Literary Mama Blog

The Traveling Mamas

Traveling Mamas Anthology

TravelingMamas.com is in search of true uplifting, funny, inspirational, and touching stories with a travel theme for an upcoming anthology series. Possible themes may include family travel, romantic escapes, girlfriend getaways, and solo trips.

We’re looking for stories that inspire us, force us to laugh out loud or make us reach for the tissue box. Bring us into your story by using the five senses. Every story must have a beginning, middle, and end.

Rights:

We are requesting one-time rights. Reprints are acceptable as long as you own the rights.
If your work has been published before we ask that you please send the name of the publication the story appeared and the date it was published with your submission. We will have the right to edit your work.
Submission:

Word count: 300-1000 words.
More than one story may be submitted.
The story can be told in first or third person. You don’t have to be a mom to tell the story.
Deadline is midnight September 1, 2008.
In the body of your email please include your name, address, phone number, and preferred email address. At the bottom of your story please include a brief author bio (no more than 100 words) to be included in the back of the book. If your story is chosen you will be able to revise your bio before publication.
Please send your submissions in the body of an email to anthology@travelingmamas.com (no attachments will be opened).
Compensation:

$50 (Payment upon publication)
A Traveling Mamas travel pack that includes one copy of the book your story appears in.
Please be patient. This is a long process. We will let you know as soon we know if your story has been selected. If you don’t hear from us, we may be holding your story for upcoming books.

Thank you for joining our journey. We look forward to reading your stories.

The Traveling Mamas

Spoonfuls of Stories®

A Storybook Ending for Prospective Children's Book Authors
Cheerios® Launches Next Spoonfuls of Stories® Children's Book Contest
to Give Would-Be Authors the Chance for
Cash Prizes and Publisher Review!

Once upon a time, there was a writer with an idea for the greatest children's book in all the land. She had worked on the story, and dreamed of getting it published for children and families to enjoy. But the publisher lived on an island (Manhattan) far, far away and the waters surrounding the island were filled with many unknowns. So she hid away her children's book idea…until now.

Starting April 16, 2008 and going through July 15, 2008, Cheerios invites previously unpublished adult authors to submit their children's book manuscripts in the second Cheerios® Spoonfuls of Stories® Children's Book Contest. The book should be suitable for children who are 4 to 8 years old. For a complete list of rules and to submit an entry online, go to www.SpoonfulsofStoriesContest.com. Cheerios will provide cash prizes to up to three winners, and the top winner will have their book evaluated by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for a potential book deal. A book deal is not guaranteed.

Last year, Cheerios received close to 1,000 entries in the Children's Book Contest, and Shellie Braeuner of Nashville, Tenn., was named the grand prize winner. In addition to her $5,000 prize from Cheerios, Braeuner received a book deal from Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. Her winning story, The Great Dog Wash, is being published and will be printed and available in Cheerios boxes in the spring of 2009. The book also will be available in hardcover on bookshelves in the summer of 2009. Two first prize winners, Alison Anderson of Cumberland, Wisc., and Kate Heilman of Chicago, each received $1,000 from Cheerios, and their stories (The Sleepy Song and Theo the T-Rex, respectively) are featured on www.SpoonfulsofStories.com.
"Winning the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Children's Book Contest has opened up a whole new world for me," said Braeuner. "I've been writing for many years, working on children's stories and novels alike. The publisher piece of the puzzle has always been a bit of a mystery to me, so I was excited to learn about the contest and enter my story. But it was nothing compared to the excitement when I was told I had won and my story got to a publisher's desk. I am honored to have gotten a book deal, and I can't wait to see my words in print and my book in Cheerios boxes and on bookshelves! The whole experience has been wonderful every step of the way.

"Kids need books; the more books — and the more kinds of books — the better," said Ricardo Fernandez, marketing manager for Cheerios. "Supporting up-and-coming authors goes hand-in-hand with our efforts to get high quality books to kids through our Spoonfuls of Stories program. We hope we can help encourage more new children's book authors each year through this contest."

Seeking Submissions

Seeking Submissions from U.S. Women Writers for 3 Proposed Books*

Guidelines also on: encirclepub.com

1.

Women & Poetry: Tips on Writing, Publishing and Teaching
from American Women Poets

Foreword by Robin Merrill, Maine Poets Society President 2006-2007. M.F.A. Stonecoast. With hundreds of poems published, some from her chapbook Laundry & Stories (Moon Pie Press) were featured on Garrison Keillor's “Writers' Almanac.” http://www.robinmerrill.com

Afterword by the editors of Iris Magazine, an award-winning publication of 27 years celebrating and empowering young women through provocative articles, essays, and fiction pieces that are uplifting, inclusive, and literate. http://womenscenter.virginia.edu/coreprograms/iris.html

Markets for women, why women write, time management, using life experience, women's magazines, critique groups, networking, blogs, unique issues women must overcome, lesbian and bisexual writing, formal education, queries and proposals, conference participation, family scheduling, feminist writing, self-publishing, teaching tips, are just a few areas women poets are interested.

