Southern Illinois Writer's Guild Contest

The SIWG Writing Contest is an annual and much anticipated event. Entries are open to all persons over 18 years, or enrolled in post-secondary education. Submissions for the 2009 contest can be sent in beginning immediately. The deadline is May 1.

Prizes

• 1st Place $100
• 2nd Place $50
• 3rd Place $25, in each category.

Honorable Mentions as determined by judges. Winners will be published in the Writers Voice, the SIWG anthology, unless authors request otherwise. Winners will be notified by mail in September.

Entry Fee

Five dollars per entry, maximum of three entries per author. Check or money order only, no cash. Make checks payable to: John A. Logan College. Entries not enclosing the fee or following the rules will be discarded.

Entry Rules

1. Fiction - Any subject or genre. Nonfiction - Biography, memoir, article, or essay on any topic. Poetry - Any style or topic. (Please, no explicit sex or excessive violence.)

2. Original work of the entrant; unpublished at time of submission.

3. Page limit - Up to eight pages for Fiction and Nonfiction, one or two pages for Poetry.

4. Format - Standard manuscript format (8-1/2" x 11" paper, typed and double-spaced, 1" margins,12-point Times New Roman, pages numbered and title of entry on every page). Poetry may vary margins and spacing as needed.

5. Two copies of each entry.

6. Cover sheet for each entry, with contestant's name, address, category (Fiction, Nonfiction, or Poetry) and title of entry. Author's name should appear only on the cover sheet, not the manuscript. Optional - Provide email address for winner notification; brief bio to include with publication.

7. All winners must supply social security numbers in order to collect a cash prize. Please do not supply your SSN until you are notified that you have won a cash prize. There will be no exceptions to this rule.

Judging

Judges will be announced

Mailing Instructions

1. Postmarked no later than May 1.

2. Mail flat, not folded, with sufficient postage. Do not send by certified mail.

3. Optional - include a SAS postcard for verification that your entry was received.

4. Send to:

John A. Logan College
Attn: Student Activities C109
SIWG Contest Entry
700 Logan College Rd.
Carterville, IL 62918

• More information

Learning through History Magazine

Know anything about early Egyptian history? Like to research. Learning through History Magazine needs articles for an upcoming issue.

Egyptian New Kingdom (1570 through 1070 BC)

The deadline for submissions for this issue is April 15, 2009. Below are a few of the topics that we are seeking submissions on:

• Valley of the Kings
• Ahmose I and Egypt's Expansion
• Akhenaten, the Heretic Pharaoh
• Boy King Tutankhamun
• A Unusual Pharoah:Hatshepsut
• The City of Thebes
• Battle of Kadesh
• Egyptian Deities
• Ramses the Great
• Tomb Robbing
• New Kingdom Mummification
• Farming in the Nile River Valley
• Art During the Reign of Thutmose I
• Amenhotep III's Stone Scarabs

For more details, see complete freelance writer guidelines

Learning Through History magazine
PO Box 1858
Cranberry Twp, PA 16066

2009 Southern Illinois Writers Guild Writing Contest

Three categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry.

Prizes: $100 - 1st, $50 - 2nd, $25 - 3rd, in each category.

Entry fee: $5

Deadline: May 1, 2009

Complete information on the web.

Direct questions to Roger Poppen

2009 In Cahoots Fiction Contest

From a news release issued by the editors of Cahoots Magazine ...

Enter your story in our Second Annual Fiction Contest at Cahoots Magazine. We're looking for pieces that speak to us, are tight and well written, and carry on the spirit of this conversation we’re calling a magazine. Beyond that, the theme, topic, and style are up to you! Check out our Fiction section to see what has impressed us in the past.

Our first place prize package is chock full of fabulous products contributed by businesses, writers, and artists from the Cahoots community. The winning piece of fiction will be published in the Summer 2009 issue of Cahoots Magazine, and the winner will receive the grand prize package containing art, books, CDs, and products worth over $1000 from Cahoots Contest Sponsors! Runners-up will be published in Cahoots Magazine.

Visit the In Cahoots Contests page for a complete list of prizes.

