Freelance Writers Wanted for Authenticity for Women (pay: $50-$150 for initial submissions | anywhere)

Authenticity for Women will begin publication Fall 2012 as an exciting alternative to encourage and support women in pursuit of a TRADITIONAL lifestyle.

This is a totally new concept and publication effort, with an opportunity to get in on the ground floor, and grow as we grow. Submissions should promote traditional/conservative choices, without appearing political or overtly religious.

SUGGESTED CATEGORIES INCLUDE:

• Healthy Living Offering a variety of important information covering not only positive choices for physical health, but also supporting healthy mental, spiritual and emotional health. Beauty will be included in this category.
• Relationships & Love Whether a spouse, children, parents, siblings, co-workers or best buddies, articles will provide proven strategies and encouragement for positive lifelong relationships. We will not be offering sex advice here - if a relationship is in order, the rest is - obviously - a natural.
• Homestyle Money-saving tips & projects, and the latest gadgets to help the day run more smoothly.
• Literature/Poetry Your original work - a short excerpt, essay or poem for readers without time for a full novel.
• Careers Celebrating the many faces of our working girls, from executives and entrepreneurs to wo-manual laborers. Our readers are not stereotypical spenders - women are flexible and inventive when finding ways to keep money in the bank.
• Generations Profiling the valued experiences of mature women who were there before, and can help our readers through.
• Survivors Women often are perceived as easy victims. We want to celebrate the strength of those that faced overwhelming obstacles and overcame. (Identity can be protected through publication.)
• Where the Good Ones Have Gone Profiling men that exhibit the important traits of devoted husband and loving father through their daily lives. Unfortunately, not all our readers possess real-life experience in this area and might need to know "what it looks like" whether for their own relationships, or in guiding future generations.
• Photos Topics should illustrate the concepts we promote, with a short written excerpt.
• Submissions which fit our theme, but not represented by suggested categories encouraged.

REQUIREMENTS:

• 100 to 600 words, whether a side item we can include with a related article, to full feature article.
• Profiles – Careers, Generations, Survivors, Good Ones and other topics as appropriate, please include photo, or the opportunity to include a portrait.
• Republishing considered, but not preferred. Please indicate that your submission has been previously published with appropriate reference information. Rates will adjust accordingly.
• Videos to post on our website www.AuthenticityforWomen.com encouraged. Same categories apply.

Rates will vary according to length and amount of edit/revision required, from $50 to $150 for initial submissions. Once a working relationship has been established, rates will increase accordingly.

Submit through email: Submissions@authenticityforwomen.com. You will receive verification of receipt, including determination after consideration for publication.

Via: journalismjobs

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: submissions@authenticityforwomen.com

Website: http://www.authenticityforwomen.com/

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Lit Undressed Seeks Work Inspired by "Women in Disguise"

Deadline: 15 August 2012

Lit Undressed is looking for poetry and short-short fiction (maximum of 400 words) inspired by “women in disguise”. Send your work and a 50-word bio to litundressed@yahoo.com by August 15th. Selected pieces will be performed live by nude figure models at the fourth installment of Lit Undressed in fall.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: litundressed@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.facebook.com/LitUndressed

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Call for First-Person Essays from Women - Stepping Up: Stories of Blended Families (paying market: $100 per story | US)

Deadline: 30 September 2012

Samantha Ducloux Waltz is seeking first-person essays from women who are or have been part of stepfamilies that are nurturing places and also stepfamilies where family members must find ways to rise above the challenges they face/d at home. She is looking for a diversity of voices and welcome submissions from a variety of family situations. As an editor she values honesty, clarity, specificity, showing, not telling, tight writing, and the sharing of insights. Pieces should be between 2,000 and 4,000 words in length.

WORKING TITLE: STEPPING UP: Stories of Blended Families

SOME QUESTIONS MIGHT BE CONSIDERED IN YOUR STORY:

• How did you get into a step situation?
• Were you initially delighted, devastated, or ?
• What are/were your greatest joys?
• What are/were your greatest challenges?
• How did being part of a stepfamily affect your perception of yourself? Of others?
• How do you think others perceived you because of your step status?
• What labels were you comfortable/uncomfortable with?
• What cultural myths did you have to fight? How did you fight them?
• Are there things you missed in a stepfamily that a nuclear family might provide? Things you gained?

PAYMENT: $100.00 upon publication and two copies of the published book.

More than half the families in America are living in step. Some work beautifully, but more than 60 % are torn with conflict and will end in dissolution. Parents and children currently living in stepfamilies, or coming from them and making their own way as adults, have stories that will entertain, inform, perhaps trouble but ultimately inspire us.