Practical, concise, how-to articles with bullets/headings have proven the most helpful. Please avoid writing about “me” and concentrate on what will most help the reader.

2.

Milestones for American Women: Our Defining Passages

Foreword by Carolyn Lesser, Webster University, St. Louis, MO, nonfiction writing faculty; natural science children's books published by Harcourt, Alfred A. Knopf; essayist, poet, photographer, keynote speaker, artist.

Afterword by Dr. Loriene Roy, 2007-2008 President of the American Library Association. Professor, University of Texas at Austin, founder of "If I Can Read, I Can Do Anything," a national reading club for Native American children.

Please consider sharing the important milestones, life changing events, transitions in your life--material that would broadly fit the “Women's Studies” genre that is highly readable, moving and relatable. There are the passages that occur to us (for example, losing a loved one, having to relocate) and then the passages we choose (such as getting a degree in mid-life, adopting a child). Please focus on those pivotal moments and why they were milestones for you.

This book celebrates our passages as women, from one moment into another, from one door to the next. Often it is after the navigation, that in reflection, we see that some of the most difficult are the ones we have learned the most and have had lasting effects as well on those around us.

Guidelines for Women and Poetry and/or Milestones for American Women:

Step 1: send your proposed topics before writing articles to avoid duplication; proposed topics must be accompanied by a 65-70 word bio with your present position, location, relevant publications, career highlights for the contributor page; please use POETS or MILESTONES as the subject line to smallwood@tm.net

Step 2:(if your topics are approved): deadline for submissions (by e-mail only) is May 30, 2008. Again, please use POETS or MILESTONES in the subject line; send to either Cynthia at brackett-vincent@encirclepub.com; or Carol at smallwood@tm.net in a Word document (.doc format only) using 12-point font.

Article specifics: word total for 1-2 articles based on your experience: 1,900 minimum; maximum 2,100. Two articles preferred. If submitting two articles, please break them up fairly evenly in word count.

No previously published or simultaneously submitted material. Contributors must be reside in the U.S. Books such as this can typically take up to a year to compile. Contributors receive a complimentary copy and contributor's discount on additional copies.

Co-editor Cynthia Brackett-Vincent is publisher/editor of the esteemed Aurorean poetry journal; poetry instructor; award-winning poet; author of The 95 Poems chapbook (2005) and contributor to Educators as Writers: Publishing for Personal and Professional Development. In 2007, her poems received a citation, honorable mention and second place in the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, New England Writers and Maine Poets Society competitions.

Co-editor, Carol Smallwood has written, co-authored, and edited 19 books such as Educators as Writers for Scarecrow, Libraries Unlimited. An award-winning writer, her work has appeared in English Journal, Clackamas Literary Review, Iris, The Writer's Chronicle, and several others including anthologies; chapbook, Pudding House 2008; Educators as Writers, Peter Lang 2006.

3.

Women Writing on Family: Writing, Publishing, and Teaching Tips by US Women Writers

Foreword: Robbi Hess, Journalist, co-author, Complete Idiot's Guide to 30,000 Baby Names (Penguin Books); Editor, Byline Magazine

Afterword: Suzanne Bunkers, Professor of English, Minnesota State University, editor of Diaries of Girls and Women: a Midwestern American Sampler (University of Wisconsin Press).

This is a book not just on writing but tips for women writing about family. Possible subject areas you might address include: markets; why women write about family; using life experience; critique groups; networking; blogs; unique issues women must overcome; formal education; queries and proposals; conference participation; family scheduling; self-publishing; teaching tips; family in creative nonfiction, poetry, short stories, novels.

Practical, concise, how-to articles with bullets/headings have proven the most helpful to readers. Please avoid writing about “me” and concentrate on what will help the reader.

Word total for 1-2 articles based on your experience:
1,900 minimum; maximum 2,100. Two articles preferred.
If submitting 2, please break them up fairly evenly in word count.

No previously published or simultaneously submitted material, please; no co-authored.

Deadline: May 30, 2008

Contributors receive a complimentary copy and contributor's discount on additional copies. It is common for compilation of an anthology to take upwards of a year, but we will be in touch with updates on securing a publisher.

Editor Carol Smallwood has written, co-authored, and edited 19 books such as Educators as Writers for Peter Lang, Scarecrow, Libraries Unlimited. Her work has appeared in English Journal, Clackamas Literary Review, Michigan Feminist Studies, The Detroit News, several others including anthologies; On the Way to Wendy's Pudding House 2008; a co-edited anthology is with an agent.

