Erika Dreifus

Seal Press plans to publish an anthology, Single State of the Union: Single Women Speak Out about Life, Love and the Pursuit of Happiness (to be edited by Diane Mapes) in spring 2007.

Single State of the Union seeks well-written essays that are revealing, rewarding, wry and that give voice to the good, bad and ugly of life as a single woman in a society that idealized–even fetishizes–marriage. This particular collection is not so much looking for stories about dating or the search for love (at least in the traditional sense) but stories of life, liberty, and our individual pursuits of happiness, whether through music, misadventure, motherhood, or all of the above. Essays from women of all ages (18-88) and all situations (single, dating, ‘living in sin,’ recently married, divorced, widowed, etc) are welcome–as long as they are on point.

Submission deadline: August 1, 2006.

For the full announcement and guidelines, click here.

(Just received this list of manuscript needs for the popular Cup of Comfort anthology series from editor Colleen Sell. Note that the information is not yet posted on the Cup of Comfort site, where you can also check out sample stories, but will be shortly.)

“CALL FOR INSPIRING PERSONAL STORIES

A Cup of Comfort is a popular anthology (book) series featuring inspiring true stories about the extraordinary experiences of “ordinary” people. We are currently seeking submissions for three new volumes:

A CUP OF COMFORT FOR WRITERS

Only another writer can truly understand what it’s like to aspire to become and to be a writer. For this anthology of true stories celebrating (and commiserating) the writing life, we seek compelling, insightful, and exceptionally well-written personal essays from writers of every persuasion and level of experience.

Possible themes include but are not limited to:
* Mentors or teachers
* Overcoming challenges in becoming a writer, in your life as a writer, or in the
writing process
* Milestone(s) in your journey to become a writer or as a writer
* Discovering and/or heeding the call to become a writer
* Writers groups; the camaraderie of other writers
* Why you write
* Transcending self-doubt, fear, criticism, rejection
* What writing has taught you about life
* What life has taught you about writing
* Discovering/following your muse; what inspires your writing
* Best or worst writing experience and what you learned/gained from it
* Finding/making time/space to write

Submission Deadline: July 31, 2006
See submission specs, below.

A CUP OF COMFORT FOR DOG LOVERS

As any dog lover will attest, dogs are, indeed, our best friends… and so much more. They’re also our helpers, heroes, champions, teachers, and beloved family members. For this volume, we seek heartwarming true stories that speak to the amazing bond between dogs and the people who love them. Stories can focus on any experience/theme that demonstrates how a dog has inspired and/or enriched the life/lives of a human(s).

Possible themes include but are not limited to a dog’s:
* Devotion and loyalty
* Courage
* Amazing feats
* Role as a member of a family or community
* Companionship
* Therapeutic effect on a human
* Unique relationship with a person
* Unique relationship with another pet or animal
* Inspirational effect on one or more people
* Amusing, endearing, exceptional ways

We do NOT want sad stories about a pet’s suffering or death. However, stories can be about the life of a dog that is now deceased and can include a fond farewell to a lost pet—provided the story isn’t solely about the pet’s death.

Submission Deadline: August 31, 2006
See submission specs, below.

A CUP OF COMFORT FOR SINGLE MOTHERS

As Oprah Winfrey has often said, parenting is the most difficult and important job in the world. It can be even tougher for single mothers, who face all the usual parenting challenges plus another whole set of unique ones. But single motherhood — whether by choice or by chance — also brings many untold rewards, for both moms and children. For this collection of personal essays celebrating single mothers, we seek uplifting true stories about the joys and the difficulties of single mothering. The majority of stories selected for publication will be written from the single mother’s point of view, but we will also consider stories written by the children of single mothers as well as by third parties with intimate knowledge of (and the permission of) the single mother and her child(ren).

Possible themes include but are not limited to:
* Juggling the myriad responsibilities of single motherhood
* Raising sons or daughters solo/without fathers
* The support of family, friends, other mothers
* Having/navigating adating/romance/social life
* Hard lessons learned
* Busting myths about single mothering
* Defying stereotypes about single moms and/or children of single moms
* Overcoming adversity
* Self-acceptance and self-respect in a society that sometimes disparages single mothers
* Unconventional wisdom(s) gained
* Blessings, joys, and rewards of being a single mother or the child of a single mothers
* The unique bond between a single mother and her child(ren)
* The courage, resilience, ingenuity, devotion, accomplishments, and/or integrity of a single mom
* Why you chose single motherhood (if by choice) and how you’ve made it work
* The unexpected and/or under-recognized advantages, joys, and/or rewards of being a single mother or having a single mother

Submission Deadline: December 31, 2006
See submission specs, below.