Submit through Samantha's website. Please include a list of any previous publication credits with your query or submission.

View the full call for submissions at literarymama.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For submissions: through the editor's website

Website: http://www.pathsofthought.com

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Bloggers/ Stringers Wanted for Major Women's News and Lifestyle Site (pay: $25 per post | telecommute)

An editor at a major women's Internet news and lifestyle site (one of the top four brands on the web in both news and lifestyles) is looking, essentially, for bloggers/stringers in a couple of categories, to write quick-turnaround, reported, sourced daily news posts on women's fashion, beauty and other topics. This is an opportunity for young or inexperienced writers to learn about news reporting, writing, sourcing and other invaluable skills. Payment is a small stipend per post ($25) with opportunities to increase the pay scale if it works out. People who are available for a handful of posts a week are welcomed. The editor is willing to work around your 'day' job.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate enthusiasm for writing with a personal blog, college paper gig or entry-level media experience. Experience with blogging software is a plus. It's a women's site, but men are welcome. Please attach a resume and short cover note if you're interested.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: 6xw7r-3077883572@job.craigslist.org

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Heiress Productions Playwriting Competition 2012

Deadline: 1 August 2012

Heiress Productions, Inc is a not-for-profit organization committed to raising cancer awareness and funds through entertaining and inspirational professional theater productions.

Heiress Productions is now accepting submissions for its 2012 Playwriting Competition! Here’s how to enter:

Scripts should be full-length and mostly comedic in nature (or with major comedic elements). In addition, the plays should be unpublished and should not have been produced in NYC. Submissions will be accepted through August 1, 2012. The prize for the winning play(s) will be a complete reading in NYC produced by Heiress Productions with the potential of being fully produced at a later date.

For consideration, please send the following materials to scripts@heiressproductions.org -

1. Cover Letter

2. Synopsis

3. Ten (10) representative pages.

These will be the basis for the first round of consideration. Scripts selected to continue will be read in their entirety by the judging panel.

4. Resume of the playwright(s)

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: scripts@heiressproductions.org

Website: http://www.heiressproductions.org

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Free to Enter: Goethe Institut's Modern Grimm Fairy Tale Writing Competition (win a trip to/ language course in Germany | New Zealand writers only)

Deadline: 1 July 2012

This year is the 200th anniversary of the Brothers Grimm’s book of fairy tales. These storytelling treasures have influenced many of the greatest modern writers, including our own Katherine Mansfield and Janet Frame.

We invite you to write a Grimm fairy tale for modern Aotearoa New Zealand. Your story can work with local or international folktale elements, but please avoid a simple retelling of well-known tales from the world’s great mythologies – such as those involving Maui or Zeus or Odin.

However, you should feel free to try updating and relocating one of the famous Grimm stories, such as Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Snow White, Thumbelina, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella . . .

Or, if you like, one of the lesser-known stories – there are over 200 of them . . . Or, best of all, you can write something entirely original. We don’t insist on castles or elves or frogs that turn into princes, but we look forward to entries that have some of the magic and storytelling power that inhabits the tales handed down to us by the Brothers Grimm.

Your story must begin with the words “Once upon a time . . .”

Organised by the Goethe-Institut in association with the New Zealand Listener and the International Institute of Modern Letters, Victoria University of Wellington.

PRIZES

• There will be one winner and two runners-up.
• The winner can choose between a four- or eight-week German language course in Germany in 2013 in one of 11 cities, including Berlin, Munich or Frankfurt. The prize includes flights and accommodation. It cannot be transferred or given in cash, but there is an alternative prize of a new iPad if the winner cannot travel to Germany.
• The winner will also receive a 12-month subscription to the Listener, as will the two runners-up.
• The winning story will be published in the Listener and the runners-up on the Listener website.

THE JUDGE

The judge is author and children’s books commentator Kate De Goldi, whose books include The 10PM Question, Book of the Year at the 2009 New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children & Young Adults.

WHO CAN ENTER

• You must be a New Zealander by birth or naturalisation, or have been in residence in New Zealand for three years continuously immediately prior to the competition’s closing date.
• No staff member of the Goethe-Institut, the New Zealand Listener or the International Institute of Modern Letters may enter.
• Entrants must be 18 and over.

GUIDELINES

• Your story should begin with the words “Once upon a time . . .”
• The story must be between 1000 and 1500 words.
• Stories that have been previously published (anywhere on the internet or in print) or broadcast are ineligible.
• No story may be entered, or already have been entered, into any other competition until after Thursday, September 13, 2012.
• Only one story per entrant. The last date to receive entries is Sunday, July 1, 2012. Late entries will not be accepted.