Please send your topics first before writing (to avoid possible duplication) along with brief descriptions and 65-70 word bio with your present position, relevant publications, awards or honors. Use FAMILY for the subject line and submit to Carol at smallwood@tm.net

*In our experience, most publishers return rights to individual contributors variously after publication. However, because we are still seeking a publisher, we cannot speak to those rights specifically at this time. Contributors will be asked to sign a release form from the publisher and therefore will be have the opportunity to agree to the details of the contract or withdraw one's work at that time.

"Brewing up more Cup of Comforts"

A Cup of Comfort for New Mothers

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).

New Mothers submission deadline: May 15, 2008 (last call)

A Cup of Comfort for Adoptive Families

The primary purpose of this book is to celebrate adoptive families and to recognize the extraordinary and challenging experiences unique to chosen children and their adoptive families. We are most interested in stories written by adult adopted children and their adoptive parents and siblings, but the book will likely include some stories written by members of the extended adoptive family (i.e. grandparent) 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 or birth families that regret the adoption. All of the stories in this collection must reveal a positive aspect of adoption and must bring comfort, 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.

Adoptive Families submission deadline: June 15, 2008

A Cup of Comfort for Parents of Special Needs

For this very special collection, we seek uplifting true stories about the ins and outs, ups and downs, blessing and challenges of parenting children with special needs. The stories will cover children of all ages (birth to adult) and a wide range of developmental, physical, and mental delays/disabilities. No matter how difficult the experiences/emotions conveyed in a story might be (we want them to be authentic, after all), the story must reveal a positive aspect, resolution, or outcome and must be of comfort to parents of children with special needs. Stories may be serious, humorous, insightful, heartwarming, or inspiring. The majority of the stories will be written by parents of children with special needs; we will also consider stories written by adult children with special needs. (No articles or commentaries by clinicians, please.)

Special Needs Children submission deadline: September 15, 2008

Switchback

Switchback, a publication of the MFA of the University of San Francisco is looking for submissions.

Eighth Issue: "Stillness vs. Frenzy"
The editors of Switchback are now accepting submissions for our eighth issue. The theme is Stillness vs. Frenzy. Poetry and prose submissions are not required to address the theme. We continue to seek work from writers in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, writing on any topic imaginable.

How do action and inaction work in narrative? In art? Art and literature often contain adventure or a fixed setting, like home. Inner monologue could be stillness and frenzy: a still body with an ever-moving train of thought (or even beating heart, live inner-workings). What can come of something entirely static or entirely frenetic? Or both at once?

Hitchcock said "the terror is not in the bang, but in the anticipation of it." Submissions might address the topic of "Stillness vs. Frenzy" as it applies to literature and the creative process. Switchback encourages writers to submit their own thoughts on this topic using whichever perspective they choose.

The deadline for submissions is April 4th, 2008.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

We prefer pieces that have not been previously published. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, although please inform us if you have sent your piece elsewhere. Due to the online nature of the magazine, shorter pieces are preferred (2,000 words or less), although longer pieces of exceptional writing will also be considered.

All critical essays must address the topic "Stillness vs. Frenzy" and be less than 2,000 words. Works in other genres are not required to address the topic.

Submissions should be sent in Microsoft Word format (preferred) or an RTF format. We will accept three poems per writer or a maximum of five pages of poetry, or one fiction, nonfiction or critical essay submission per writer. In the subject line write the genre (fiction, nonfiction, critical essay or poetry) and the title of your piece, i.e., FICTION: (Insert Your Fictional Title). Send your submission(s), one piece per email, to: submissions at swback dot com. (You may use the links at the bottom of this page.)

Due to the process of blind selection, include your name in the email, but not in the piece itself.

The eighth issue will be released in Summer/Fall 2008.

SWITCHBACK is a publication of the Master of Fine Arts in Writing Program of the University of San Francisco, Aaron Shurin, Director.

SWITCHBACK is a forum for the writers of USF's MFA community, including alumni, students, and faculty, as well as the wider literary community, in the areas of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and critical essays.

We look forward to reading your work.

Sincerely,

The SWITCHBACK Editorial Staff

Use these links to submit by email: fiction ; nonfiction ; critical essay ; poetry

life, love and change in our 40s

Call for submissions – help create the first anthology about
life, love and change in our 40s

• Are you a 40-something woman?
• Do you have something to say about life in your 40s?
• Do you want to be part of a talented, interesting group of women across the country who are making a difference?

We are publishing an anthology of personal essays, currently called Laugh Lines, by women from a variety of backgrounds. In this book, 40-something women tell it straight about what it means to be in your 40s. They talk openly and honestly about work and family, sex and divorce, new confidences and lingering doubts. This anthology will consist of 25-30 personal essays combined into one print title for publication in Fall 2008.

Brief Synopsis
Turning 40 is a milestone for women. We spent our 20s going to college, and perhaps graduate school, launching our careers and perhaps our marriage. We spent our 30s building our careers, achieving a track record, and perhaps starting a family. What are the 40s all about?

