Another Niche Opportunity

I just came across this Call for Essays for a book about being single and Catholic. The deadline is April 30, which is very close, but the essay length is 500 words or less. Something that could be whipped up in a hurry and still adequately revised in 6 weeks time. The call includes a list of provocative questions to get the juices flowing, too.

I’m not sure if I’m qualified to submit to this market right now, since I’m newly (and unexpectedly) in love and spending much more time pondering relationships than singlehood these days. Even so, I want to say THANK GOD that this book is being written. As someone who has been Catholic since they day I was born (or maybe baptized?) and single for most of my adult life, I’m all-too-aware of the invisibility singles experience in Church settings. I attended church alone for years, and never once did anyone approach me to learn who I was. All the “women’s” events at my parish were really events for wives and mothers. And despite living a very full and fulfilling life, I couldn’t always keep the insecurity of somehow being “less than” at bay (less pretty? less mature? less compassionate? or the big fear lurking at everyone’s core — less lovable?).

This book will be like water in a desert to Catholic, perhaps all, singles. And ultimately, that’s what’s most precious to me about books, and writing: the ability they have to make us feel less alone. When I speak to teenagers for my library job, I often assure them that, no matter what they’re experiencing and how alone it makes them feel, there’s probably a book written about it — proof that someone else has been there, has thought about it. When it comes to this issue, I have been there, and I’m so glad that someone is writing about it.

Put Those Poems to Good Use

I just entered three of my poems from National Poetry Writing Month into WEbook‘s poetry contest. WEbook calls themselves the “American Idol” of creative writing. Essentially, it’s a vast web community of writers and readers who write, upload, read, and critique the user-generated content on the site. From time to time, WEbook publishes the projects that receive the best reviews.

I signed up for my WEbook account months ago, but I’ve only started poking around there recently.  Submissions for the poetry project opened on June 15 and will close on August 1, when the voting will begin. That means I submitted my poems relatively early — yet, they still were plopped at the end of a LONG line (23 pages) of already-submitted poetry. My hunch is that the earlier you submit, the better, because there are going to be LOTS of poems to peruse, and probably many voters who won’t keep reading till the end. But there’s still plenty of time for you to throw your own poetry into the ring!

Even if the poetry contest isn’t your thing, WEbook seems like a useful place to get diverse feedback on your work, which could be especially helpful for writers without writers groups. It also seems like a place that could swallow you up and take hours of your precious writing or working time . . . which is why I’ve resisted the urge to go there often. But it may be just what the doctor ordered for anyone with a boring sit-at-the-computer-jobs that allow for daily, web-surfing.

Submission Opportunity: Writing about Mental Illness

My sister recently alerted me to this call for creative writing submissions around the theme of depression and mental illness:

The National Network of Depression Centers is seeking art for an exhibition at our NNDC Annual Conference September 28-29, 2009

The National Network of Depression Centers is seeking art for an exhibition at our NNDC Annual Conference September 28-29, 2009. This event focuses on the field of Psychiatry and simultaneously offers a platform for interaction of professionals from various fields.

This exhibition will focus on how art can be used as a resource for education and outreach programs to raise awareness about mental health (e.g. depression, bipolar, anxiety, mood disorders etc.). Art on or about mental health, emotional art, or therapeutic art are welcome, as are conceptual pieces regarding these topics.  Work in any 2-D or 3-D media, as well as creative writing, may be submitted.

NOTE: This exhibition is planned to tour nationally from late summer 2009 until mid 2010.  Only work that is available for loan for the entire duration of the tour will be considered.  Work will be insured by the NNDC during the exhibition.

Submissions accepted by email only. Send up to 5 JPEGs (Mac & PC compatible), with slide list including media and dimensions, plus a no more than 200 word artist statement to Lindsay Stern at lastern@nndc.org

DEADLINE:  June 5, 2009

Artists will notified of selection by June 30, 2009.