FORMAT

• You must use a pen name on your entry. Include a separat cover-sheet containing your name, phone number, postal address and email, your pen-name, and the story’s title.
• Entries must be typed, in English, and double spaced, with pages numbered.
• Entries should be sent as two email attachments (Story and Coversheet) in either Word or PDF to arts@wellington.goethe.org

OTHER

• Winners will be required to provide biographical information and photographs to the Goethe-Institut and the New Zealand Listener for promotional purposes.
• Winners will be invited to attend an awards ceremony in Wellington on Thursday, September 13 (travel costs within New Zealand and accommodation paid).
• No responsibility is taken for entries, but receipt of entries will be acknowledged by email.
• Manuscripts will not be returned.
• The winning entry will be published in the New Zealand Listener, and the two runners-up on the Listener website, on Friday, September 14.

Entrants retain copyright of their submitted works but grant APN Specialist Publications NZ Ltd and the Goethe-Institut a licence to publish their works in print and/or electronically.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: arts@wellington.goethe.org

Website: http://www.goethe.de/ins/nz/wel/

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Deadline June 21 | The Drusilla Dunjee Houston Award Graduate Student Essay Prize (for female students of African descent in US/ Canada)

Deadline: 21 June 2012

The ABWH holds an annual Graduate Student Essay Prize competition for an outstanding unpublished essay or thesis chapter on a historical subject of African American and/or Africana women written by a female graduate student of African descent in history. The graduate student must be currently enrolled in an institution of higher learning in the United States and Canada. Deadline: Received by midnight on June 1, 2012.

CALL FOR ENTRIES AND NOMINEES

Sponsored by the Association of Black Women Historians (ABWH) to recognize emerging Black female scholars and foster scholarly research in Africana Women’s history. Each year an award will be given for the best, unpublished original essay from either a graduate course or chapter from a thesis or dissertation for the 2012 award year. The essay must be wholly focused on some aspect of history on Black women from the U.S. and/or the Africana Diaspora. The paper must involve interpretation of primary sources, focus on the ideas or actions initiated among Black women, and make a significant contribution to Africana women’s history. The award will be presented at the 97th Annual ASALH Convention in Pittsburgh, September 26-30, 2012.

Criteria: All entrants or nominees must be current ABWH female members of African descent and currently enrolled in a M.A. or Ph.D program at an institution either in the United States or Canada. Nominations are also accepted from ABWH members who have identified a graduate student writing an exceptional paper or thesis/dissertation chapter.

Prize: A $250 honorarium; a 2013 ABWH membership renewal; a complimentary registration to next year's 2013 ASALH annual meeting and ABWH luncheon; and publication of the winning essay in TRUTH.

Conditions: Submit three copies of the history essay with an Entrant (or Nominee) form attached to each copy; Length: 7000-10000 words (28-40 pages), double-spaced including reference matters (notes, tables, charts, and bibliography). For Graduate Essays include the name of the school, specific course, and instructor's contact information. For Thesis/Dissertation History Chapters include the school's name and anticipated degree completion date. Essays cannot be published works nor be under consideration for publication. For further information, please contact Dr. Peggy Brooks-Bertram at pbertram@gmail.com.

Deadline: The application materials must be submitted by June 1, 2012 by midnight.

Download Drusilla Dunjee Houston Award Nomination Forms ( fill-able pdf )

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For inquiries: pbertram@gmail.com

For submissions: send a copy of the essays and the entry form to each of the three members of the Prize Committee: Dr. Peggy Brooks-Bertram pbertram@gmail.com, Dr. Debra Green GreenD@lincolnu.edu, and Dr. K. V. Mack-Shelton 10845 Sherwood Hill Rd. Owings Mills, MD 21117

Website: http://www.abwh.org

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Elle Essay Contest: The _____ that Changed my Life

Deadline: 25 June 2012

Calling all ELLE readers who are also writers: You could be published in ELLE’s October 2012 Personal Style issue! We’re looking for essays of 500–750 words in length about a treasured piece from your wardrobe. It’s about more than just a favorite item of clothing, because a cherished dress is never really just a dress: It’s a reflection of where you’ve been, what you’ve accomplished, how you see the world—a reminder of definitive moments in your life.

So here it is: your chance to write a humorous, poignant, heartbreaking, or shocking ode to the clothes that made you who you are today. To enter, simply e-mail your submissions to ElleEssays@hearst.com by June 25, 2012. (Please paste your text in the message window
rather than sending an attached document.)