The contributors will answer:
What is a major experience, realization or change that I have gone through in my 40s, and what have I learned from it? (themes include bodies, work, relationships, children, self-image, priorities, parents and following your passion. Other topic ideas welcomed.)

The Details
Deadline
Submissions are open until May 15, 2008, and the final acceptances will be communicated by June 1, 2008. Submissions should be sent to molly_rosen@yahoo.com Please put Laugh Lines Submission in the subject line. We will send a reply email to confirm receipt.

Audience
The audience is women aged 31-50 who will be inspired by other women’s stories, and will appreciate getting a better understanding of “what’s happening” or “what comes next.”

Project Specifications/Development Schedule: All essays will be written in the first person, with an honest, informal tone. Each will be 1600-2000 words (about 4-5 pages, double-spaced). Each contributor will title the essay, and submit a short (1 paragraph) bio. The book will consist of 25-30 essays total.

Contributors: The contributors will come from a range of backgrounds and professions. Some will be professional writers, many will not. All will be interesting women who have something to say about life in their 40s. By sending in a submission you are agreeing to your work being edited and also to it being published in the new anthology. If your essay is not chosen for the anthology, you will retain all copyrights to publish.

Compensation: This is a labor of love, a project to bring together a fantastic network of women to leave a legacy for others. Money from book sales will first be used to recoup expenses, including a launch party for the contributors to promote connection among this fabulous network of women. Net proceeds will be donated to a not-for-profit organization supporting access to care and finding a cure for breast cancer.

Divorce is Rad!

Call for Submissions

Pay: $100+ on acceptance of manuscript

Length: 2,000-4,000 words

You are welcome to send a fully-written essay, but a query with a 1-2 paragraph proposal is also fine. Make sure to include a bio, other publishing credits (and a writing sample, if you're not sending a complete piece.

Please email queries and submissions to: candace.walsh@gmail.com.

Project Overview:

Divorce needs a makeover. So many women and children are trapped in unhappy marriages just because they can't get past the perception that divorce is the devil. Sure, it's not what we wish for when we walk down the aisle (whether we wear a white gown or a scarlet shift)but if it's the escape hatch into our best life, it should have more romise around it. It should hold more of a space for the positive.

Divorce is Rad!will be a spicy, bracing, riveting selection of essays from women from all walks of life. The words within will make you laugh, cry, nod your head, and shake your fist. The unifying thread is,“I got divorced, and it rocked my world.You can't take the deepest core of grief and loss away from something that has its unavoidable traumatic component, but divorce can lose the shame/fear/stigma frosting on its sometimes bitter cake. Because you know what? A lot of those bites are surprisingly sweet.

Divorce is Rad! is about divorce dusted off, reviewed, and spit-shined for our generation's post-taboo, post-seventies-casual, post- pseudo “family values. It's the sparkling shore for the woman who been standing on the gangplank of a fatally becalmed boat. It's the kind, warm current that leads her to that shore, and the beach towel and picnic lunch that awaits her when she gets solid ground under her feet.

www.marrit.info

ASSOCIATION FOR RESEARCH ON MOTHERING AND DEMETER PRESS

POETRY

BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY

*THEME: MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS

DEADLINE: MAY 1, 2008

Prizes of $500 for 1st place, $300 for 2nd place, and $200 for 3rd place, will be awarded for poems, creative non-fiction, and photography on the theme of Mother and Daughters. The winning works in all categories, as well as a selection of honorable mention contest entries, will be published in JARM, Journal of the Association of Research on Mothering, special issue on Mother and Daughters in October 2008. All works will be considered for publication in the journal and subsequently in a literary anthology to be published by Demeter Press in honor of Mother’s Day, May 2009. Prizes in each category will be announced in August 2008 and awarded at the ARM Conference, October 24-26, 2008.

Poets whose works are included in the issue will celebrate the launch of the issue with readings at a Literary Gala Event as part of the conference.

Guidelines:

Poetry: Submit up to three unpublished poems with $20.00 CAD entry fee ($3 for each additional poem).

Creative Non-Fiction: Entries should be short literary memoir, autobiography, lyric essay 300-1,000 words max. One submission only with $20.00 ($3 for each additional entry).

Photography: Black and white photographs should be submitted as 8” x 10” prints and mailed in hard copy to the ARM/Demeter Press office. *Contest participants outside of Canada and the U.S may email an electronic photo submission to arm@yorku.ca. Please be sure to include all required information with your submission. Submit up to three submissions ($3.00 for each additional entry).

Do not include name or identification on entries; this information should be provided on the entry form. Send entries for poetry and creative non-fiction by email to arm@yorku.ca. Photography submissions should be sent be regular mail to the ARM/Demeter Press office (address and payment information below). Clearly identify your entry with a subject heading: Poetry Contest or Creative Non-Fiction Contest or Photography Contest. All submissions (Poetry, Creative Non-Fiction, Photography) must be accompanied by an entry form. For prose and poetry entries, send in one word attachment. Entries that include separate files for each poem or prose entry will not be considered. Once your payment and entry has been filed, acknowledgment of your contest entry will be made by email.

