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Finding The Bacon Our world and our nation have sought hope in a variety of ways for centuries—even more so since the 9/11 tragedies befell America. Many publications offer hope through inspiration, religious interpretation, and undying optimism. Often faulted for being overtly upbeat, such publications seek many freelance articles and short stories to enhance their positive outlook. What follows is but a handful of what has become a booming market. ******************************************** While Catholic Digest is written to address the needs of Catholic
families, there are articles of interest for people from all denominations.
There are many useful parenting and family-type nonfiction pieces. Articles Editor Guidelines Online: Yes E-Mail Queries: Yes Catholic Digest accepts queries for 1000-3500 word nonfiction articles
on religion, family, science, relationship, health, philanthropists, nostalgia,
and positive thinking. This is also a great market for fillers, and while this
doesn’t pay nearly as well, it is a great way to break into the magazine. Pays: Upon publication. $100 for
reprints. $200-$400 for original pieces. Pays one-half this amount for online
usage. Pays $2 per line for fillers. ******************************************** Do you ever wonder about
coincidences? Do they really happen or are situations guided by celestial
beings? Angels On Earth publishes stories of angelic intervention in
everyday lives. Angels On Earth Guidelines Online: Yes E-Mail Queries: No Editor Colleen Hughes says the
publication is still not ready for e-mail submissions and queries. They do
accept freelance submissions of manuscripts via standard mail. Full length
manuscripts run approximately 1500 words. No sermons. No fiction. Prefers to see
complete manuscript. A great way to break into the
publication is with a short piece for “Earning Their Wings”—tales of good
deeds and “Only Human?”—where the main character in angelic perspective
may or may not be human. Pays: Upon publication. Full length
manuscripts pay $100-$400. Short features and fillers pay $50-$100. ******************************************** Sojourners Guidelines online: Yes E-Mail queries: Yes Sojourners publishes six online issues a year. They accept complete submissions or queries on the following topics: theological, economic, church themes, political or community topics written from a progressive Christian point of view. Will accept poetry submissions as well, however no more than three poems at a time and via standard mail only. No poetry as e-mailed submissions. Query or send submissions to the Manuscript Editor at manuscripts@sojo.net. Pays: Upon publication. $50-$400,
depending on type and length of article. Pays $25 per poem. ******************************************** Queries aren’t necessary for Christian
Home & School, but editor Roger Schmurr likes to see sidebars
accompanying articles and he asks that the author’s name and address appear in
the upper left-hand corner of all submissions. Christian Home & School Guidelines Online: Yes E-Mail Queries: Yes Christian Home & School
publishes articles on timely issues
that affect Christian parents. Most of these parents home-school at least one of
their children. Seasonal articles are welcome. Manuscripts range 1000-2000
words. Editor looks for a biblical perspective in all articles. Author’s
deadline for the October/November issue is July 1. Pays: Upon publication. Pays $125-$200, depending on length of article. ******************************************** This online publication is gaining
fast and furiously in the ranks of Christian publications. Since its inception
in 1998, Melody of the Heart’s editor and publisher JoAnn Reno Wray has
fine-tuned her writer’s guidelines and clarified her expectations. Melody of the Heart Guidelines online: Yes E-Mail queries: Yes Prefers e-mail queries but will accept queries via standard mail as well.
Once a positive reply is received, manuscripts are reviewed on spec. All poetry
is reviewed on spec. Accepts proposals for regular columns. Accepts reprints.
Looks for personal experience articles, defining God’s work in the writer’s
life, how-to pieces, and articles on personal witness and volunteer work.
Articles run 500-900 words. Buys one fiction piece per issue. Fiction should be
700-1000 words. Buys one or two craft pieces per issue and up to three items for
its “Cooking with Taste” column. Editorial calendar is available
online. Pays: Upon publication. Columns pay
$30. Articles pay $15-$20. ******************************************** Kimberly Ripley is a freelance writer and published author from
Portsmouth, NH. A wife and mother of five, her family's antics have led her to
write books like ''Breathe Deeply, This Too Shall Pass',' a collection of thirty
tales of the trials and tribulations of parenting teens. She is the owner/publisher of
Writerip Publishing, and editor of a newsletter and web site called
''Freelancing Later in Life,'' based on her book by the same name. Visit
her site at http://www.freelancing1.homestead.com. Contests Corner
"Hi!"
from the Southern tip of Africa, where winter has begun to remind us that we're
not *that* far from the Antarctic. Writing contests abound this month, and I've
a bumper column of calls for entries as quoted on a dozen different websites.