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: ElleEssays@hearst.com

Website: http://www.elle.com/

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Call for Fictional Stories - A Shaker of Margaritas: Bad Hair Day (Mozark Press | paying market)

Deadline: 15 July 2012

Mozark Press seeks humorous fiction stories for A Shaker of Margaritas: A Bad Hair Day. For this anthology, a bad hair day is one of those days when things don’t go according to plan; in fact, it is as horrible as a bad perm or hair that turns green—unintentionally. Things go wrong, but with humor, stubbornness, and attitude—the female protagonist can survive any kind of bad hair day.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

• If your story is selected for the anthology, you will be paid $20 upon publication.
• Authors whose work appears in the book will be given a one-time opportunity to prepurchase books at 60% of retail price + postage.
• You will receive a free copy of the book with your story in it if you pre-purchase a
• minimum of one copy at the author’s discount.

OF COURSE, YOU DON’T LIKE RULES, BUT WE HAVE A FEW:

• The entire story takes place in one day.
• Humorous Fiction stories must be between 1,500 – 3,500 words.
• Only previously unpublished works will be considered.
• Keep the story clean—consider a PG rating.
• No poetry.
• Must be written in English.
• One entry per person.

Electronic submissions only, subject line: “Bad Hair Day Submission” email to publisher@Mozarkpress.com.

• Twelve point, Times New Roman, double spaced.
• Send title page and story in a single Microsoft Word document attached to email.
• On the title page, give your name, contact information—address, phone number, and email address–word count, a short bio (150 words or less) written in third person, the title of the story, and first line of the manuscript.
• No identifying information on manuscript, but do provide story title and page numbers in header or footer. (Also, be sure to include the title and first line you put on the cover sheet.)

FOR THE BEST CHANCE OF SUCCESS:

• Proofread. Typos and grammatical errors will send your story to the bottom of the pile.
• Read your work aloud to see how it flows.
• Start with action.
• Use conversation to move your story.
• Don’t get hung up on back story. We want to know what’s going on now.
• Have a critique group read your story.

TO HELP THE EDITOR:

• Do not use styles—with fancy formatting. You wouldn’t believe how hard they can be to remove!
• Use one space following the period at the end of a sentence. (I learned to type with two and you can break the habit with practice).
• Use paragraph indents.

By submitting to the anthology, you give first publication rights to Mozark Press for print and electronic publication if your story is selected. You also give Mozark Press permission to publish excerpts for publicity or on the publisher’s website without further compensation. You certify your story is original, unpublished, and written by you. If selected, your story will be published unless you send a written withdrawal within thirty days of the submission closing date. Payment will be made upon publication. Stories withdrawn shall not be eligible for payment.

Approximately 20-25 stories will be selected for the anthology. Impartial judges will select the stories eligible for publication. The judges’ and publisher’s decisions are final. The publisher reserves the sole right to cancel the project if not enough qualified entries are submitted to justify publishing the anthology. Publication will be late fall 2012.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: publisher@Mozarkpress.com

Website: http://www.mozarkpress.com/

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Call for Submissions for Fall/ Winter 2012 Issue: Momma Tried (magazine of art and writing | US/ worldwide)

For the debut Fall/Winter 2012 edition of Momma Tried magazine, we are seeking writing, photography, and visual arts. Special consideration will be placed upon submissions dealing with perspectives on sexuality. However, variety and diversity are central to the aim of Momma Tried. We will be publishing many non-sexually themed works as well. Selected entries will be published in print and may also appear online. Momma Tried is published in New Orleans.

WRITERS

Momma Tried magazine will primarily publish works of creative non-fiction ranging from new journalism to essays to reviews to science writing and many categories in between. We are also interested in “collage” based writing such as lyric essays, prose poetry, and anti-fictions, built from scraps. Reality-based and genre-defying fiction are welcome as well. Please no submissions longer than 8,000 words. Files should be .doc or .pdf.

VISUAL ARTISTS

We are particularly interested in submissions of photography, collage, painting and illustration. However, we are open to works outside of these categories as well. Please include a short explanation about your piece or an artist's statement along with images of your work. All images should be in TIFF, GIF, or JPEG format and no bigger than 2MG. No more than 8 images per submission, please.