Deadline:

Deadline: May 15, 2008 Judges TBA

Additional Photo Contest Rules and Regulations:

*By submitting the photo(s) you confirm that you are the exclusive rights holder of the photo(s). Model releases (i.e., permission of people in the photograph) are the responsibility of the entrant and must be available in the event that the photo is a winner.

Photographers of selected photos will retain their rights after publication with the understanding that ARM and Demeter Press can reprint in future publications without payment or royalty fees. ARM/Demeter Press will hold first time North American publication rights. Selected photos may be included in a future ARM/Demeter Press publication, promotional materials, and/or exhibitions.

Photos that have been previously published or won an award are not eligible.

Submitted photos and entries cannot be returned.

Demeter Press and ARM are not responsible for lost or delayed entries, or entries damaged in transit.

Photographs will be judged on creativity and excellence and how they best capture the contest theme. Judging decisions are final.

Payment Information:

Payment can be made by credit card (Visa or Mastercard) using forms available on our website at: http://www.yorku.ca/arm/creditcard.html

Please fax form to 416-736-5766 or email to arm@yorku.ca.

Alternately you can send your forms and payment by cheque or money order to our offices at

ARM/Demeter Press

Rm 726 Atkinson, York University

4700 Keele St.

Toronto, ON M3J 1P3.

**Entry form and payment must accompany all submissions.

Association for Research on Mothering (ARM)
Demeter Press
726 Atkinson, York University
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, ON,
Canada, M3J 1P3
416-736-2100 x60366 (fax) 416-736-5766
arm@yorku.ca
www.yorku.ca/arm

Glimmer Train Family Matters

Guidelines for the FAMILY MATTERS category:
We are interested in reading your original, unpublished short stories about family!

We don’t publish stories for children, I’m sorry.
It's fine to submit more than one story or to submit the same story to different categories.
When we accept a story for publication, we are purchasing first-publication rights. (After we've published it, you can include it in your own collection.)

To make a submission: Please send your work via our new online submission procedure.
It’s easy, will save you postage and paper, and is much easier on the environment.
Just click the yellow Submissions button above to get started!

Dates:
The category will be open to submissions for one full month, from the first day through
midnight (Pacific time) of the last day of the month. Results will be posted at www.glimmertrain.org.

January. Results will be posted on April 30.
April. Results will be posted on July 31.
July. Results will be posted on October 31.
October. Results will be posted on January 31.

Reading fee:

$15 per story.

Prizes:

1st place wins $1,200, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20 copies of that issue.
2nd-place: $500
3rd-place:$300

Other considerations:

Open to all writers.
Stories–about family–not to exceed 12,000 words.(No minimum, though it's rare for a piece under 500 words to read as a full story.)
This category has stimulated lots of questions about fiction/non-fiction/creative non-fiction, since many people have significant real-life stories they want to write. It seems to us that a substantial proportion of fiction submissions are heavily rooted in actual experience, which is entirely fine with us, but we do want stories to READ like fiction and anything we publish is presented as fiction. (Also, sticking too tightly to "truth" can limit the larger truth that fiction is able to reveal.) I would certainly recommend changing details that would allow the real-life people to say, Hey, that character is--without a doubt--me. I hope that makes sense.

We look forward to reading your work!

Women Writing on Family: Writing, Publishing, and Teaching Tips by U.S. Women Writers

Seeking submissions for a book about women writing about family....

Foreword: Robbi Hess, Journalist, co-author, Complete Idiot's Guide to 30,000 Baby Names (Penguin Books); Editor, Byline Magazine

Afterword: Suzanne Bunkers, Professor of English, Minnesota State University, editor of Diaries of Girls and Women: a Midwestern American Sampler (University of Wisconsin Press).

This is a book not just on writing but tips for women writing about family. Possible subject areas you might address include: Markets; why women write about family; using life experience; critique groups; networking; blogs; unique issues women must overcome; formal education; queries and proposals; conference participation; family scheduling; self-publishing; teaching tips; family in creative nonfiction, poetry, short stories, novels.

Practical, concise, how-to articles with bullets/headings have proven the most helpful to readers. Please avoid writing about "me" and concentrate on what will help the reader.

Word total for 1-2 articles based on your experience:
1,900 minimum; maximum 2,100. Two articles preferred.

If submitting 2, please break them up fairly evenly in word count.

No previously published or simultaneously submitted material, please.

Deadline: February 28, 2008

Contributors receive a complimentary copy and contributor's discount on additional copies. It is common for compilation of an anthology to take upwards of a year, but we will be in touch with updates on securing a publisher.