These contests are looking for writing on subjects ranging from American
democracy through erotica, friendship, and God, all the way to the outright
zany. If you don't actually get to enter a contest, it is still a useful
learning experience to return to the sites later, to read the winning entries.
Cheers, Moira. THE
ONCE & FUTURE KING "Celebrating
the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, the Once & Future King has a theme wide open
to creative interpretation. The
only stipulation is that stories must be no longer than 2,000 words and feature
a member of a royal family! "Judge:
DAVID SWANN "WHAT
ARE WE LOOKING FOR? PRIZE:
£150,
£75, £50 ENTRY
FEE: £3
DEADLINE:
August 12, 2002 URL: www.writelink.co.uk ******************************************** STORY
LINE PRESS'
"Manuscripts
of original poetry must be in English, and at least 48 pages in length. Poems
may have previously appeared in magazines (including on-line magazines),
anthologies, or chapbooks, or in limited press runs of no more than 500
copies." PRIZE:
$1000 ENTRY
FEE: $20
DEADLINE:
October 31, 2002 URL:
http://www.storylinepress.com/projects/roerich.htm
******************************************** ESSAY
AND POETRY CONTEST "The
George Bush Presidential Library and Museum and Brazos Writers in partnership
with the Barbara Bush Literacy
Corps announce American Democratic Ideas and Practice Contest. "Entries
should interpret the theme American Democratic Ideas and Practice. This includes
(but is not limited to) perspectives on historical events and figures, insights
into the American democratic experience, and reflection on democratic ideas and
practice in everyday life. Essays must be 750 words or less. Poems must be 64
lines or less. "Entrants
are encouraged to consult one of the many references on essay writing before
submitting. Essays are interpretive or analytical pieces of prose on a single
topic, usually from a personal viewpoint. They are written in a unified and
coherent manner with a recognizable structure that includes a thesis,
development, and conclusion. Essays are not short stories. All types of poetry
are encouraged, including free verse, metrical poetry, rhyming and non-rhyming
works, poems in traditional verse forms (quatrains, sonnets, villanelles, etc.),
and prose poems. "Up
to 7 finalists in each division will be determined by blind outside judging.
Essays will be judged by the Society of Professional Journalists. Poems will be
judged by the Dallas Poets Community." PRIZE:
$200, $100, $50
ENTRY
FEE: $10
DEADLINE:
June 30, 2002 URL:
http://www.brazoswriters.org ******************************************** ANNUAL
ALDRICH POETRY COMPETITION "The
Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art is sending out a call to all poets for
submissions to the 2002 Aldrich Poetry Competition. The juror for 2002's
competition is US Poet Laureate (1995-’97)/ MacArthur 'Genius' Fellow Robert
Hass. "A
maximum of 15 poems, which may include work previously published in journals or
self-published chapbooks." PRIZE:
Honorarium & publication
ENTRY
FEE: $10
DEADLINE:
July 31, 2002 URL:
http://www.aldrichart.org
******************************************** FRIENDSHIP
Student Writing Contest "In
Tae's
Sonata, Tae, the main character, has a falling out with her best
friend, Meg. Tae's not alone; many people, kids and adults alike, argue or have
major falling outs with good friends. Some friendships are lost forever. Others
grow stronger. "For
this contest, write an essay about a time when you lost (or almost lost) a good
friend. Explain what caused the conflict between you, and why and how you
resolved it. If the friendship ended, why? Was it a mutual decision, or did only
one friend express interest in mending the friendship? The
entire entry should be no longer than 300 words. Any
student in grades 3 to 9 is welcome to enter the contest." PRIZE:
$25 ENTRY
FEE: None
DEADLINE:
June 1, 2002 URL:
http://www.haemibalgassi.com/contest.html ******************************************** Pockets®
magazine "The
purpose of Pockets® is to open up the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to
children. It is written and produced for children and designed to help children
pray and be in relationship to God. The magazine emphasizes that we are loved by
God and that God's grace calls us into community. It is through the community of
God's people that we experience that love in our daily lives. "Pockets®
is ecumenical, and our readers include persons of many cultures and ethnic
backgrounds. These differences should be reflected in the references that are
made to lifestyles, living environments (suburban, urban, rural, reservation),
families (extended families, single-parent homes), and individual names. Stories
should show appreciation of cultural differences and not leave the impression
that one way is better than another. "Stories
should contain lots of action, use believable dialogue, be simply written, and
be relevant to the problems faced by this age group in everyday life. Children
need to be able to see themselves in the pages of the magazine. It is important