DISRUPTIVE CONTENT

With the ad space that occupies most magazines, we will be developing what we call "disruptive content" by using those blocks of space on the page to add additional art, writing, and photos. Our disruptive content will in some cases be satirical fake adverts, references to projects that don't actually exists, and things that otherwise compliment or contrast to the primary content on the page. If you are interested in submitting something for consideration as disruptive content, please specify this in your subject line.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: submissions@mommatriedmagazine.com

Website: http://www.mommatriedmagazine.com/

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Call for Submissions/ Translations: Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology (PM Press | paying market)

Deadline: 5 August 2012

Ann & Jeff VanderMeer are pleased to announce a call for submissions for a new anthology on Feminist Speculative Literature. This project will be published by PM Press under the guidance and co-publishing arrangement with Jef Smith of GeekRadical and is scheduled to be released in May 2013. The anthology will emphasize women’s speculative fiction from the 1970s onward, looking to explore women’s rights as well as gender/race/class/etc. from as many perspectives as possible. Although we already have stories and writers in mind we also know that we can’t see everything so are asking for submissions as well as suggestions. If in doubt, send it.

We will read submissions between June 15, 2012 and August 5, 2012. Any English-language story (or translation into English) previously published since 1970 on a website or in a print publication is eligible for consideration. Looking for reprints only (standard reprint rates apply). Prefer works under 10,000 words. Willing to look at all kinds of Feminist Speculative fiction, but mainly interested in work that pushes the boundaries, that is truly unique to the genre.

Submissions up to 10,000 words should be sent in a Word or RTF document attachment to femspecfic at hotmail.com. Please cut-and-paste the first three paragraphs into the body of your email and include prior publication information, but no need to include any biographical information about yourself. If you prefer, use snail mail by sending your work to POB 38190, Tallahassee, FL 32315, USA. Snail mail submissions should be marked on the outside of the envelope as for Feminist Spec Fic consideration. No SASE is required if you prefer email response. All submissions will be responded to no later than August 15, 2012; please do not query about a submission prior to that date. Those sending in their suggestions—thanks so much, and thanks for understanding that we will not have time to reply.

Payment will be on publication, at standard reprint rates of one to two cents per word, against a share of any royalties from the North American or foreign editions, as well as one contributor copy.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: femspecfic@hotmail.com

Website: http://www.pmpress.org

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Call for Submissions with a Feminist Bent: S/Tick (Canada)

We want submissions of your art, creative writing, and biting political commentary with a feminist bent. We have the utmost respect for odd or forgotten writing forms (e.g. haibuns) used to your advantage to challenge the status quo. Preference will be given either to artists in Canada or art that somehow touches on women in Canada. If neither of these red dresses fits you, simply ensure you redress something, and add the postscript “Harper sucks” to your submission.

For now, we will be reading submissions on a rolling basis, though there may be themes in our future. Click the submit button to your left to send us your best. Please include your name, location, contact information, and submission category (see below). Bio not required. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but it is your responsibility to inform us as soon as it is accepted elsewhere. You own the copyright to all your own work.

SUBMISSION CATEGORIES:

-Sticky Haibuns
-Stick Ups: Rants
-Stick/Hers: Arts

Note: For now we are primarily interested in receiving submissions for Sticky Haibuns and Stick/Hers. These are the creative writing/art categories. Click here for more information about Sticky Haibuns.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: stickyhaibuns@gmail.com

Website: http://s-tick.tumblr.com

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Call for Submissions: Anthology of Poems Based on the Myth of Persephone and Demeter

Deadline: 30 November 2012

Poets Kathleen Aguero and Alison Stone are editing an anthology of poems based on the myth of Persephone and Demeter.

Please send your poems, unpublished and previously published are fine if you own copyright, as word docs to kathiaguero@comcast.net and to nygoddess3@aol.com.

INFORMATION ABOUT KATHLEEN AGUERO AND ALISON STONE:

KATHLEEN AGUERO’s poetry collections include Investigations: The Mystery of the Girl Sleuth, Daughter Of, The Real Weather and Thirsty Day. She has also co-edited three volumes of multi-cultural literature for the University of Georgia Press and is poetry editor of Solstice Literary Magazine. She teaches at Pine Manor College in both the undergraduate and low-residency M.F.A. programs and in Changing Lives through Literature, an alternative sentencing program.

ALISON STONE’s poems have appeared in The Paris Review, Poetry, Ploughshares, Barrow Street, Poet Lore, and a variety of other journals and anthologies. She has been awarded Poetry’s Frederick Bock Prize and New York Quarterly’s Madeline Sadin award. Her first book, They Sing at Midnight, won the 2003 Many Mountains Moving Poetry Award and was published by Many Mountains Moving Press. From the Fool to the World, a chapbook, is forthcoming from Parallel Press. She is also a painter and the creator of The Stone Tarot. A licensed psychotherapist, she has private practices in NYC and Nyack.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: kathiaguero@comcast.net and nygoddess3@aol.com

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Call for Submissions: Moonlight Mysteries (romance-suspense series | Still Moments Publishing)

Blend romance with adventure, intrigue, mystery, and suspense! These stories will keep you riveted on the edge of your seat.