Co-Editor Rachael Hanel is a freelance writer and college instructor in Madison Lake, MN. The first chapter of her memoir was named runner-up for the 2006 Annie Dillard Award for Creative Nonfiction at the Bellingham Review and appears in the Spring 2007 issue. The chapter was also a semifinalist for the 2006 Gulf Coast Creative Nonfiction Award. She teaches personal essay and editing. Her website is www.rachaelhanel.com

Co-Editor Carol Smallwood has written, co-authored, and edited 18 books such as Michigan Authors, for Scarecrow, Libraries Unlimited. Her work has appeared in English Journal, Clackamas Literary Review, Phoebe, The Writer's Chronicle, The Detroit News, several others including anthologies; she's in Who's Who of American Women. A chapbook is forthcoming from Pudding House; a co-edited anthology is with an agent. A recent book is
http://www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?vID=68601&vLang=E&vHR=1&vUR=2&vUUR=1

Please send your topics first before writing (to avoid possible duplication) along with brief descriptions and 65-70 word bio with your present position, relevant publications, awards or honors. Use FAMILY for the subject line and submit to Rachael at rachael_hanel@yahoo.com

*In our experience, most publishers return rights to individual contributors variously after publication. However, because we am still seeking a publisher, we cannot speak to those rights specifically at this time. Contributors will be asked to sign a release form from the publisher and therefore will be have the opportunity to agree to the details of the contract or withdraw one's work at that time.

A Wild Ride

Developed out of necessity, the Web site A Wild Ride helps and supports parents whose children require more than "normal" children. These parents are forced to deal with stress that most people can't comprehend. They are stretched to their limits of patience, endurance, ability, and sometimes resources and they feel anxious, afraid, isolated and confused. Their days are unpredictable at every turn. For them, parenting is A Wild Ride, where they experience extreme ups and downs as they hold on tight.

Our Web site/Blog is about sharing the journey with others on a similar path, so parents – when you feel you can’t take one more meltdown, sit back, relax, and click on www.awildride.net where we:

Share Stories
Offer Strategies
Provide Resources
Answer Questions
Announcing a writing contest to celebrate our first birthday as we prepare for ringing in the New Year.

Deadline: January 5, 2008

Our theme for 2008: What to Expect When Parenting Isn’t What You Expected?™

Categories:

Story
Strategies
Resources
As I See It (Designed for family members, friends, therapists, other professionals to share your own suggestions in support of white-knuckled parents.)
See our site for more details.
http://www.awildride.net/index11.

WOW! Women on Writing

We are an ezine that promotes communication between women writers, authors, editors, agents, publishers and readers. We are currently seeking freelance writers for our upcoming editorial schedule and themes. Please visit: http://wow-womenonwriting.com to get the flavor of our columns and features.

Writing Schedule and Themes for WOW! Women On Writing:

Jan. 2008 - Focus on Readers: book reviews, author interviews, how to make a freelance living at writing book reviews, book clubs, literary guilds, author interviews

Feb. 2008 - The Romance issue: Writing for romance markets, how to craft romantic scenes, book reviews, author interviews.

Mar. 2008 - Small Presses: Focus on how small presses create buzz, small press profiles, author stories about their experience with small presses.

Apr. 2008 - Big Publishing Houses: focus on traditional publishing, editor interviews, crafting a query letter or book proposal, trends in publishing.

May 2008 - Freelance Union: how to make a living as a freelance writer, copywriters, technical writers, book doctors, legal writing.

Our Columns pay a flat rate of $50-$75.
Feature articles pay a flat rate of $150.
Feature interviews pay a flat rate of $75.

Please visit our Contact Page for complete writer's guidelines and contact email addresses for the editorial department.

We urge you to visit WOW! Women On Writing and view our previously published material.

NOTES: Get your submissions in as soon as possible. Spaces fill up fast. We also appreciate photographs to illustrate the article, or at least the writer's portrait. We are a highly visual online magazine.

Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Warmest regards,

Editors: WOW! Women On Writing and our entire staff

Who’s Your Mama: The Voices of Unsung Women and Mothers

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:
Who’s Your Mama: The Voices of Unsung Women and Mothers
http://www.yvonnebynoe.com/Whos-Your-Mama.html

Looking for women writers in the U.S. who are mothers, trying to become mothers and who are childless by choice or circumstance

There are so many books published about the motherhood experiences of affluent, married, White women, books that often revolve around the "mommy wars," the raging debate between mothers who work and those who stay at home. The fact that this small demographic is represented in the media as the face of U.S. motherhood has effectively removed the voices and stories of the true majority of mothers from the public dialogue.

The true majority includes mothers who are: women of color, low and middle income, single, bisexual or lesbian.

This anthology proposes to gather women’s writings about motherhood that addresses race, class, sexuality, identity and intimate partnership. We have chosen to use the words women and motherhood, but it’s being used to focus on the female experience of parenting under patriarchy, not to exclusively define it.

