Following the success and excitement of our first anthology, Bearing Witness: Childbirth Stories Told by Doulas published by Fox Women's Books, we are inviting contributions to the next two books in the series:
- Bearing Witness: Joyful Birth
- Bearing Witness: Postpartum Wisdom
What to Submit
1. First person perspective narrative stories or poetry.
2. Submissions should speak about the doulas perspective and role.
3. Style guide: All submissions must have a title. Word count 5 to 5,000 words. Please submit work in a MS Word document, double spaced, Times New Roman, 12pt font.
4. Contributors must respect client privacy. Please do not use real names or situations that are so specific that they are easily associated with a particular individual. For stories that are specific, contributors are solely responsible for obtaining written permission from the individuals discussed within your submission.
5. Please include a short biography of a maximum of 50-100 words including any contact information you would like to appear in the book(s) if accepted.
6. Contact Information for Editors. Please provide your mailing address, phone numbers and email with each submission. If your contribution is accepted we may need to reach you on short notice.
7. We will accept more than one submission per contributor and encourage you to submit to both proposed new books if you are moved to.
Importance of Narrative Stories
The feedback we received on the first Bearing Witness book is the strength and honesty of its narration. We want to build on those strengths with the subsequent books. This increases the opportunities that our stories will be used within institutional and training programs including recommended reading lists for our sister doulas. As with the first book in the Bearing Witness series, these books will be targeted toward doulas, midwives and expectant families, in addition to women's studies programs, introductory midwifery courses, and women's health courses in allied health studies schools.
We are looking for personal stories told in the first person of how you felt, what you saw, funny stories, things that made you shake your head, things that kept you up at night, your reasons for persisting as a doula or why you quit, what inspires you, what you carry with you and think about with regard to your clients, your joys, difficulties, why you only do home birth or hospital birth. We want to hear it all. What it is like to be a doula, to work hands on with women and birthing families in such a traditional and supportive role within the modern obstetrical and midwifery models; to bear witness to their journey, their suffering, their joy and their transformation into mothering. We want you to rant, to philosophize, to share what your gut tells you, to share your visions of birth and postpartum. We appreciate very real, tangible stories of your own experiences, in your own words and voice and from the perspective of the very unique and valuable role that doulas play.
Where to send your submission
Please send your submissions by attachment to Lisa Doran lisa.doran@barefoothealth.ca.
Acceptance of your submission
1. The General Editors for the work are Lisa Doran and Lisa Caron. The Editors will review all the submissions for editorial content and consistency within our theme and will choose suitable submissions for our final draft to be submitted to Fox Women's Books.
2. Payment for the articles, if accepted, are honoraria of one copy of the book(s) that contain your submission.
3. We will contact you by January 1, 2012 if your submission is to be part of the collaboration.
This can be a notable publication addition to your CV/resume and broaden your publishing credits. Contributors to our first book have found that Bearing Witness opened new opportunities within their communities to promote their doula practice and have held book readings and book signings as well as media interviews.
Please consider contributing to this series of collaborative stories that will help explain and define the role of a doula within the circle of care that women choose in modern maternity care. Help contribute to the discussion through your submission, as we endeavor to enlighten the reader to the experience of being a doula, our motivations, our dreams for birthing women and our strong and unique collective voices.
Contact Information:
For inquiries: lisa.doran@barefoothealth.ca
For submissions: lisa.doran@barefoothealth.ca
Website: http://bearingwitnessbook.blogspot.com/
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