Get your piece to us through our Submit page on the website or by mail at the address below. Make sure to include your address, phone number, and email address. Hard copy entries will not be returned as we are trying to reduce paper and unnecessary use of resources. We will be in touch via email as to the status of your entry. Please limit your piece to 1500 words. A reading fee of $15 is payable by cheque to the address below. You can send up to two stories per entry.

Please send entries and reading fees by March 15, 2009, to:

Cahoots Magazine Fiction Contest
Cahoots Magazine
P.O. Box #6025, Station Main
Saskatoon, SK
S7K 4E4
Canada

Editorial Calendar News

Experienced essayist and freelancer Dawn Goldsmith sent a note about upcoming features in the national newspaper, Christian Science Monitor, saying ...

CSM has a return email that says they need essays for Martin Luther King day and also: "We have a current and continuing need for brief, first-person stories of how you overcame financial tough times in a way that expressed generosity. For example, a child gave up his allowance to provide something for a needy child or family. Or, when money was tight, instead of not inviting friends over to eat, you figured out a way to serve festive but cheaper dishes. Keep them to no more than 400 words, if possible, and e-mail to Earth@csmonitor.com Please put "Overcoming tough times" in your subject line and be sure to include your name and location. (Note that we do not need tips on how to triumph when finances are short -- just personal experiences.) Thank you very much."

Call for Submissions and Contest: When Doctors and Lawyers Connect—and Collide

For a collection to be published by Southern Methodist University Press, Creative Nonfiction is seeking new essays written by or about doctors and lawyers, exploring the two professions’ similarities as well as their divisions and points of conflict. What intrigues, interests, or annoys doctors and lawyers—and, potentially, others—about each other? The objective of this project is to capture the complex relationship between these two professions.

Essays must be vivid and dramatic; they should combine a strong and compelling narrative with a significant element of research or information. We’re looking for well-written prose, rich with detail and a distinctive voice.

Creative Nonfiction editors will award $2,500 for Best Essay.

Guidelines: Essays must be: unpublished, 5,000 words or less, postmarked by March 15, 2009, and clearly marked “Doctors and Lawyers” on both the essay and the outside of the envelope. There is a $20 reading fee; $25 includes a 4-issue CNF subscription. Multiple entries are welcome ($20/essay) as are entries from outside the U.S. (though additional subscription postage costs do apply; email information@creativenonfiction.org for rates). Please send manuscript, accompanied by a cover letter with complete contact information, SASE and payment to:

Creative Nonfiction
Attn: Doctors and Lawyers
5501 Walnut Street, Suite 202
Pittsburgh, PA 15232

Please email any questions to information@creativenonfiction.org. Information can also be found on our website.

A Quick Hit at Cup of Comfort

Cup of Comfort of Christmas Prayer
January 6, 2009 deadline

This book will consist of true, uplifting stories and devotionals with a Christian Christmas theme.

The devotionals should consist of a short one-page thought between 350-400 words related to a spiritual principle or concept as it applies to your experiences (past and present), your thoughts and feelings about Christmas and, of course, your memories of Christmas.

The stories (1200-1500 words) will explore the same themes and principles found in the devotionals, but in a different structure. Although the stories will have a strong Christian message, they still need to contain the basic elements of a captivating short story. These elements include a beginning, middle, and end. There must be conflict and resolution, as well as compelling dialogue and emotion, against a backdrop of action and human drama.

Your submissions may be light-hearted or serious but, most importantly, they should be insightful and inspirational. We try to avoid too many stories related to illness, but if you have one without too many details under positive parameters, we will consider it.

The book will cover the 25 days leading up to Christmas Day (December 1-December 25), and then, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" leading up to January 6. For this reason, I would like your devotionals and stories to represent topics that cover this time period. I will need a wide variety of stories and devotionals that deal with the weeks leading up to Christmas Day as well as the days that follow.

We will issue you a permission contract surrendering the rights of this story to sole use by the publisher. It also may not be previously reprinted by any major publication. If accepted, we are offering a $50 dollar one-time fee for stories and a $20 one-time fee for devotionals, to be paid upon publication. You may send as many stories and/or devotionals as you like, but please keep in mind, I want to see your best work, and I will use only one story per contributor and up to five devotionals per contributor

• All correspondence, including submissions, should be sent to Susan B.Townsend .

