Chicken Soup Stress Anthology

Deadline for this Chicken Soup title is August 7 and payment is $200.

*Chicken Soup for the Soul: Say Goodbye to Stress!
Manage Your Problems, Big and Small, Every Day
*Everyone feels stressed out at some point in their lives. Many people have trouble getting their stress under control and are looking for help. We're seeking stories about people who have felt or feel stressed out, found a way to resolve their stress, learned to rethink their stress, improved their lives by handling stress, etc. We are interested in normal Chicken Soup for the Soul stories on this issue. Your stories will provide the inspiration and comfort to those who are stressed out, and Dr. Brown will provide the hard medical facts.

Here are some possible story topics, just to get your creative juices
flowing:

* How you managed the stress of a new baby
* How you got through a divorce
* How you held it together while planning an elaborate wedding with 300 guests
* What advice would you give to someone who has a difficult work situation
* What got you through tough financial times without falling apart
* How you learned to let go of anxiety and worry
* How you turned stress around and made it work for you
* Learning meditation helped you feel calmer and more focused on the important stuff
* Silver linings
* And any other topic you think would be helpful to someone else who wants to get their stress level under control

*SUBMISSIONS GO TO: http://chickensoup. com

Non-fiction Colorado Anthology

Stephen J. Leonard (Metropolitan State College of Denver) and Thomas J. Noel (University of Colorado at Denver ), General Editors

The University Press of Colorado is accepting manuscripts for publication in Timberline Books, a series of nonfiction prose works about the state of Colorado . Books in the series will be selected from across a variety of fields, including architecture, the arts, biography, communications, economics, education, ethnic studies, gender studies, geographies, government, history, institutions, literature, recreation, religion, sociology, sports, tourism, and transportation.

Submissions should be addressed for the series and directed to: Darrin Pratt, Acquiring Editor & Director University Press of Colorado 5589 Arapahoe Ave. #206C Boulder , CO 80303

All proposals for the Mesoamerican Worlds Series should follow the press submission guidelines , and submission will be evaluated by the press acquisitions staff, the series editors and/or editorial board, as well as outside experts.

A Quiet Shelter There Anthology

A Quiet Shelter There

An anthology of speculative stories about companion or service animals.

Submissions Guidelines

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Mahatma Gandhi

A Quiet Shelter There. An estimated four million unwanted dogs and cats are euthanized every year in the United States.
Throughout the country, animal shelters, humane societies, and other rescue groups are working to change this by helping
homeless animals find forever homes, healing those that are sick or injured, providing training and socialization for those that
need it, and working toward a future in which there are no more homeless pets. This anthology directly benefits one of those
shelters, Friends of Homeless Animals (http://www.foha.org), which has rescued and placed dogs and cats in the Washington
D.C. metro area since 1973. In 2010, even with limited funding due to the downturn in the economy, FOHA found homes for
350 dogs and 150 cats, including hard-to-place FIV positive cats, and they routinely house over 100 dogs and 50 cats at
their shelter in rural Northern Virginia. 70 percent of the profits for A Quiet Shelter There will be donated to FOHA--other
shelters across the country will be able to buy the book at a discounted price if they want to use it for fundraising.

We are looking for: Stories about companion or service animals. We expect most of the stories to be about cats or dogs,
but will not rule out stories that deal with other animals. We will accept fiction and poetry only. No essays. No nonfiction
articles. Preference will be given to speculative fiction: science fiction, fantasy, horror, magical realism, etc. But we will also
consider other kinds of fiction, including (and especially) humor. While we welcome poetry submissions, we will probably not
use very many poems in the book. The submission can be from an animal's point of view, or it can be a more traditional
story that features or deals with animals in some way. We are open to seeing what you have to offer--just don't make us
work too hard trying to figure out how your story fits our theme. (Please query if you aren't sure if your idea will work within
the guidelines. Email address is below. Put QUERY in the subject line.)