For more information on the National Network of Depression Centers, visit www.nndc.org

I expect this exhibit to display some stunning work, as researchers continue to investigate the link between creativity and mental illness. Although it’s not quite as well documented, I’m also a firm believer in the healing power of creativity. I’m not sure if I’m going to submit something or not, but I encourage those who feel moved to do so. There’s no telling the healing, connection, compassion, and awareness your creativity might bring.

Last minute markets: Scripts and Poetry

In honor of ScriptFrenzy and NaPoWriMo, here are a couple last-minute markets for scripts and poems.

Scriptapalooza

fee: $45, prize see below, Deadline is April 15th, 2009

Must be 18 or older to enter. Any genre will be considered.

Multiple submissions are accepted, but one application form and entry fee must be attached to each entry.

Each submission must include the following:
- The completed entry form
- The appropriate entry fee
- The completed feature screenplay

Scripts must be in English, between 80 and 140 pages long. Pages must be numbered on standard format paper bound with two or three brads.

Winners receive a cash prize and possible agency representation.send: Complete MS

looking for: Screenplay

Marsh Hawk Press Poetry Prize

fee: $20, word count: 48-70 pages, prize $1000, Deadline is April 30th, 2009

Submit a manuscript of 48-70 pages of original poetry in any style in English. The manuscript must not have been published previously in book form, although individual poems appearing in print or on the web are permitted. Entries may consist of individual poems, or a book-length poem—or any combination of long or short poems.

Submitted manuscript must contain 2 title pages: Name and contact information should appear on first title page only. Name should not appear anywhere else in the manuscript.

Manuscript should be typed, single-spaced, paginated, and, if sending by regular mail, bound with a spring clip.

Include a table of contents page and an acknowledgements page for magazine or anthology publications.

Enclose an SASE for announcement of the winner. (If submitting electronically a receipt will be emailed to you immediately after a successful upload of your manuscript.)

Manuscript cannot be returned.

Postmark deadline: April 30, 2009.

If submitting by regular mail include a check or money order for $20 entry fee, payable to MARSH HAWK PRESS.send: Complete MS

looking for: Poetry

AND I tried to embed the nifty WordHustler “Submit to This Market” widgets and couldn’t for the life of me get them to work. This is not the first time trying to embed html in WordPress has gone awry, so if anyone has tips, I’d love to hear them! (And yes, I DID switch to HTML version to embed the code).

How to Cheat During NaPoWriMo

After confessing that I was stressing about a poem a day, a friend left a comment with this site that would allow NaPoWriMo cheating, if one does so desire. Here’s the poem I got:

A mountainous range stood before the cold Little Red Riding Hood
Scoff not at my vile remarks elastic fiend
Crushed by the evil eyelash he laughs at the feeble beagle.
Stars filled her mind–it was if sea slugs were creaming her head.
All were in a circle of juggling horns of death–stiff and satiny,
Pools remain from the violet killer whale
How easily did the dream come apart, like Indian summer in one’s stomach
She tossed and turned, her delighted leg flapping uselessly,
So deal not with this once thy glorious surfer chick.

I’m going to try writing a series of real Little Red Riding Hood poems in hopes of generating something for this call for submissions.

Submission Opportunity: Unsent Letters

On Jenny‘s advice, I just started reading the Freelance Home Writer blog, and I found the coolest submission opportunity EVER there yesterday. Apparently some peeps are putting together a book and a blog of Unsent Letters — and they’ll pay you if they select your letter for the blog OR the book, up to $250. Now, this is the kind of submission opportunity that I’d like to see more of — one in which I have TONS of backlogged content that fits the requirement. See, I’ve been an introvert and a writer most of my life, so I’ve always used unsent letters as a way to process my feelings and capture interactions. Add a couple years of therapy and the fact that this anthology accepts FICTIONAL letters, and I have enough unsent letters to fill my own book. I’m resisting the urge to go into the “attic” and dig through old letters because the ladder is not all that stable and I found myself dangling off the edge of it the last time I went up–not fun! Unfortunately, you can only submit one at a time and must wait to hear back from them before submitting another. Apparently the folks who are putting together this anthology were aware that there are people like me out there!