Call for Submissions

Learning Through History magazine is seeking submissions, with a deadline of December 21, 2008.

Can you write about ... ?

• War of the Austrian Succession
• The Leadership of Maria Theresa
• Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven in Vienna
• Reforms of Emperor Joseph II
• Francis I of Austria - The First Emperor of Austria
• Seven Weeks War
• Baroque Architecture
• Tour of the Ringstrasse
• The Last True Emperor: Franz Joseph
• Johann Strauss the Waltz King
• Budapest: The Second City
• Vienna's Giant Wheel
• Horses of the Spanish Riding School
• Christian Doppler and The Doppler Effect

• For more details, see complete freelance writer guidelines

AKW Books

Al Kalar, Acquisitions Editor for AKW Books, sent this note ...

Our company HQ is in the mighty metropolis of Elma, WA ... However, our operation is international in scope. One of our editors lives in northern BC Canada and we've received manuscripts from all continents except Antarctica. Since we deal in eBooks exclusively, our employees don't have to commute to the office, just to wherever they've stashed their computer ... we're a "start up". It took a year to put this organization together and we're very pleased with the response we're getting from the writing community now that we're accepting manuscripts. Our standards are high and ... We offer one of the best and "loosest" contracts in the industry. Authors can still submit their books to more traditional publishers even while we're selling the e-version and after six months, they can leave or duplicate their eBook offerings ... We have two books listed and another that will be available today or tomorrow. We also have contracted for two more that the authors have almost completed ... If someone has self-published, that isn't a disqualifying event as long as the writing is good and the work has market potential.

• We invite authors with completed manuscripts to submit for consideration.
• We pay 50% on net sales (after discounts such as Book Club and volume discounts).
• Our list prices are generally under $5, but the final price is up to the author.
• We do not charge for publication. We're definitely not a vanity press.
• We only contract for exclusive e-rights for 6 months. You can still chase Random House et al. After 6 months, you can stay with us, go elsewhere, or do both.
• We're primarily interested in new authors, but we're not picky if the manuscripts are good. We've been "newbies" ourselves and know how hard it can be to "break into print" without going the vanity route. That's the main reason we got into the business.
• No porn or erotica, please.
• For complete information, go to the company's website.

We also have a blog on how to get published. Most of the advice in it is probably "old hat" to your members. However, if anyone would like to participate in discussions, I'm sure they could enrich the understanding of the "go it alone" crowd. We try to have something new on it every Tuesday.

Writing Opportunity for History Buffs

Learning Through History magazine
PO Box 1858
Cranberry Twp, PA 16066



Upcoming Topic and Deadlines
Vol. 7, Issue #1 - The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

The deadline for submissions for this issue is October 21, 2008.

Below are a few of the topics that we are seeking submissions on:

• West African Slave Coast
• Triangular Trade
• Cape Coast Castle
• Middle Passage: Journey to the New World
• Slave Auctions
• Destination: The Caribbean
• Plantation Life
• Southern Colonies: From Indentured Servitude to Slavery
• The Slave Codes
• Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion
• Amistad
• Slave Songs of the United States
• The Abolitionist Movement
• Frederick Douglass
• The Dred Scott Decision

• For more details, see complete freelance writer guidelines

Call for Submissions: The Healing Power of Giving

• CALL FOR PERSONAL ESSAY SUBMISSIONS FOR BOOK
• Topic: THE HEALING POWER OF GIVING
• Submission Deadline: November 29, 2008

Book Description

29 Gifts the story of how 29Gifts.org founder, Cami Walker, healed from a major illness by taking an unusual prescription from a South African medicine woman. The remedy? Give 29 gifts to others in 29 days. Midway through Cami's 29 days of giving, after seeing many miraculous changes in her life, she launched a website encouraging others to take the 29 Gifts Challenge and share their stories about how it impacted their lives. Six months and 1,765 committed givers later, Cami was contacted by a major publisher and decided say yes to their request and write a book. The book is schedule for release Fall 2009.

SUBMISSION DETAILS
Authors whose stories are chosen for publication in the 29 Gifts book will receive a one-time payment of $200.

Selected contributors also get a brief bio at the end of their story and a link to their 29Gifts.org profile page. On your 29Gifts.org profile page, readers can learn more about you, leave comments for you about your story, and link to your website.