Electronic submissions only: Do NOT send attachments. Emails sent with attachments will be deleted unread. Send the
story in the body of the email. Please double space between paragraphs, single space your text, and put some kind of
indicator between sections--no other fancy formatting is required. Please do NOT press Enter at the end of each line--let the
words wrap naturally. We will acknowledge receipt of each submission. If you do not receive an acknowledgement within five
days, please query to see if we received your sub (glitches do happen).

Please include a short bio of yourself with your submission, 100 words or less. New authors will definitely be considered, so
if this will be your first sale, don't be afraid to say that.

No simultaneous or multiple submissions.

Query first before submitting reprints.

Submissions must be in English, and contributors must be 18 or older.

Submission dates: May 1 to August 31, 2011.

Length: 1000 to 4000 words, query for longer or shorter.

Payment: By PayPal. $10.00 US for stories, $5.00 US for poems--you may choose to donate your payment to the shelter.
You will also receive one copy of the book; extra copies of the book will be available at a special author's price.

Other Important items: Stories will be judged based on merit. You do not have to have been published for your story to be
accepted, but we strongly recommend that you have the story critiqued or workshopped and please send good, tight, clean
prose. The editor has certain preferences--even, dare we say it, quirks (read: strong biases). Check out her blog to see
comments on these and read updates on anthology submissions.

No media tie-ins such as Star Trek (R), etc. (only the studios can authorize those) will be accepted. No using someone
else's literary creations (Big Red, for example) unless you are sure it is in the public domain (and can point us to where it
says it is--most literary characters are not: heirs have a habit of renewing copyrights).

We’re not looking for anything beyond mild language unless absolutely crucial to the plot. No gratuitous sex or graphic
violence. This book will be for all ages.

Where to send your submission:

Editor: Gerri Leen

FRIGHTMARES! FLASH FICTION ANTHOLOGY CONTEST

Submission to this anthology is open to all writers, published or unpublished as long as you hold the copyright to your story. The story style does not matter as long as it is a horror tale and does not exceed 500 words. Submissions for Frightmares! will be accepted until the volume has been filled. They estimate a release date of Fall 2011 which means a closing date of approximately July 2011. Five authors will be awarded cash prizes.

1st Place - $100
2nd Place - $50
3rd Place - $25
4th Place - $15
Random Drawing - $50

For more information visit the Frightmares website.

Downstate Story Journal

Deadline: 30 June of each year

Writers Guidelines:

* Downstate Story is published every fall. Each issue contains 10 original short stories and original illustrations. We accept a variety of genres so that every reader who looks at Downstate Story will find something fascinating.
* The deadline is always June 30.
* Meanwhile we also promote Downstate Story, as well as the reading of fiction in general. We hold readings, and our writers have read and been interviewed on radio and TV.
* As a not-for-profit venture, our goal is to break even financially through sales, so that Downstate Story can support itself and need not depend on subsidies, grants or advertising - though we're flexible, and not ruling these out entirely. People can help by mentioning Downstate Story and similar publications to friends, encouraging libraries to order copies, or buying copies for themselves or friends. It costs $8, postpaid in the USA, and makes a good gift. Add $2 more for non-USA postage. You can reach an order blank at the end of this page.
* We encourage potential contributors to buy a copy to support the magazine, and to become familiar with it.
* Story guidelines, in general: short fiction or narrative written to the standards of fiction, under 2000 words, never published before. Shorter is better. We prefer some connection with Illinois or the Midwest. We also need illustrators. All contributors are paid $50 on acceptance for their work. We buy first rights, including Internet publication. Anyone can submit work.
* Please enclose an SASE for a response. In this age of cheap copies we do NOT return manuscripts. We do NOT accept e-mail manuscripts, but we REQUIRE correspondance via e-mail for the speed and cost savings. If you plan to send us a manuscript, be sure you have access to e-mail. All manuscripts should have a valid e-mail address, as well as a valid phone number on the manuscript itself!
* We notify all authors of our decisions in late fall. Don't call us -- we will notify you!