SUBMISSION SPECS

* $500 grand prize (one per book); $100 (each) for all other stories published
* Author receives one complimentary copy of book
* Story length: 1,000 to 2,000 words
* Stories must be original, true, uplifting, typed, and in English
* Simultaneous submissions acceptable
* Previously published material acceptable–EXCEPT for stories that have been or will be published in a widely distributed, mass market anthology or magazine
* Each submission must include the following:
Author’s name
Author’s mailing address
Author’s phone number
Author’s email address
Story title
Story wordcount

* Submit by email or mail:

EMAIL: In the subject line, cite the Cup of Comfort volume (i.e., Dog Lovers). Copy and paste (or type) the story into the body of the email (no attachments. One story
per email. Send to: cupofcomfort(at)adamsmedia(dot)com or wordsinger(at)aol(dot)com

MAIL: You can send more than one story per envelope. Include self-addressed, postage-paid envelope for each submission. Send only the paper copy of the story; do not send computer disks or CDs. Mail to:
Cup of Comfort
Adams Media
57 Littlefield St.
Avon, Massachusetts 02322, USA

Please direct questions and suggestions to: cupofcomfort(at)adamsmedia(dot)com or wordsinger(at)aol(dot)com. We cannot accept phone calls.”

Copyright 2001-2006, Adams Media Corporation, an F+W Publications Company. Reprinted by permission. (Thanks to the Renegade Writer blog for the lead.)

This just in from Camille Cusumano:

Greece, a Love Story anthology by Seal Press is still open to submissions AND the deadline is extended to July 1.

See www.sealpress.com under Submissions, (also pasted in below).

If you’ve already sent a story and I acknowledged its receipt, no need to inquire further—I will notify you as the selection process proceeds.

Thanks for all your interest in the book,

Camille

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:

GREECE, A LOVE STORY
Women Write About the Greek Experience

Slated for Spring 2007

Greece evokes a richly embroidered tapestry of images, from old monuments rife with history to idyllic isles of glass-blue sea and blinding white stucco dwellings. The ancient Greeks, as well as the contemporary, permeate our Western culture with the unparalleled gifts of beauty and wisdom they left behind: classical literature, mythology, philosophy, rhetoric; a mind-stirring history and civilization; and a language that is musical and expressive of emotions/ideas not reflected in other languages. Vestiges of their artistic genius are huge and imposing: Greek temples, marvels of architecture such as Athens’s Parthenon and Acropolis, gracefully sculptured statues, delicate pottery. Greece, it is said, is where “art became inseparable from life.”

We are looking for twenty to thirty essays to fill this collection on the Greece that lies behind postcards. We would like personal stories that go beyond the practical travel guide and that embrace more “literary” travel writing, from writers who have been deeply affected by the country. Writers will demonstrate that they have had some kind of love affair with the country, whether with its people, cities, islands, food, history, art, or culture.

For examples of the various styles of writing that will work for this collection, see essays in the books already published in the “Love Story” series—on France, Italy, and Mexico. As with these anthologies, Greece, A Love Story will embrace every angle of love—whether of place, people, food, culture, or art—and the stories will capture the experience that changes, teaches, enlightens the author-and by extension the reader.

We are looking for strong narratives, excellent first-person writing, good storytelling, and diverse voices. Personal style and humor are encouraged.

EDITOR: Camille Cusumano was an editor at VIA Magazine in San Francisco for 17 years. She is the author of many food and travel articles and several books and the editor of France, A Love Story, Italy, A Love Story, and Mexico, A Love Story.

PUBLISHER: Seal Press, an imprint of Avalon Publishing Group, Inc.

DEADLINE: June 1, 2006

LENGTH: 2,500 to 5,000 words

FORMAT: Essays must be typed, double-spaced, and paginated. Please include your address, phone number, email address, and a short bio on the last page.

SUBMITTING: Electronic submissions are preferred. Send essay electronically as a Word or Rich Text Format file (with .doc or .rtf extension) to CAMILLE CUSUMANO at ocaramia(at)earthlink.net. Put GREECE A LOVE STORY in the subject line. If email is not possible, mail the essay to CAMILLE CUSUMANO, Seal Press, c/o Denise Silva, 1400 65th Street, Suite 250, Emeryville, CA 94608. Please direct any inquiries to ocaramia(at)earthlink.net.

PAYMENT: $100

REPLY: Editor cannot reply to every submission personally. Please allow until July 31, 2006, for a response. If you haven’t received a response by then, please assume your essay has not been selected.

Now that there are lots of little kiddies in our extended family, I have the privilege and pleasure of attending plenty of interesting birthday parties. At one little one’s celebration last month, “temporary tattoos” were part of the fun. They made quite an impression; my not-yet-three-year-old niece is still talking about them.

Too bad she can’t write yet. It seems that grownups find tattoos worth discussing, too; right now there’s a call for submissions for a volume to be titled Chick Ink: Every Tattoo Has A Story. The editor is looking for “original, true, personal stories by women on the experience of being a woman with a tattoo–the ups, the downs, and everything in between.” The publisher is Adams Media, and the submission deadline is May 31, 2006. Essays should run 1,000-1,500 words. Note: “Stories must be TRUE, we do not publish fiction or poetry.” You may submit multiple essays. Payment for selected writers will be $100 plus one copy of the book.

To read the complete call with submission instructions, click here.