How to Submit:

1. SIGN UP for the 29 Gifts Challenge at http://www.29Gifts.org
2. Give away 29 gifts in 29 days. Your gifts can be ANYTHING given to ANYONE -- smiles, kind thoughts, old sweaters, cans of soup, spare change...
3. Write and submit a story that is 2,500 words or less about how it impacted your life to focus on giving for 29 days
4. Email your story in the BODY of an email to story@29Gifts.org

• NO ATTACHMENTS, please
• Put STORY in the SUBJECT LINE of your email
• Include your FULL CONTACT DETAILS: first and last name (as you want it published in your byline), phone number, mailing address, email address and the link to your 29Gifts.org profile at the TOP of your email and the story below that.
• Guidelines
  

Cup of Comfort Call for Submissions

A Second Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers

Oh, how we humans love our canine companions -- for so many reasons and in so many ways that one Cup of Comfort collection of uplifting dog stories just wasn’t enough. So we’re giving all you dog-loving writers another opportunity to share your personal stories of canine comfort with a growing legion of dog-loving readers. This volume will feature both serious and humorous anecdotal stories covering a wide range of topics and perspectives and varying breeds of dogs. We do NOT want sad stories about a dog’s illness, injury, or death, though we will consider stories that weave a beloved pet’s illness or death into an otherwise positive story. The story should focus on the dog’s remarkable attributes and/or actions as well as on the special relationship between the dog and his/her human(s).

• Dog Lovers 2 submission deadline: December 15, 2008

A Cup of Comfort for the Grieving Heart

When a loved one passes away, comfort is often fleeting and hard to come by. Yet, even a small comfort, like a personal story of how someone has faced a similar loss, does help to ease the sorrow. This volume will feature uplifting personal stories that reveal the special relationships and extraordinary experiences shared by the deceased and his/her loved one(s) immediately before, during, and after the loved one’s passing; it will also includes stories about the internal and external processes by which one deals with and heals from the loss of a loved one. The stories will vary with regard to subject matter, circumstances of death, and the relationship of the author to the individual who has passed away. The book will not include eulogies, profiles/memoirs of people who have passed away, or clinical depictions of death and dying.

• Grieving Hearts submission deadline: February 1, 2009

Basic Guidelines

All Cup of Comfort stories must be original; true; appropriate for mainstream Americans (adult, primarily women); inspiring, comforting, and/or uplifting; and 1,000 to 2,000 words.

Creative nonfiction and narrative essays preferred (that is, incorporating such fictive elements as scene, dialogue, character/plot development, imagery, and literary word usage). Whether serious or humorous, the story should be authentic and engaging.

Electronic submissions preferred. One submission per email. Copy and paste (or type) into body of email. No formatting (no indents, centering, doublespace, bold, underline, etc.).

Mailed submissions are acceptable. Standard typed manuscript (double-spaced, indents). Send as many submissions per envelope as you’d like, but include one SASE per submission. To: Colleen Sell, 71563 London Rd., Cottage Grove, Oregon, 97424, USA.

Each submission must include: author’s full name, mailing address, email address, phone number, story title, story wordcount, and theme of volume for which it is being submitted (i.e., Grieving Hearts).

Literary Cottage Call Update

I have been receiving a number of Dog Hero stories and must offer a caution: Please avoid writing stories that focus on your or your dog's illness, or your beloved pet's demise. Just as with traditional Hero stories, the publisher will only allow four stories per volume that include illness or death (of the dog hero or his/her master). While we like stories that pack an emotional punch and bring a tear to our eyes, think endearing, poignant, or humorous (I rarely receive enough humorous stories) rather than melodramatic. Please write, instead, about your dogs while they are alive and well and what made him/her so special.

Also, I really, as in really, need Woodstock stories. If you can find someone who attended, or have any ideas how I could reach a wide swath of baby boomers, please let me know. If you plan to send a story, please let me know so I won't panic every day. Please send it to anyone who might have attended Woodstock in 1969, or anyone who might know someone who did. If they aren't a writer, I will help them craft their story, or you can interview them (questions are on link below) and write an "as told to" story.