Send manuscripts to:

Downstate Story
1825 Maple Ridge
Peoria, IL 61614

Questions? Email ehopkins7@prodigy.net

Beta City, POW!erful Tale

The first book about the superhumans of Beta City, POW!erful Tales, cast a wide net. Their authors spun a wide variety of tales--humorous, exciting and tragic. This collection will hopefully be just as varied, but with a more focused over-arcing plot.

POW!erful Tales ended with the threat of an alien invasion--and the implication that meeting this threat was the reason for Beta City's existence. In this volume, the threatened invasion from Gehenna (also known as Jupiter's moon, Io) arrives on Earth, and only the heroes of Beta City can stop it.

They are looking for finely-crafted tales of superhero fiction, set during the invasion of Beta City. The forces attacking from Gehenna are diverse and cosmopolitan, so any alien rabble you can dream up can be used. Their methods are up to you -- classic spacecraft assaults, subtle sorcerous schemes, and unspeakable horrors let loose in dark alleys are all fair game. Whether your preference leans toward science fiction, fantasy, horror, or something else entirely, your story can find a home here. Similarly, while they love well-written superpowered action, they don't want to fill the book entirely with tales of hero vs. alien combat. With the invasion as a background, all sorts of stories are possible -- consider how many different kinds of stories have been set during World War II, from Saving Private Ryan to the Indiana Jones films to Casablanca. Find your own angle, and surprise them!

That said, stories need to keep the following invasion timeline in mind. While an ingenious story will get you past almost any requirement, you have to fit into the book somewhere. Your story should take place during one of the sets of events listed in the timeline below. You can stretch your story across more than one if you desire, but it's not recommended; doing so makes it harder to place your story, and lowers your chance of acceptance. Also keep in mind that they will probably need more stories from the middle than from either end; stories set at the beginning or end of the invasion will probably have fewer competitors, but will be competing for fewer spots.

INVASION TIMELINE

1. The first ships arrive. Stories set in this period should start with things relatively normal, and in some manner touch on the chaos as the invasion begins and no one yet knows what is happening.

2. Conventional forces, aided by superheroes, attempt to stave off the invasion before it can get a foothold on the ground -- and fail.

3. The invasion fleet has landed. Superheroes continue to fight on their own, or conduct guerilla actions as the Gehennan forces establish themselves in Beta City. Why is Beta City so important? Apparently it sits on the one place on Earth suitable for the construction of... (see #4)

4. The invasion has succeeded and Beta City is occupied. Citizens march off to work camps to construct a huge pit in which Kharsear plans to create a new singularity to swallow the Earth. Heroes do what they can, particularly to sabotage the singularity project. For the most part they are disorganized and working solo.

5. The resistance becomes organized. Superheroes (perhaps working with surviving military or even some of their old supervillain enemies) have become resistance cells, and are working together to disrupt the occupation.

6. The resistance launches a counterattack. Together the heroes assault the occupation headquarters on a do-or-die mission to finish off Kharsear or drive him away. Note that the main story dealing with the counterattack has already been assigned; submitted stories can take place at the same time, but the final battle itself will be resolved elsewhere.

WHAT THEY DON'T WANT

One thing they're not looking for this time is the ironic, tongue-in-cheek sort of superhero story that brings out the various tropes of the genre in order to poke fun at them. Those kinds of stories can be enjoyable -- they published a few in POW!erful Tales -- but for this book they're looking for stories that take the genre seriously and try to make it cool and exciting. Light-hearted and comedic are acceptable, but try to work within the genre.

Another unacceptable category is fan fiction. No characters (or anything else) owned by third parties, please. Not even the most vague or oblique reference is acceptable. They love the classic heroes of comics too, but they're not authorized to include them here.