Gen-X/Hip Hop generation women, those born between 1965 and 1984, grew up in the aftermath of social and political revolutions of the 1960s and 1970s that sought to re-define marriage, sexuality and motherhood. While the primary societal messages continue to trumpet traditional values and heterosexual marriage as the preferred norm, on the ground,
women are actively engaged in crafting identities and family structures (including remaining single and/or childless) that speak practically to their personal beliefs, intimate relationships and economic realities.

Demographically, this generation of mothers looks different from its predecessors. Many did not even have children until they were 25 years old or older and on average they are having only two children. Therefore in comparison to their mothers and grandmothers they are older and have fewer children to look after. Having come of age in the 1980s and 1990s these women also grew up taking feminism (and the benefits it bestowed) as a given. For Gen-X and Hip Hop generation women, they believe that they can choose to raise healthy happy children and still be true to themselves.

Unlike previous generations, Gen-X women are represented by a diversity of contexts for motherhood that include heterosexual marriages, single parenting, committed partnership and gay marriage. Furthermore we recognize that the ability of a woman to have the option to be a working mother or a stay at home mother is frequently dependent on her socio-economic standing as demonstrated by her access to informational and financial resources, nearby, reliable and affordable child care and good fortune to work in a flexible work environment.

Furthermore, more women are consciously choosing not to have children and it is necessary to understand the remaining societal costs or the unexpected freedoms that are the consequence of choosing to remain childless. Lastly, every mother was someone before she had children. Therefore while motherhood is a significant life event, this book
wants to examine how women develop other aspects of themselves alongside their identities as mothers, including their careers, friendships (particularly with other women), sexual personas, intimate relationships, familial and community bonds.

Many Gen-X women, although they were brought up and encouraged to "have it all" have a thorny relationship with feminism. Many understand that the freedoms that they take for granted, including the right to: work in nontraditional jobs; receive equal work for equal and; have reproductive choice were the result of feminist agitation.

Nevertheless while many young women eagerly embrace the feminist label, far more equate feminism with angry, unattractive, affluent, man-hating, White women and do not believe that feminism represents their perspectives on religion, sexuality, culture, class or race. We are interested in ascertaining whether a woman choosing to become a mother or not is influenced by her identification with feminism (even if that identification is oppositional) and its perceived tenets, how does a woman’s acceptance (or rejection) of feminism or its principles inform her mothering or extend her focus on social and political issues such as parental leave, affordable childcare, court enforced child support, etc?.

We are seeking honest essays written in the first-person from Gen X/Hip Hop generation women of all classes, races, sexualities and religions. Submissions from emerging as well as established writers, activists, scholars and everyday women will be accepted. The personal narrative should record how your decision about motherhood empowered you and in some way made you reconsider a way of being, a personal truth, political ideology or cultural norm or community standard that you have never previously questioned. Additionally, we are interested in essays that explore how new definitions of motherhood and female empowerment are pushing women toward new thinking around social and political change. We welcome and will consider new ideas in addition to the topics suggested below.

the emotional and financial costs of motherhood
mothering and sexual identity
how becoming a mother changes your politics
daycare and childcare
single motherhood
lesbian or bisexual mothering
motherhood and marriage/committed partnership
gender and care of the children
health care and motherhood
motherhood and poverty
what does having it all really mean?
what makes a feminist mother different from others?
balancing motherhood and work
discrimination against mothers in the workplace
negotiating societal expectations about motherhood
race, class and motherhood
raising bi-racial children or children of a different race
childless because you do not want children
childless because you do not have a committed partner (and you do
not want to be a single mom)
childless because you believe that having a child would adversely
affect your career or finances
infertility
adoptive mothers/guardians/foster parents
incarcerated mothers

DEADLINE: February 1, 2008
WORD COUNT/PAGE LIMITS: Personal Narratives - 20 pages/5000 words.
FORMAT: Essays must be typed, double-spaced, and paginated. Please include your address, phone number, email address, and a short bio on the last page. No simultaneous submissions. Previously published essays will be considered if the writer owns the copyright. Essays will not be returned. Essays will not be published without the writer's consent.

-SUBMITTING: Electronic submissions are preferred. Send essay electronically as a Word format file (with .doc extension) to Yvonne(at)YvonneBynoe.com (replace (at) with @). Write "Motherhood Anthology" in the subject line. If email is not possible, mail two (2) copies of the essay to Yvonne Bynoe at PO Box 14068, Washington, DC 20044 attn: Motherhood Anthology.Please direct any inquiries to info(at)yvonnebynoe.com (replace (at) with @).

EDITOR:
Yvonne Bynoe is a Senior Fellow at the Future Focus 2020 Center at Wake Forest University and the author of Stand & Deliver: Political Activism, Leadership and Hip Hop Culture and the Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture.

PUBLISHER: Soft Skull Press (New York)
REPLY: Please allow until March 1, 2008 for a response. If you have not received a response by then, please assume your essay has not been selected. It is not possible to reply to every submission personally.