• Single Short Stories
• Mystery/Suspense Romance
• Word Count: 5-30K
• Heat range: sweet to s3nsual.
• All submissions must be completed manuscripts.
• All submissions must have a romance between a hero and heroine (man and woman).
• All material should be the author's own original work.
• Your manuscript must not be published anywhere else at the time of submission.
• Simultaneous query submissions are not accepted.

WE DO NOT ACCEPT:

• GLBT, M/M, F/F
• stories with vi0lence, racism, pr0fanity, or abus3 of any kind.
• incomplete or partial manuscripts.
• manuscripts that are already under consideration with another publisher.
• previously published stories, unless the copyright has been released to the original author.

SUBMISSION PROCESS: Send a short query letter in the body of an email including your name, address, title of your story, romance category, heat level, and word count. Mention significant facts about your writing. Include an enticing tag line or blurb.

Attached manuscripts must be: 1 inch margins, 1.5 lines spaced, Times New Roman, 12 Font, .doc or .docx format.

Email subject should be ‘Moonlight Mysteries Series’ and your story title.

Send submissions via email to: submissions@stillmomentspublishing.com

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: submissions@stillmomentspublishing.com

Website: http://www.stillmomentspublishing.com

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Call for Submissions for Mermaid Tales: An Anthology (Lucky Thirteen Presents Press | paying market)

Lucky Thirteen Presents will at times be looking for submissions from artists and writers.

MERMAID TALES: AN ANTHOLOGY

Currently Lucky Thirteen is accepting submissions from fantasy writers for an anthology of short stories prominently featuring mermaids as the subject matter. All rights of the story remain with the author to continue to sell for other projects as well. Lucky Thirteen does not seek ownership of your stories, only the the right to publish them in this singular volume. The final product will compiled in large paperback format with a full color cover and pages printed in black and white — all beautifully illustrated. The product will be made available for purchase and printed through Lulu.com and potentially Amazon. I cannot afford to purchase a copy for each contributor, however the book will be available for a window of time at cost (which should be around $6 or $7) until such time as the release date is chosen. Payment for inclusion in the Mermaid Tales anthology will be as follows:

SHORT STORIES: Approved stories between 3,000 and 10,000 words will receive a one time payment of $10. Over 10,ooo words, but no longer than 20,000 words will receive a payment of $20. Please only send a brief synopsis of your proposed story at first and we will take it from there.

POETRY – There will be consideration for poems, however no payment can be offered.

ART – may be submitted, but will not likely be accepted, as illustrations for this project will be done by illustrator, David Ayala.

Payment via Paypal ONLY and due upon completion of approval of completed story and signed contract by the author is received.

No fan fiction will be considered. Please no stories about “the Little Mermaid”. No R-rated content. Submissions in English only. Only one submission at a time please, as each author will be allowed only one entry into the anthology. Editor reserves the right to reject any submission for any reason.

Deadline for submissions is currently until project is full.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: send an email to David L. Ayala, Editor, at LuckyThirteenPresents@yahoo.com

Website: http://luckythirteenpresents.com

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Grazing Grain Press Feminist Poetry Chapbook Contest 2012

Deadline: 1 August 2012

2012 Chapbook Contest from Fall for the Book and Gazing Grain Press is a new, inclusive feminist poetry chapbook contest edited by George Mason University MFA alumni and sponsored by the Fall for the Book literary festival. This contest is open to feminists of all genders and sexualities and is meant to promote socially-conscious poetry to a wide audience.

The winner will be selected in mid-August, and the book will be published in September. The winner will be honored with a reading and reception at the Fall for the Book literary festival in Fairfax, VA (9/26-9/30).

Manuscripts are read by the editors, who will select a set of finalists to send to the judge for winner selection.

READING PERIOD: June 15-August 1, 2012.

READING FEE: $20. Poets can submit more than one manuscript, but each will be considered a separate entry and must be accompanied by the $20 fee.

PRIZE: Publication, 10 contributor copies, and invitation to read at the 2012 Fall for the Book literary festival (accommodation and travel to Fairfax, VA will be paid within the continental United States). Runners-up and/or designated finalists will also be invited to receive recognition at the event.