FORMATTING YOUR SUBMISSION

Include a cover letter in the body of your e-mail with a brief (and I do mean brief) bit about yourself and your publication history. Please indicate in which part of the timeline your story is set (just the number from the timeline is enough).

Word Limit: 1000 - 8000 words
Deadline: March 15, 2011
Payment: 1 cent per word + 1 contributor’s copy
Reprints: No
Multiple Submissions: No
Simultaneous Submissions: No
Postal Submissions: No
Format: Use standard manuscript format. If you don’t know what this is, find out quickly.

Send the story as an .RTF file to betacityantho@gmail.com with the story title, your name, and the word count in the subject line. You should get a “story received” email within a week. After that, you may not hear from me until submissions close. Stories may be rejected before the deadline, but no stories will be accepted until after the deadline. You may only get one shot, so send in your best work!

CANDLE IN THE ATTIC WINDOW

Candle in the Attic Window, an anthology of Gothic fiction, will open to submissions January 1-February 28, 2011. Do not send any submissions before this date. Yes, they mean it.

The anthology will be available in print and as an e-book in 2011, and is edited by the eldritch duo of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Paula R. Stiles. Cover art work is by Nacho Molina Parra.

What They Want

Remember those Gothic paperbacks of the 60s? Yes, the ones featuring the heroine in the white gown running from the creepy mansion. Well, they want her (or it could be him) back!

They are seeking tales and poetry of Gothic horror. While they will consider different time periods, they are not fixed on only exploring an English Victorian country manor. They want a variety of settings. Can you do Gothic Brazil? Gothic Malaysia? How does Gothic take shape in the modern, blue-glass towers of Vancouver? Show us how the terror-stricken governess can morph into the computer programmer that discovers a deadly secret in Hong Kong. Or transport us to 18th century Moscow, where that candle burns bright – and deadly. They want Gothic tales reimagined for a modern audience.

Take the classic Gothic and shake it up a bit. Surprise us. But most of all, scare us.

Further fiction guidelines below. For poetry, send up to three poems pasted in the body of the e-mail with a cover letter. Poems paid at $10 CAD per poem. A physical contributor’s copy and e-book copy are provided.

Length

Short fiction (2,000 words) to novelette (10,000 words). Keep in mind they have a payment cap of $70 CAD, so your long novelette might be better served by finding another home.

Payment

One cent per word (minimum $30 CAD) up to a maximum of $70 CAD; one physical copy of the anthology and one e-book copy.

Payment made via PayPal or Canadian check upon acceptance.

They are purchasing first English print and electronic rights for the anthology.

Reprints

Considered, with a few caveats:

1. Indicate where and when the story was originally published in your cover letter.

2. Reprints offered should not be easily available in print or online.

3. Payment is a flat $30 CAD for reprints.

If you published it in a small collection in 1985 and it’s no longer on the market, that’s fine. If it was published in a German magazine and never translated to English, they’d like to see it. If it appeared in a now-defunct zine, that’s okay, too. If it was in a recent issue of an English-language zine that is currently online, no.

Submitting

E-mail them at innsmouthfp AT gmail.com. Subject line: Gothic Antho, [Title of your Story, Author's Name]. The subject line is important; otherwise, the story might go into the wrong pile.

Do not send simultaneous submissions. Do not send more than one submission because they will not consider more than one at a time and will make you resubmit any simultaneous submissions after they answer on the previous one. If they reject one story, you can send another one.

Include a cover letter with the story word count, salient writing credits and any reprint information (if applicable). Yes, they do read cover letters, so please include the information (Paula gets cranky when stories arrive sans byline, title or cover letter).

Attach story as RTF (preferred) or Word document. Use standard manuscript format. Italics as italics, bold as bold. No fancy fonts.

Stories can be sent in English, French, or Spanish.

Submissions are accepted from January 1-February 28, 2011. Do not send anything before or after that date. If you do, they will ignore it.

They will reject some stories as they come in and send others to the hold pile. Final story selection will take place in March 2011.