Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

Call For Submissions

June 19, 2006

CALL FOR INSPIRING AND COMPELLING TRUE 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, life as a writer, or 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 
    * Finding/making time/space to write
    * Transcending self-doubt, fear, criticism, rejection 
    * What writing has taught you about life 
    * What life has taught you about writing 
    * Courting your muse; what inspires your writing 
    * Best or worst writing experience and what you learned/gained from it 
    * Why you 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 and navigating a dating/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 mother
    * 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; upon publication

* Story length: 1,000-2,000 words
* Stories must be original, true, uplifting, typed, and in English

* 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@adamsmedia.com or wordsinger@aol.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

For more detailed writing guidelines and sample stories, visit the website: http://www.cupofcomfort.com.