JUDGE: Brian Teare

A former National Endowment for the Arts fellow, Brian Teare is the recipient of poetry fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, the American Antiquarian Society, and the Headlands Center for the Arts. He is the author of The Room Where I Was Born, Sight Map, the Lambda-award winning Pleasure, and Companion Grasses, forthcoming from Omnidawn in 2013. His chapbooks include Pilgrim, Transcendental Grammar Crown, and ] up arrow [, as well as the forthcoming volumes Paradise Was Typeset, Helplessness and Black Sun Crown. An Assistant Professor at Temple University, he lives in Philadelphia, where he makes books by hand for his micropress, Albion Books.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1. This competition is open to all poets writing in English who have no affiliation with the judge, the editors, or the George Mason University MFA program.

2. Manuscripts must be between 15 and 25 pages, not including front and back matter, numbered accordingly, with only one poem per page. Every manuscript should include a title page and a table of contents, if applicable.

3. Please include ONLY in the “comments” section of the Submittable form a cover letter with contact information, bio, and, if you wish, a few sentences about what feminism means to you and your work. The author’s name should not appear anywhere in the manuscript itself.

4. The manuscript should not have been previously published in a complete form; however, previously published individual poems are acceptable. We also accept simultaneous submissions. Notify us immediately if your work is accepted elsewhere.

5. Submit via Submittable.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries: gazinggrainpress@gmail.com

For submissions: via submishmash

Website: http://gazinggrainpress.wordpress.com/

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Funny Women Comedy Writing Award 2012 (UK)

Deadline: 31 August 2012

We know that not every writer is a performer, so this is an opportunity for those happier behind the scenes to truly shine. That's why we're happy to be continuing the Comedy Writing Award in 2012, in association award winning comedy production company The Comedy Unit.

We are pleased to confirm our judges: award winning writers Hattie Naylor and Harry Venning, co-founder of the BritMums network, Jennifer Howze, newspaper columnist and Funny Women Charity Challenge winner Rowan Pelling and Creative Director of Development at The Comedy Unit, Gavin Smith. You can read more about the judges HERE.

THE PRIZE:

£500 script option fee for a 12 month development period, including three weeks intensive mentoring to complete the 30 minute script with dedicated access to a professional script editor.

THE CRITERIA:

• Short synopsis of the idea – Maximum one page.
• Entries will be 8 – 15 pages maximum of a 30 minute comedy script
• The comedy script can be aimed at radio or television/visual production. However we are not looking for a live play.
• The comedy script can take the form of sitcom, sketch, comedy drama, character monologues, (anything really) but it must feel like it would work as a coherent whole across a 30 Minute audience experience. I.E. ten 3 minute web viral episodes stuck together is not a 30 minute script.
• The sample does not have to begin at the start of the script but must run straight through from where it does start.
• If you feel it necessary you can add a short paragraph (max) detailing any relevant / key story information that isn’t in the script sample (EG: how the story started before the sample, how it will end after etc.)
• You can find The Comedy Unit's useful tips for Comedy Writing HERE

HOW TO ENTER:

• Only the following file formats will be accepted: PDF (preferred), .doc, or rtf. with the title of the work and your name in the script title.
• Ensure that your name, email address and phone number are included on the document.
• Entrants must be registered for the Funny Women Awards in order to enter. If already registered under the performance category, you do not need to register a second time.
• Please send entries to awards_2012@funnywomen.com with 'Comedy Writing Award' in the title.
• As part of Funny Women's dedication to new talent, only those who have not previously had a paid script commission are eligible to enter.
• A shortlist of six scripts will be presented to industry judges. Three finalists will be invited to the Funny Women Final on Monday 24th September at the Leicester Square Theatre where the winner will be announced.

Link: award registration

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: awards2012@funnywomen.com

Website: http://www.funnywomen.com/

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Women's National Book Association's First Annual National Writing Contest

Deadline: 15 September 2012

We will be reviewing submissions for our 1st annual Writing Contest. The Women’s National Book Association is a 90+ year old venerated organization of women and men across the broad spectrum of writing and publishing. Our membership includes Editors, Publishers, Literary Agents, Professors, Academics, Librarians, Authors, Book Marketers and many others involved in the world of books.

After years of celebrating published authors, extraordinary book women (see our WNBA Award under “Awards”) and others in the field, we have decided it is time to celebrate emerging writers.

Please send us only your highest caliber work.

GUIDELINES:

Submission Period: May 1st – September 15th, 2012

Fiction 2,500 word limit – may be a short story, or a stand alone excerpt from a novel in progress.

