this book will show God's miracle power in action, alive and very active in the world today!
Please share your heart-warming, humorous and powerfully moving stories of no more than 1,200 words.
Here are some suggested topics, but we know you can think of many more:
*"Divine coincidence"
*Healing
*Angels
*Everyday miracles
*Safety and Protection
*Visions and Voices
*Heavenly Connections
*Overcoming Obstacles
*Intercession of Saints
*Power of Prayer
*Holy Spirit
*Signs from Above
If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of the book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright and the rights to your story.
SUBMISSIONS GO TO http://chickensoupforthesoul.com/form.asp?cid=submit_story.
DEADLINE IS MARCH 31, 2009. Book is scheduled for publication in 2010
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Surfing's Greatest Misadventures: Volume 2
We are seeking stories, articles and essays on the general subject of surfing misadventure for publication in Surfing's Greatest Misadventures: Volume 2. We are looking for nonfiction, first-person surf stories of bad judgment calls, pranks, comical/ironic episodes, disaster, attacking predators, misfortune, injury, loss of wit or limb, panic, critical conditions, contest meltdowns, everyday fears, surf trips gone wrong or the out-of-water episodes that surround surfing. WeĆ¢€™re looking for well-written stories that tell a good tale, reflect a culture, and develop the depth of the characters involved. We also like stories that have a tight narrative tension and a payoff at the end. Open to writers and surfers of any level. There is no fee or cost to submit a story.
What do we mean by surfing?
We include the following types of wave riding: surfing, body boarding, bodysurfing, tow-in surfing, wind surfing, kiteboarding and other forms of wave riding on a board.
Payment
Writers will be paid $100 and four contributor copies upon publication if their story is selected for publication.
Book Description
The true stories in this one-of-a-kind collection cross the spectrum from terrifying to comical to downright bizarre. Prepare yourself for the most gripping and unbelievable stories about big waves, shark attacks, tsunamis, boating disasters, devastating wipeouts, pranks, and bad judgment calls. These thirty tales, by surf journalists, filmmakers, magazine editors, watermen, and everyday surfers, illuminate the less enchanting aspects of a life committed to surf.
For more info: http://www.casagran depress.com/ surfing2. html
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned From the Cat
Cats have always been wonderful companions and playmates that brighten and enrich our lives but they are also amazing teachers. We want cat lovers, both lifelong and reluctant, to share the lessons they have learned about life from their furry companions. The stories in this book will delight readers with the often humorous, heartwarming, poignant and always inspiring lessons taught to us by our feline friends and family members.
We are looking for true stories and poems written in the first person of no more than 1,200 words. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both. Remember, these stories should be about lessons learned from your cat rather than general stories about your cat.
If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story.
SUBMISSIONS GO TO
http://chickensoupf orthesoul. com/form. asp?cid=submit_ story.
The deadline for submissions is March 31, for publication in September 2009.
CONTACT US
Please do not reply or send questions to this address. For any further questions or correspondence, contact webmaster@chickenso upforthesoul. com or visit our website at
http://www.chickens oup.com.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
All About Eve
Eve - the first woman - some call her Pandora. Both the Christian and ancient Greek myths make her the reason man was plagued with the ills of the world. Whether in convincing Adam to taste of the fruit of the forbidden tree of knowledge or in giving in to her curiosity and opening a forbidden box that contained all of the plagues.
Well, it’s time she had a chance to tell her story.
WolfSinger Publications is looking for stories about the first woman created by the gods. Be imaginative and draw on more than just the traditional Christian and Greek stories. Let her tell her side of the story - whether she was manipulated and tricked into her actions or whether she acted willfully and in full knowledge of what her actions might bring. Or maybe - just maybe she acted out of spite for some wrong done to her.
Tell us her side of things - make the reader look at the old myths and stories in a new light and also at the differences in the genders in a new way.
BTW: Don’t forget about Lilith either - in some stories she was Adam’s first wife, before Eve.
Stories should be 3000-5000 words long.
Payment will be $5.00 plus equal share of 50 percent of royalties
Please send your submission to editor@wolfsingerpubs.com as an .rtf attachment.
Put “Eve Submission: ‘Title - Last Name’” in the subject line.
Deadline is 31 August 2009 (planned for a November/December release)
Preferred genre is Fantasy, but most will be considered if the story works. Please no erotica.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Destination Future
Publisher: Hadley Rillie Books
Submission Guidelines:
We are looking for Science Fiction stories, particularly Hard SF, Space Operas, Alien Worlds, Alien Encounter, Exploration, and Quest Stories. (We prefer not to receive alternative and historical fiction, fantasy, steampunk, or horror for this anthology, but other than that it's pretty open.
Length: 3000 – 6000 words
Electronic Submissions Only. Send as an attachment to an email message. Microsoft Word .doc file is preferred, or .rtf is okay (please contact us if you need to make arrangements for another format). Please virus scan your document before sending.