Twilight Makes its Second Appearance

I recently found out about the following call for proposals:

Bitten by Twilight: Youth culture, media, and the Twilight saga

Edited by Melissa Click, Jennifer Stevens Aubrey, and Lissa Behm-Morawitz

Proposal deadline: April 10, 2009

The editors seek essays that explore Stephenie Meyer¹s wildly popular Twilight series. We are particularly interested in essays that explore the cultural significance of the Twilight phenomenon and its impact on youth culture. The collection will feature scholarly work from a diversity of theoretical and methodological perspectives, including: analyses of the series¹ messages, production and marketing processes, and audiences. We welcome work from a wide variety of disciplines, including: communication, sociology, cultural studies, psychology, religious studies, and gender
studies.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

–Representations of gender, race, class and sexuality
–Religion, morality, and values
–Feminist and anti-feminist themes in Twilight
–Intended and unintended audiences
–Fans and anti-fans
–Genre and vampire/werewolf folklore
–Relationship models (romantic, friendship, and familial)
–Space and place in Twilight
–Celebrity culture and Stephenie Meyer, Robert Pattinson, and Kristen
Stewart
–Translation of the series for the screen
–The Twilight franchise

This collection will be proposed to Peter Lang’s “Mediated Youth” series.

Please email a 250-word proposal, short bibliography, brief author¹s bio, and contact information to Melissa Click at clickm@missouri.edu by April 10, 2009.

Notification of accepted proposals will be made by May 15, 2009. First chapter drafts of 6000 to 8000 words will be due in early fall 2009.

While I certainly have a lot to say about Twilight, I have to admit that I’m a little intimidated by the academic tone (and not sure I want to read the rest of the Twilight saga to back up whatever claims I may make!) Still, I’m doing a lot of academic editing these days, and 250 words is so short. I might just whip something up and worry about pulling it off if the proposal gets accepted. The Mediated Youth series is awesome, and I look forward to seeing what comes from this call even if I don’t participate.

Submission Opportunities

Just when I think I’m going to settle into a long stretch of just me and my novel, another submission opportunity comes my way, reminding me of my New Year’s Resolution. So, while I don’t have ideas for either of these, I’m hoping I might be able to shake something loose anyway.

• Woman’s Day/ALA essay contest – has the library helped you save money? Interestingly enough, I have no idea what the “prize” for this contest is, although there must be money involved based on the language in the contest terms.
• Stories from “lesbian” Catholics about their spiritualities. Lesbian gets quotation marks because I’ve contacted the editor asking whether stories from bi women are welcome, and she said they are. This particular call isn’t posted online anywhere, so I’m going to link to where I posted it in the bisexual LJ community I belong to. Added bonus: a little bit of drama in the comments, oh yeah!
• And although I’m not going to enter it, I’ll post this poetry contest here in case any of my readers would like to exploit it.
• And while I was digging through my e mail for that contest, I came across this contest that I had no idea I had. It looks like I can really  milk the queer experience for all it’s worth! (You can, too, even if you’re straight–this particular call welcomes that, too).

And if you had any interest in yesterday’s post regarding entry-level freelance writing, make sure you check the comments, too, where Jenny left some more great insight. I’m amazed at her ability to churn-out article-level stuff on demand. But I guess that’s a skill content writing will leave you.

Two down, four to go

Well, I finally did it: I just sent of my short story submission to QueeredFiction. It feels liberating to have it gone. Now it’ll be someone else’s problem for a while.

Although I didn’t blog about it here, a few weeks ago I queried The Writer magazine about a head-hopping article. Unfortunately, they didn’t bite, but now I’ve still officially submitted to two publications. I’ve got four to go to make my New Year’s Resolution, and the year is still young.

Too bad I don’t write horror (I don’t even read it), because QueeredFiction has a new call for submissions out:

Call for Submissions: Blood Fruit (Queer Horror)

Open call for submissions for a Queer Horror Anthology – Blood Fruit – to be published by QueeredFiction where speculative genre is queered. Deadline is 31st May 2009.