Poetry: 35 line limit – or one page double spaced

Previously unpublished work only.

Your entry must be uploaded without your name, address, or contact information on the actual document. Your contact information will be collected on a separate form when you submit your entry.

You may submit more than one entry, however, each one must be separately submitted.

Acceptable formats are: Word Document 2007, Word Document 2003 or earlier version, RTF (Rich Text Format)

JUDGES:

Fiction: Valerie Martin. Valerie is an award-winning author (Kafka Prize, Orange Prize) with 9 novels, 3 short story collections, and one biography.

Poetry: Julie Kane, Poet Laureate, Louisiana, 2011-2013. Julie has authored six books, including three collections of poetry, one volume of non-fiction, and two edited anthologies.

ENTRY FEE:

Entry: 3 poems or 1 short story.

WNBA Members: $10 per entry

Non-Members: $15 per entry

Multiple submissions will be accepted.

PRIZE: $250 cash prize and publication in the Bookwoman, the newsletter of the Women’s National Book Association, with 10 chapters nationwide.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries: info@wnba-books.org

For submissions: via submishmash

Website: http://www.wnba-books.org

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Call for Submissions for Summer Issue: SciFi Fantasy Woman (print magazine | paying market)

A new magazine for women who love to read and write science fiction and fantasy is seeking submissions of book excerpts, short stories, poetry, and artwork.

This is for a print only magazine.

We do not publish materials online; everything will be exclusively in print format. We do not accept simultaneous submissions due to our fast response time of 2-4 weeks. If you do submit your work elsewhere, please know that we will be unable to consider it for publication. Upon publication, you will receive a contributor's copy and a flat fee payment of $10.

Submission Guidelines: Works may be any length, though we prefer it not to exceed 3,000 words. Book excerpts are acceptable (please be sure the excerpt you submit can serve as a stand alone piece) and may be longer than the 3,000 suggested word length for stories. We accept multiple submissions per individual, but each submission must be included in a separate e-mail. As a new publication, we are willing to consider all works in the science fiction and fantasy genres. We prefer works either written by female authors or with a heavy female influence within the story itself.

Be sure to proofread all submissions. We cannot edit any work for grammatical or spelling mistakes and will automatically reject anything that contains frequent errors.

We accept submissions year round. Currently we are seeking submissions specifically for our summer issue (due out in August) and our fall issue (due out in October).

To submit a piece for consideration, please respond to this posting with your submission (a query letter is unnecessary). A contract must be reviewed and accepted prior to publication. Payment is made upon publication and is mailed out along with your magazine copy.

For any additional questions, please also respond to this posting. Questions and concerns are responded to promptly, within 2-7 days.

If you would like to purchase our first issue, it is currently available here.

SPECIAL: The next two authors or artists accepted for publication will also receive our first issue in addition to their regular payment and contributor's copy as an extra bonus.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: 4vfdk-3062854995@gigs.craigslist.org

Website: check out the first issue here

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Eshet Chayil Woman of Valor Poetry Contest

Deadline: 8 August 2012

A Woman of Valor is hard to find. Have you found her? Tell us how she’s changed your life, who she is, and what makes her life so special. It’s okay to bring a tear to our eye or make us laugh. What we need to see is an original poem that describes your woman of valor like no other.

JUDGE

Marcie Natan Zionism and love for Israel are in Marcie Natan's heart. And Hadassah is in her DNA. She has served the organization with her quiet strength, profound integrity, and generosity of spirit since her early twenties. Marcie has traveled to Israel more than 50 times, including visits during both intifadas and the 2006 Lebanon War. Her time in Israel has intensified her passion and honed the perspective she has brought to Hadassah's National Board and Executive Committee, and the Hadassah Foundation Board.

MAXIMUM LENGTH: No Maximum World Length

WINNERS ANNOUNCED: August 27, 2012

PRIZES

• $500 For the first place winner.
• Winning story will appear on the JewishStoryWriting.com Homepage and in the JewishStoryWriting.com Anthology.

FEES

• Contest Entry: $25.00
• Critique only: $35.00
• Contest Entry with Critique: $55.00

ELIGIBILITY

Stories must be previously unpublished and contain Jewish Content. By submitting a story the author grants JewishStoryWriting.com first publication rights for 18 months. However, after the contest that an author enters is finished and the winners announced, the author may request first publication or simultaneous publication rights from JewishStoryWriting.com. In all events, the author retains copyright at all times. Multiple submissions accepted.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For submissions: enter the competition here

Website: http://jewishstorywriting.com/

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