CALL FOR WOODSTOCK STORIES

Literary Cottage is currently seeking entries for an anthology to be published by Adams Media next summer, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival. Adams Media pays $100 and one copy of the book. Literary Cottage offers prizes of $100, $75, and $50 to top three stories respectively. For WOODSTOCK REVISITED, we are seeking fifty stories (850-1100 words) written by people who attended the 1969 Woodstock Festival. This anthology will document the event itself, but will also provide a portrait of America as that tumultuous decade came to a close. Stories should be historical within the context of 1969 and yet unique to your experience. Stories must be TRUE, 850-1100 words, vivid, and substantive. Please carefully review the details and sample story provided on the "Woodstock '69 Guidelines" page available on the Literary Cottage website:

Please pass on the word regarding WOODSTOCK REVISITED, as we need fifty solid stories from people who attended the festival in 1969. You can write an "as told to" story if you have friends or family who attended. Go ahead, hunt someone down. Interview questions are posted on the link above.

"One Story"

"One Story is a nonprofit organization supported by readers like you and the New York State Council on the Arts. For more info see the donate page."

What kind of stories is One Story looking for?
One Story is seeking literary fiction. Because of our format, we can only accept stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. They can be any style and on any subject as long as they are good. We are looking for stories that leave readers feeling satisfied and are strong enough to stand alone.

Does One Story pay money?
Yes. One Story is offering $100 and 15 contributors copies for first North American serial rights. All rights will revert to the author upon publication.

Does One Story accept previously published material?
No. One Story is looking for previously unpublished material. However, if a story has been published outside of North America, it will be considered.

When can I submit to One Story?
We accept submissions from September 1 through May 31.

---

Complete guidelines ...

Literary Cottage Call for Submissions

Literary Cottage is currently seeking entries for two, exciting new anthologies to be published by Adams Media: Woodstock Revisited and My Dog Is My Hero. Please click on our website for full details.

For Woodstock Revisited, we are seeking fifty true stories written by people who attended the 1969 Woodstock Festival. This anthology will document the event itself, but will also provide a portrait of America as that tumultuous decade came to a close. Stories should be historical within the context of 1969, and yet unique to your experience. Stories must be TRUE, 850-1100 words, vivid, and substantive. Adams Media pays $100 and one copy of the book. Literary Cottage offers prizes of $100, $75, and $50 to top three stories respectively. Please carefully review the guidelines and sample story provided on the "Woodstock '69 Guidelines" page available on . HURRY - DEADLINE: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2008.

For My Dog Is My Hero, the fourth book in Adams Media's Hero Series, we are seeking fifty 850-1100-word stories featuring a remarkable dog in your life. Yes, about dogs and only dogs, not cats, or other pets. Adams Media pays $100 per story (one per volume), plus a copy of the book, and Literary Cottage will also award three prizes $100, $75, and $50 for the top three stories respectively. Please review the spelled out guidelines and sample stories on the "Hero Series Guidelines" page. DEADLINE: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2008.

Please, please pass on the word to any and all writers, friends, neighbors, bosses, etc, particularly regarding Woodstock Revisited, as we need fifty solid stories from people who attended the festival in 1969 an, due to the tight deadline, need to reach the largest audience possible in a short amount of time. You can write an "as told to" story if you have friends or family who attended.

New Book Blog Seeking Stories

A new book blog seeking stories in the Lifestyle and Entertainment category. Contact Kim Weiss, Blogmistress.

Seeking clever book-related posts ... New book blog looking for short (preferably funny) stories about your experience getting published - or NOT getting published, something that happened at your publishing job, memorable books you've read, and any other stories that tickle the fancy of the bookish. Send stories to: kimmerie@mac.com. Blog address is www.helpmewithmybook.com/blog - Keep in the 500 -1,000 word range, please.

Deadlines for Cup of Comfort

• A Cup of Comfort for Fathers

The connection between father and child can be as deep as the ocean, as strong as a mountain, and as uplifting as fresh air. For all its rewards, though, fatherhood is not without its challenges. And for all the gifts dads bring to their kids' lives, dads sometimes falter and fumble. Yet, the father-child bond forms, holds, and grows. A Cup of Comfort for Fathers will feature inspiring and insight true stories about the life-defining and life-enriching relationships and experiences shared by fathers and their children. These personal essays will be of varying topics and tones (heartwarming, humorous, poignant, provocative, etc.); about fathers and children of all ages and varying circumstances; and written by fathers, daughters, and sons.

