(Received via e-mail on October 2, 2007, and reprinted with permission)
Six Great Publishing Opportunities for Great Personal Stories
Comfort is on the way for:
Loved Ones of People with Alzheimer’s (last call)
Divorced Women (deadline extended)
Breast Cancer Survivors (with Redbook Magazine; deadline extended)
Military Families (new)
New Mothers (new)
Adoptive Families (new)
The bestselling A Cup of Comfort book series is now seeking submissions for these six new anthologies. Stories must be true, original, positive, narrative essays (creation nonfiction), and 1,000-2,000 words. Entrants pay no fees. Writers’ guidelines: http://www.cupofcomfort.com/share.htm.
A Cup of Comfort for Loved Ones of People with Alzheimer’s (last call)
What happens when the person who raised you or the person with whom you raised your children slowly becomes a child who doesn’t know you? What if that loved one changes so drastically that he or she is virtually a stranger to you? What if that person is difficult to deal with and requires substantial assistance? How will the reality of having a spouse or parent with Alzheimer’s affect you and your family—emotionally, financially, physically, socially, personally, professionally? The inspiring stories in this collection will answer those questions and more—and will show how love prevails and how lives thrive when a spouse or parent has Alzheimer’s.
Submission deadline: October 1, 2007 (but will accept stories through Oct. 10)
$500 grand prize; $100 each, all other published stories; plus copy of book
A Cup of Comfort for Divorced Women
Divorce in the 21st century should come with an instruction manual, a release valve, and a support system. This anthology will serve essentially those three purposes, in the form of comforting, insightful, and inspirational stories about surviving and thriving during and after divorce. We seek uplifting, contemporary stories on a wide range of topics of importance to divorced women—including but not limited to: dating, children, relationship with ex, in-laws, finances, friends, solitude, personal transformation, healing, revenge, mending fences, the ex’s new wife or lover, empowerment, rediscovery of self. Most, if not all, of the stories published in the book will be written by women who are or have been divorced. Stories can be poignant, irreverent, humorous, witty, or wise.
Submission deadline: November 10, 2007 (extended)
$500 grand prize; $100 each, all other published stories; plus copy of book
A Cup of Comfort for Breast Cancer Survivors (with Redbook Magazine)
It has been said that “stories are medicine” and that “one of the most valuable things we can do to heal one another is to share our stories.” This collection will include inspiring and uplifting personal essays about the experiences and emotions of living with—and living after—breast cancer. Possible story themes include but are not limited to: diagnosis, treatment, emotional impact, support systems, healthy lifestyle practices, emotional healing, coping mechanisms, impact on loved ones, effect on friendships, effect on career/work, effect on romance/intimacy, life lessons learned, personal transformation, silver linings, gratitude, triumph over trials, body image, and more. All themes and writing styles considered, as long as the story is positive.
Submission deadline: December 31, 2007 (sooner is better)
**Exclusively for the Breast Cancer Survivor volume, the Cup of Comfort publisher, Adams Media, is working in partnership with Redbook Magazine and will award a $5,000 grand prize, $5,000 donation to the Susan G. Fomen Breast Cancer Foundation in the grand prize winner’s name, and a bonus prize to each of three runner-up stories. An announcement about the Redbook/Cup of Comfort contest appears in the October 2007 issue of Redbook.**
A Cup of Comfort for Military Families (new)
It has been said that military life is “not for the faint of heart.” But neither is it without its benefits and blessings. One thing is certain: it is an experience like no other—for both the soldiers and their families. For this book, we want positive stories about how military life affects the personal lives of service men and women (enlisted and officers), how family affects soldiers’ on the job, and how military life affects family members (primarily spouses, children, and parents but also siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts/uncles, fiancés, etc.). Any situation or subject that is significant and/or unique to military personnel and their loved ones is acceptable. Our goal is to compile a collection of inspiring or uplifting stories that cover a wide range of topics and reveal a variety of perspectives, experiences, and emotions specific to military families. Stories may be written by the service man or woman or a close family member; military service may be current, recent, or past.
Submission deadline: March 1, 2008
$500 grand prize; $100 each, all other published stories; plus copy of book
A Cup of Comfort for New Mothers (new)
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).
Submission deadline: April 1, 2008
$500 grand prize; $100 each, all other published stories; plus copy of book
A Cup of Comfort for Adoptive Families (new)
The primary purpose of this book is to celebrate adoptive families and to recognize the extraordinary and challenging experiences that are unique to “chosen children” and their families. We are most interested in stories written by adult adoptive children and their adoptive parents and siblings, but the book will also likely include some stories written by members of the extended adoptive family (grandparent, aunt/uncle, cousin), close friends of the adoptive family (i.e. godparent), 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 parents or birth families that regret the adoption; there is a place for stories of that ilk, but this book is not that place. All of the stories in this collection must show a positive aspect of adoption and must bring comfort or 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.
Submission deadline: June 15, 2008
$500 grand prize; $100 each, all other published stories; plus copy of book
Copyright 2007, Adams Media Corporation, an F+W Publications Company