that the tone not be "preachy" or didactic. Use short sentences and
paragraphs. When possible, use concrete words instead of abstractions. However,
do not "write down" to children." PRIZE:
$1000 ENTRY
FEE: None
DEADLINE:
August 15, 2002 URL:
http://courtyard.upperroom.org/pockets/contest.html ******************************************** CALYX "CALYX,
A Journal of Art and Literature by Women. "Open
to all themes and styles. "Lois
Cranston was an editor for CALYX Journal for more than ten years. Her remarkable
life experiences and knowledge of literature enriched the editorial collective
and the journal issues she helped edit. This poetry prize in her name honors the
memory of her commitment to the creative work of women from all walks of life. "Final
judge: Eleanor Wilner, MacArthur Fellow and author of Reversing the Spell: New
& Selected Poems (Copper Canyon Press)." ENTRY
FEE: $15
DEADLINE:
July 1, 2002 URL:
http://www.proaxis.com/~calyx/ ******************************************** An
Orgasmic Writing Contest! "We’re
holding a writing contest that will lead to an eventual anthology of
educational/erotic stories about orgasm. Please join us and submit what you’ve
been longing to share with others! READ ON… ENTRY
FEE: None
DEADLINE:
July 31, 2002 URL:
http://www.tantra.com/contest.html ******************************************** Mobius
Books "Mobius
Books is pleased to announce an anthology of previously published and never
before seen works by Nova Scotian author, Kevin Toal. The anthology, Tales of
Mystery, Suspense and the Fantastic, is due for publication in the summer of
2003. In honour of this, we at Mobius Books are running a competition to choose
three (3) writers to be included in the anthology. "We
will be accepting entries of 5,000 words or less. The stories MUST contain an
element of crime (murder, theft, etc.). There are no rules as to the genre. We
will be accepting science fiction, horror, straight-forward police procedurals,
humour, the supernatural, etc. Stories MUST be fiction and not published
previously. PRIZE:
$50 and an interesting publishing deal ENTRY
FEE: $10
DEADLINE:
December 15, 2002 URL:
http://www.mobiusbooks.com ******************************************** Quotes,
Quips and Proverbs Writing Contest "Entering
our contest might not get you a six figure advance from a publisher if you win,
but it will do a number of things. It
will give you a focus and a place to start writing. "People
enter contests for different reasons and, no matter what your reason, we hope
you’ll enter ours. "Theme:
How the events of September 11, 2001 inspired me to make writing or personal
goals in my life. "To
paraphrase a quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt, 'September 11 is a day that will
live in infamy.' Just as the bombing of Pearl Harbor altered the course of
history and changed people’s lives, so did the events of September 11, 2001.
What changed for you as a result of the horrible events? Have you changed your
writing? Do you spend more time with your family? Did you lose your job? Is your
faith stronger? If September 11 inspired you to you make writing or personal
goals, where are you today? A year from now where would you like to be, how do
you plan on getting there? Tell us in 800 words or less about how September 11,
2001 inspired you to you make writing or personal goals in your life. Each entry
must include two quotes in the body of the piece. Submissions without two quotes
will be disqualified. Need a quote? See our links page for some Web sites filled
with quotations. "Acceptable
Submissions: Personal Experience, Interviews, How-to Articles, Short Stories PRIZE:
$100, $50, $25 ENTRY
FEE: $10
DEADLINE:
July 15, 2002 URL:
http://www.allaboutquotes.com ******************************************** Obadiah
2002 Writers’ Contest "Write
a 1,000 to 2,000 word original article or essay based on the theme “Faith.”
Entrants can "All
entries must be previously unpublished. Move us with your words.
Make us feel what you are feeling. Touch our hearts and souls. Don’t
ramble. Just tell the story. "The
top 100 entries will be published by Obadiah Press in an anthology volume based
on the 'Faith' theme. "By
entering this contest, contestants hereby grant Obadiah Press the first right to
use their story entry in this "Obadiah
Press may also use the story for promotional purposes in conjunction with the
publication of PRIZE:
$5000 ENTRY
FEE: $25
DEADLINE:
December 31, 2002 URL: http://www.obadiahpress.com I have been an accountant for a very long time, but I always wanted to be a
writer when I grew up. I realised a year or so back that there's not that
many decades left for me get grown up, and so I'm working part time at learning
how to be a writer. Besides my column here, I write a weekly article on
Women Abuse for Suite101.com - not a pretty subject, but if you have the
stomach, check it out at http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/women_abuse
- and have recently been promoted by them to Managing Editor (Food). |
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