Fathers submission deadline: August 1, 2008

• A Cup of Comfort for Parents of Special Needs

For this very special collection, we seek uplifting true stories about the ins and outs, ups and downs, blessing and challenges of parenting children with special needs. The stories will cover children of all ages (birth to adult) and a wide range of developmental, physical, and mental delays/disabilities. No matter how difficult the experiences/emotions conveyed in a story might be (we want them to be authentic, after all), the story must reveal a positive aspect, resolution, or outcome and must be of comfort to parents of children with special needs. Stories may be serious, humorous, insightful, heartwarming, or inspiring. The majority of the stories will be written by parents of children with special needs; we will also consider stories written by adult children with special needs. (No articles or commentaries by clinicians, please.)

Special Needs Children submission deadline: September 15, 2008

Basic Guidelines

All Cup of Comfort stories must be original; true; appropriate for mainstream Americans (adult, primarily women); inspiring, comforting, and/or uplifting; and 1,000 to 2,000 words.

Creative nonfiction and narrative essays preferred (that is, incorporating such fictive elements as scene, dialogue, character/plot development, imagery, and literary word usage). Whether serious or humorous, the story should be authentic and engaging.

Electronic submissions preferred. One submission per email. Copy and paste (or type) into body of email. No formatting (no indents, centering, doublespace, bold, underline, etc.).

Mailed submissions are acceptable. Standard typed manuscript (double-spaced, indents). Send as many submissions per envelope as you’d like, but include one SASE per submission. To: Colleen Sell, 71563 London Rd., Cottage Grove, Oregon, 97424, USA.

Each submission must include: author’s full name, mailing address, email address, phone number, story title, story wordcount, and theme of volume for which it is being submitted (i.e., Grieving Hearts).

Cup of Comfort Anthologies Accepting Submissions

• A Cup of Comfort for Fathers

The connection between father and child can be as deep as the ocean, as strong as a mountain, and as uplifting as fresh air. For all its rewards, though, fatherhood is not without its challenges. And for all the gifts dads bring to their kids' lives, dads sometimes falter and fumble. Yet, the father-child bond forms, holds, and grows. A Cup of Comfort for Fathers will feature inspiring and insight true stories about the life-defining and life-enriching relationships and experiences shared by fathers and their children. These personal essays will be of varying topics and tones (heartwarming, humorous, poignant, provocative, etc.); about fathers and children of all ages and varying circumstances; and written by fathers, daughters, and sons.

• Fathers submission deadline: August 1, 2008

• A Cup of Comfort for Parents of Special Needs

For this very special collection, we seek uplifting true stories about the ins and outs, ups and downs, blessing and challenges of parenting children with special needs. The stories will cover children of all ages (birth to adult) and a wide range of developmental, physical, and mental delays/disabilities. No matter how difficult the experiences/emotions conveyed in a story might be (we want them to be authentic, after all), the story must reveal a positive aspect, resolution, or outcome and must be of comfort to parents of children with special needs. Stories may be serious, humorous, insightful, heartwarming, or inspiring. The majority of the stories will be written by parents of children with special needs; we will also consider stories written by adult children with special needs. (No articles or commentaries by clinicians, please.)

• Special Needs Children submission deadline: September 15, 2008

• A Second Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers

Oh, how we humans love our canine companions -- for so many reasons and in so many ways that one Cup of Comfort collection of uplifting dog stories just wasn’t enough. So we’re giving all you dog-loving writers another opportunity to share your personal stories of canine comfort with a growing legion of dog-loving readers. This volume will feature both serious and humorous anecdotal stories covering a wide range of topics and perspectives and varying breeds of dogs. We do NOT want sad stories about a dog’s illness, injury, or death, though we will consider stories that weave a beloved pet’s illness or death into an otherwise positive story. The story should focus on the dog’s remarkable attributes and/or actions as well as on the special relationship between the dog and his/her human(s).