Email Your Story To: submissions.future [at] gmail [dot] com
Important: Place Destination Future in the subject line
For more information visit their website: http://www.hadleyrillebooks.com/DestinationFutureSubs.html
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Chicken Soup for the Soul: True Love
101 Heartwarming and Humorous Stories about Dating, Romance, Love and Marriage
Everyone loves a good love story. And we all love stories about how the love started and blossomed.
Join us in a fun new book about dating, romance, love, and marriage, scheduled for publication in January 2010, just in time for Valentine's Day.
We are looking for true stories and poems about your soulmate, your true love, the one that got away, and all the ups and downs of your love life. Stories can be serious or hilarious, or both.
We prefer stories and poems written in the first person of 600-1,200 words. Stories should not be pre-published unless in very small publications.
Here are some suggested topics, but we know you can think of many more:
Dating adventures - the good and the bad
How you met
Internet searching and dating
Speed dating and other strategies
When did you know?
Proposals
Wedding stories
Parental pressure and support
Pressure and support from children
Senior dating and love at a certain age
Making marriage work
Second chances
If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story and you will retain the right to resell it.
SUBMISSIONS GO TO
http://www.chickens oupforthesoul. com/form. asp?cid=submit_ story
DEADLINE IS May 31, 2009.
Teen relationships will be covered in a future book, so please do not submit them for this book.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Butcher Knives & Body Counts
From meat cleavers and machetes to summer camp carnage and sorority house massacres, from final girls and scream queens to demented deviants and dead teenagers, slasher films turned body counts into box office gold. It’s the oft-maligned - but surprisingly durable - sub-genre of horror films that uses a Freudian rulebook and bases the survival rates of its characters on vice and virtue. From the low-budget aesthetics of the 70’s and 80’s to the self-referential gloss of the 90’s and beyond, Butcher Knives & Body Counts will explore the archetype of the slasher film and trace its evolution from formula to franchise. From the inventive kills and the gory intestine spills right down to the last tagline and toe tag, Butcher Knives & Body Counts will celebrate the enduring formula, frights, and fun of slasher movies.
The project will be less a “guide” - what most would immediately associate with encapsulated reviews - and more a comprehensive collection of critical essays on the slasher film genre. In addition to opportunities for analyses of individual films, DSP is also looking for essays on various aspects of the slasher film genre. We anticipate those essays dealing with individual films to be in the 1,000- to 1,500-word range, with a slightly larger word range and some added flexibility for essays pertaining to the more general aspects of the genre.
As we did with our Unspeakable Horror anthology, Dark Scribe Press has established a dedicated blog for the project where submission guidelines, tips, and announcements will be posted. We have also posted at left of the blog a list of films already covered and a “wish list” of films we’re looking to have covered. We also offer some suggested topics that will give potential contributors an idea of what we’re open to in relation to the broader essays.
Butcher Knives & Body Counts: Essays on the Formula, Frights, and Fun of the Slasher Film will be a comprehensive non-fiction collection of essays on the slasher genre and its films, due for publication by Dark Scribe Press in the first quarter of 2010.
We’ve taken great care to compose submission guidelines that are detailed and as all-encompassing as possible. Please take the time to read through the following guidelines in their entirety before contacting us with questions.
We have two primary needs for this project:
I. Essays on Individual Films: 1,000 to 1,500 words on individual slasher films. Please note the lists at left which provide a directory of films already covered and those we’re especially interested in. This second list is not all-inclusive of our interests and we are open to essays on slasher films not on our list.
There are three distinct elements that we are looking for in the essays covering individual films:
* A strong angle or approach to the film. This angle should be clearly communicated within a catchy, creative subtitle;
* Passion for the film and the writer’s ability to articulate the film’s enduring appeal and how it contributed to the genre;
* A balanced integration of film theory/commentary and tribute/personal anecdote. We want to read essays in which the writer connects with a chosen film in a personal way.
Considerations before Submitting:
* We are not looking for encapsulated reviews. Elements of plot synopsis should be well-integrated into the essay and inconspicuous to the reader;
* We are open to single essays that take on two films, if the films have a direct relation such as sequels or remakes.
II. Essays on the Slasher Genre: 1,000 to 2,000 (query first for longer) words on the slasher genre or elements of the genre. We are looking for engaging essays that explore the formula and psychology of the slasher film, the history and evolution of the slasher, individual elements of the slasher, the influence of the slasher film in popular culture, the sociological exploration of the slasher from alternate perspectives (i.e. race, religion, sexual orientation), sub-genres of the slasher (subhuman slashers, hospital/medical slashers, summer camp slashers, etc.), comparative analyses that examine originals versus remakes (see above) or take on particular characters (villains, victims, or heroes/heroines), and trends in the slasher genre (i.e. remakes).