Queer, dark, macabre tales of horror, (blood and gore and rotten fruits welcome) are sought by QueeredFiction.  Chill us with your horrifying, sensual tales of gay and lesbian terror. Your submission should be a short story between 4,000 and 10,000 words. We are seeking fiction with positive images of queer characters. We’re not looking for clichés. We do not want reprints. We are seeking first world rights for this anthology which will be published as an eBook and in Print format.

Your submission should be via email to editor@queeredfiction.com with Blood Fruit Anthology submission in the subject line. Please embed your short story within the body of the email and provide a brief author bio. Payment will be a 50% royalty split of eBook sales between contributors.

Submissions open: 1st March 2009 to 31st May 2009
Reading period begins: 15th May 2009

As a queer publisher, QueeredFiction would like to have an emphasis on the queer community as a whole, rather than by segments. So ideally the perfect submission would have ‘queer characters’ in the forefront and in the background … just mainly prominent!

Queries can be directed via the QueeredFiction blog.
The contract for the QueeredFiction anthologies are available upon request.

Weekend Writing Opportunity

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend (ha! does anyone have free time at this time of year?), these two poetry contests should keep you busy–they both have deadlines next week, but if you have a pretty collection ready to go, they could definitely be worthwhile.

#1: Gival Press Poetry Award

Deadline is December 15th, 2008

fee: $20

prize $1000

Theme: Completely open.

Eligible Poets: Open to all, national and international poets.

Language: English.

Forms or Style of Poetry: Original work, not a translation of someone else’s poetry. Open to any form or style; simply good poetry.

Length of Manuscript: At least 45 typed pages of poetry, on one side only.

Status of the Winning Manuscript: The manuscript as a whole shall not have been published before. However, include an acknowledgment sheet to indicate any previously published poems in the collection (poem/journal/date). It is the responsibility of the poet to secure the right to publish previously published poems.

Format for Submission: Include a separate cover sheet with name, title of manuscript, address (street, city, state, electronic mail), and phone number. The poet’s name should not appear on the pages of the ms. The numbered pages should be clipped together.

If the manuscript wins, the poet must make the manuscript available to Gival Press on an IBM-compatible disk or CD in Rich Text Format (RTF)—this refers to how one saves the document on one’s computer disk. A short bio should be included.

Always keep a copy of your manuscript; materials will not be returned and will be recycled after the judging.
#2: Crazy Horse Lynda Hull Memorial Prize

Deadline is December 16th, 2008

fee: $16

size: 3-5 poems

prize: $2000

Crazyhorse publishes the entire spectrum of today’s fiction, essays, and poetry—from the mainstream to the avant-garde, from the established to the undiscovered writer. Each year Crazyhorse offers the Crazyhorse Lynda Hull Memorial Poetry Prize for a single poem. The competition is open, the prize awards are currently $2000 and the winning piece of poetry is published in Crazyhorse.

More than one manuscript may be entered. For each poetry manuscript entered, please include the following reading fee, which includes a one-year/two-issue subscription to Crazyhorse: $16 per manuscript for new entrants, $14 per manuscript if you have entered the Crazyhorse prizes before. For each additional poem entered and entry fee paid, your subscription to Crazyhorse will extend by one year/two issues.

Please mail manuscripts and entry fee payment by Dec. 16, 2008. Each entry should have a cover page placed on the top of the manuscript with the entrant’s name, address, e-mail, and telephone number; please do not include identifying information on the manuscript itself, as all manuscript entries are made anonymous for review.

Include reading fee payment with each entry: a check written out to “Crazyhorse.”

Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for notification of winners; entry manuscripts can not be returned; receipt of entry can only be confirmed by including a self-addressed stamped postcard with your entry or by USPS delivery confirmation.

(I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that these opportunities were brought to my attention via Wordhustler, one of the best resources for writers on the web.)