• Dog Lovers 2 submission deadline: December 15, 2008

• A Cup of Comfort for the Grieving Heart

When a loved one passes away, comfort is often fleeting and hard to come by. Yet, even a small comfort, like a personal story of how someone has faced a similar loss, does help to ease the sorrow. This volume will feature uplifting personal stories that reveal the special relationships and extraordinary experiences shared by the deceased and his/her loved one(s) immediately before, during, and after the loved one’s passing; it will also includes stories about the internal and external processes by which one deals with and heals from the loss of a loved one. The stories will vary with regard to subject matter, circumstances of death, and the relationship of the author to the individual who has passed away. The book will not include eulogies, profiles/memoirs of people who have passed away, or clinical depictions of death and dying.

• Grieving Hearts submission deadline: February 1, 2009

• Basic Guidelines

All Cup of Comfort stories must be original; true; appropriate for mainstream Americans (adult, primarily women); inspiring, comforting, and/or uplifting; and 1,000 to 2,000 words. Creative nonfiction and narrative essays preferred (that is, incorporating such fictive elements as scene, dialogue, character/plot development, imagery, and literary word usage). Whether serious or humorous, the story should be authentic and engaging.

Electronic submissions preferred. One submission per email. Copy and paste (or type) into body of email. No formatting (no indents, centering, doublespace, bold, underline, etc.). Mailed submissions are acceptable. Standard typed manuscript (double-spaced, indents). Send as many submissions per envelope as you’d like, but include one SASE per submission. To: Colleen Sell, 71563 London Rd., Cottage Grove, Oregon, 97424, USA. Each submission must include: author’s full name, mailing address, email address, phone number, story title, story wordcount, and theme of volume for which it is being submitted (i.e., Grieving Hearts).

Call for Submissions: "FieldReport"

This market lead comes from one of the editors of the Cup of Comfort series, who notes "I like the concept, it appears to be legit, there seems to be no risk or cost to writers ..."

It's posted here assuming it's legitimacy, but as always when the IWW Blog lists markets or calls for submissions, it's caveat emptor ...

a new web site that will award significant cash prizes for great pieces of personal writing. I’m contacting you because the site is now going into an invitation-only beta launch with $40,000 to be awarded on July 1. We don’t expect the beta period to have a very large attendance, so the odds are high that people who submit their stories now will win. I’m hoping you will either submit a story or spread the word to friends who might be interested in posting.

The site is called FieldReport, and the contest is for true-life storytelling (2,500 words or less). It is judged through a member ranking system that is new on the Internet; in order to post a story participants must become judges in the competition. This way the stories are ranked by quality, not popularity. The top prize during the beta period is $20,000 for the best overall submission, plus 17 prizes of $1,000 to $2,000 each in categories from Love + Hate to Travel + Nature and everything in between. For your submission to have the best chance in the contest, you probably need to submit within a couple of weeks.

If you think you might be interested, go to FieldReport and explore the site. The beta password is “truelife”. Let me know if you have any feedback about the site; I would love to hear what you think. Also, kindly send this invitation on, but please don't circulate it outside the writers' community.

Cup of Comfort Call for Submissions

A Cup of Comfort for New Mothers
Submission deadline: May 15, 2008 (last call)

Few experiences bring forth as many anxieties, blessings, challenges, wonders, and changes as having a baby—whether it’s your first child or fifth, your birth child or adopted child. And nothing is as miraculous as giving birth to or witnessing the birth of your baby. This heartwarming anthology will be filled with birth stories and newborn homecoming stories as well as a wide range of stories about the various experiences, emotions, and concerns involved in adding a new baby to one’s life and family. Potential topics include but are not limited to: nursing (or not), caring for a newborn, bonding/falling in love with infant, lack of sleep, relationship with spouse, how siblings respond, returning to work, balancing responsibilities, post-partum depression, self transformation, unexpected joys, life lessons, small miracles, etc. The majority of the stories will be about birth children, but the book will likely include a couple adoptive stories as well. Likewise, most of the stories will be written from the new mother’s perspective, but we are open to including a few stories written from the spouse’s or a very close family member’s perspective. All stories will be uplifting and positive, no matter how difficult the situation portrayed in the story might be. We do not want stories that simply recount misfortunes and sorrows and that do not clearly reveal a positive outcome or redeeming result (silver lining).