There are two distinct elements that we are looking for in the essays covering individual films:
* Ingenuity of topic and approach to subject matter is going to impress us. Think sub-genres and narrow (versus obscure) focuses;
* We want thought-provoking essays that take a more learned, well-read style than scholarly textbook approach to the subject matter. Think well-articulated pop culture versus academic recitation, cerebral but accessible.
General Tips:
* Passion will be key for any writer interested in becoming part of this project. We love slasher films - so you won’t be able to fake your enthusiasm(!).
Payment: $0.05 (five cents) per word for original essays upon contract for FNAR. $0.02 (two cents) per word for reprints. For the purposes of payment consideration, works having previously appeared as part of blogs and other electronic or web-based publications will be considered reprints.
Submission Specifics:
Reading Period:
* Exclusive Call Period: In our efforts to support and encourage support of the professional writing organizations working on behalf of dark genre literature, members (at any level) of the following writing organizations will have a two-month exclusive submissions period beginning November 1st through December 31st: Horror Writers Association (HWA), International Thriller Writers (ITW), Mystery Writers of America (MWA), and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). Writers of these professional organizations should note their affiliation and status in their cover letters. Writers from other professional writing associations not listed above should query first.
* Open Call for Submissions: We welcome submissions from all writers beginning January 1st, 2009.
* The submission period ends April 30th, 2009.
Notification of Writers:
* Email confirmations will be sent upon submission. If you do not receive a confirmation that your submission has been received after two weeks, first check your Spam folder and then drop us a line. We’ve also taken the time to create this project-specific blog in an effort to communicate with writers. Please bookmark the page and check back for updates on where we stand with submissions.
* Expect to hear back on your submission(s) between 60 and 90 days from the date of confirmation. Essays will be either accepted or rejected outright, or we may ask to hold an essay until the end of our reading period. We realize that 6-8 months is a long period to ask to hold onto a particular essay, but because of the nature of this project we anticipate several submissions per film. At DSP, we realize that a writer’s time is money. If you receive an email from us asking to hold onto your submission until the end of the process and don’t want to tie up your work that long, simply let us know and we’ll take the piece out of consideration and release it back to you with our best wishes.
Formatting Submissions:
* Send as Word attachments only - do not send submissions in the body of an email or as any other type of attachment
* Use Courier, 12-point font
* Single space body of essay
* 5-space indent at beginning of new paragraphs
* No manual page or section breaks
* No extra spacing between paragraphs - the 5-space indent will tell us where a new paragraph begins
* Use 1-inch margins - this includes top, bottom, left and right
* Film titles within essays are to be italicized - do not use all caps or bold
* Working title of essay center on first page - do not use italics or all caps, no quotations
* For film essays, title should include film title and subtitle that communicates the angle of the essay separated by a colon.
Examples:
Curtains: Paging Agatha Christie
A Nightmare on Elm Street: No Sympathy for This Devil
* No headers or footers
* No page numbers
* At the top of the first page in the left-hand corner, single-spaced, please include the following information:
Name
Street Address
City
State
Zip Code
Email Address
Word
Count (body of submission, excluding title)
Multiple / Simultaneous Submissions:
* We will accept multiple submissions. Limit of (3) submissions per author. Send up to three at one time, but kindly wait until you hear back on one or more of your submissions before sending another.
* No simultaneous submissions.
Sending Submissions:
* Include a short cover letter in the body of your email with the film or topic your submission covers, 2-3 sentences describing the essay’s unique perspective, and a brief bio. For those submitting between November 1st and December 31st, please note your professional writing organization affiliation.
* Our plans for this project include interspersing first-person blurbs and anecdotes about the various films covered in between the essays. Kindly note any connections or contacts you may have with anyone involved with a specific film. While helpful to us, this is in no way a prerequisite to submission.
* Send submissions via email only to DSPsubmissions(at)AOL(dot)com.
Questions:
* Questions? Hopefully, we’ve covered all bases with these guidelines. If not and there is a pressing need for information, you may contact us at darkscribepress(at)AOL(dot)com. Due to time constraints, it may not be possible to answer questions individually. We will, however, compile questions and answer them here on the blog. Bookmark and check back often.
* Please do not email us asking if a particular film has been covered. Once we have made a final decision regarding an essay dealing with a particular film, the title will be added to our “Films Already Covered” list at left. Until then, all films are fair game. Again, check the blog often. If we receive a dozen essays dealing with The Burning, we may note that on the blog to discourage additional submissions on that film.
* Please note that queries about specific films are not required prior to submission. Films are not being “assigned” to particular writers (unless by invitation) and all films are up for grabs. There is no “first come, first served” aspect to the process. Writers are simply invited and encouraged to write about whichever film(s) or topic(s) interest them and to submit their best work. There will be an editorial selection process, meaning (for example) that if four essays are submitted on the film Motel Hell, we will choose the one that best fits our criteria and needs and will pass on the other three. As with most open calls for submissions, this is a competitive process versus calling dibs.