A Cup of Comfort for Adoptive Families
Submission deadline: June 15, 2008

The primary purpose of this book is to celebrate adoptive families and to recognize the extraordinary and challenging experiences unique to “chosen children” and their adoptive families. We are most interested in stories written by adult adopted children and their adoptive parents and siblings, but the book will likely include some stories written by members of the extended adoptive family (i.e. grandparent) and birth family members. Virtually any topic relevant to adopted children and their adoptive parents is acceptable—as long as it is authentic, positive, insightful, and uplifting or inspiring. We do not want heartbreaking stories about adoptive or birth families that regret the adoption. All of the stories in this collection must reveal a positive aspect of adoption and must bring comfort, joy, or inspiration to those who have been adopted and/or to the families who adopted them—no matter how difficult the experience and emotions portrayed in the story might be.

A Cup of Comfort for Fathers
Submission deadline: August 1, 2008

The connection between father and child can be as deep as the ocean, as strong as a mountain, and as uplifting as fresh air. For all its rewards, though, fatherhood is not without its challenges. And for all the gifts dads bring to their kids' lives, dads sometimes falter and fumble. Yet, the father-child bond forms, holds, and grows. A Cup of Comfort for Fathers will feature inspiring and insight true stories about the life-defining and life-enriching relationships and experiences shared by fathers and their children. These personal essays will be of varying topics and tones (heartwarming, humorous, poignant, provocative, etc.); about fathers and children of all ages and varying circumstances; and written by fathers, daughters, and sons.

A Cup of Comfort for Parents of Special Needs
Submission deadline: September 15, 2008

For this very special collection, we seek uplifting true stories about the ins and outs, ups and downs, blessing and challenges of parenting children with special needs. The stories will cover children of all ages (birth to adult) and a wide range of developmental, physical, and mental delays/disabilities. No matter how difficult the experiences/emotions conveyed in a story might be (we want them to be authentic, after all), the story must reveal a positive aspect, resolution, or outcome and must be of comfort to parents of children with special needs. Stories may be serious, humorous, insightful, heartwarming, or inspiring. The majority of the stories will be written by parents of children with special needs; we will also consider stories written by adult children with special needs. (No articles or commentaries by clinicians, please.)

A Second Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers
Submission deadline: December 15, 2008

Oh, how we humans love our canine companions -- for so many reasons and in so many ways that one Cup of Comfort collection of uplifting dog stories just wasn’t enough. So we’re giving all you dog-loving writers another opportunity to share your personal stories of canine comfort with a growing legion of dog-loving readers. This volume will feature both serious and humorous anecdotal stories covering a wide range of topics and perspectives and varying breeds of dogs. We do NOT want sad stories about a dog’s illness, injury, or death, though we will consider stories that weave a beloved pet’s illness or death into an otherwise positive story. The story should focus on the dog’s remarkable attributes and/or actions as well as on the special relationship between the dog and his/her human(s).

A Cup of Comfort for the Grieving Heart
Submission deadline: February 1, 2009

When a loved one passes away, comfort is often fleeting and hard to come by. Yet, even a small comfort, like a personal story of how someone has faced a similar loss, does help to ease the sorrow. This volume will feature uplifting personal stories that reveal the special relationships and extraordinary experiences shared by the deceased and his/her loved one(s) immediately before, during, and after the loved one’s passing; it will also includes stories about the internal and external processes by which one deals with and heals from the loss of a loved one. The stories will vary with regard to subject matter, circumstances of death, and the relationship of the author to the individual who has passed away. The book will not include eulogies, profiles/memoirs of people who have passed away, or clinical depictions of death and dying.

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All Cup of Comfort stories must be original; true; appropriate for mainstream Americans (adult, primarily women); inspiring, comforting, and/or uplifting; and 1,000 to 2,000 words. Creative nonfiction and narrative essays preferred (that is, incorporating such fictive elements as scene, dialogue, character/plot development, imagery, and literary word usage). Whether serious or humorous, the story should be authentic and engaging. Electronic submissions preferred. One submission per email. Copy and paste (or type) into body of email. No formatting (no indents, centering, doublespace, bold, underline, etc.). Each submission must include: author’s full name, mailing address, email address, phone number, story title, story wordcount, and theme of volume for which it is being submitted (i.e., Grieving Hearts).