Mama Focus Photo Contest!

Mamazine has sent out a call for photos....

We know you have a lot of adorable photos of your kids. I currently have 12,571 photos in my iPhoto and probably 11,491 of those are of my kids. Well, now it's time to shine a little light on you, Mama. And not just the smiley, huggy, fun aspects either. The whole picture. The whole person. So come out from behind the lens, stop dodging the camera, and show us your stuff in the Mama Focus photo contest.

In our Mama Focus photo contest, we challenge you to get artsy, take a self-portrait, give your kids the camera and let them do a mama photo shoot. We don't care how you get the picture, as long as you (mama) are the focus (the photo's actual technical focus is optional). We hope to see photos that show us what modern motherhood can be like: the ugly and the beautiful. We are looking for pictures with a fresh, unique perspective or that capture a moment, convey a feeling, or tell a story. We want interesting and unexpected shots that give us a peek into real mamahood.

Some themes you might choose to explore (but anything goes!): Self & Solitude, Work & Play, Sleep (or lack thereof) & Dreams, Nature & Nurture.

The Mama Focus contest is sponsored by mamazine.com, Picture This, and The Little Zygote That Could. The contest starts Thursday, November 1, 2007, and ends Friday, November 30, 2007. Winners will be announced Friday, December 7, 2007.

go to mamazine.com for details.

More from Moms Rising...

MomsRising wants you to share your story about the challenges of raising children in our country....

My daughter still remembers her favorite Halloween costume at age six--purple balloons pinned all over her body to make her look like a bunch of grapes. That was the first year she wasn't afraid of the Halloween hoopla.

She's in high school now, and pulls together her own costumes. But since the season of ghosts and goblins has come around again, I started thinking about what's really scary for Moms in America--scary all year long because of the daily parenting hardships and dangers that are very real and haunt us. What is it about our country's treatment of families that can make it scary to raise a child?

Help MomsRising.org collect real life stories for our MomsVote 08 campaign about how scary it is to raise a child without adequate family-friendly policies. We've found that sharing true stories about the hurdles we face with parenting--from overly expensive healthcare and childcare, to a lack of time with children when they are born or sick--bring the issues to life better than any fact sheet could. Reporters frequently ask for personal stories that exemplify the issues for which MomsRising is advocating. Legislators who are advancing bills to help families often use our stories to center the policy debates on the lives of real people.

Do you have a scary story to share about the hurdles you've faced raising children? Please share your story on our blog at http://www.momsrising.org/node/593

Church Moms

Taken From Leslie Morgan Steiner's "On Balance" this morning:
Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans left parish ministry in 2002. She is currently a freelance writer, columnist, and supply priest living in Glenmoore, Penn., with her family. One of her projects is editing a collection of cautionary, inspiring, humorous, and candid "stories from the sanctuary" about the lives of female clergy. Are you an ordained woman-on call 24/7, trying to find time for your spouse, kids and maybe even a monthly manicure? Are you expected to give awesome pastoral care, preach sermons that convert hundreds, have kids who are role models for the entire youth group and a "perfect" marriage? She would love to hear your story at Bellettreliz@hotmail.com.

New webzine seeking submissions

Carol Ungar is in the process of setting up a webzine that will feature poetry, creative non fiction, fiction and visual arts that explore different aspects of female Jewish identity from a traditional angle---no Rabbi bashing please. Sorry, no pay but hopefully some exposure. Carol is interested in edgy high quality original material, doesn't mind reprints at this point which will leave the reader with an expanded appreciation of the richness of the Jewish traditon.
Email Carol at tzirelchana@yahoo.com Thanks in advance.

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

Are you a writer longing to be discovered? Submit your manuscript for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. It’s the perfect opportunity to become the next great novelist: the winning author will receive a publishing contract from Penguin Group, including promotional support for their book on Amazon.com, and a media suite from Hewlett-Packard.
Check out the website for details.

Thereby Hangs a Tale

Thereby Hangs a Tale is currently accepting submissions for its fourth print issue, due out in fall 2008. Each issue of Thereby Hangs a Tale explores the stories that form around a single word. For this issue, the word is TASTE. As always, the interpretation is up to the writer! We accept fiction, non-fiction, and essays up to 2,000 words. The deadline is February 15, 2008. For more info and details about submissions, go to www.therebyhangsatale.com

MotherVerse

MotherVerse, a magazine dedicated to the biological, cultural, psychological, and universal state of motherhood has created a new format for mothers:

You don’t have to be a writer or have your own blog to get your voice heard on the internet. MotherVerse wants you to Mother Out Loud right here. We think ALL moms should have the right to speak up, no matter where you are on the globe..no matter who you are or what you do.

So get your voice out there and send us a short (500 words or less) statement on what it is like to mother in your corner of the globe. We have included little ‘interview guide’ if you need a little guidance, but please feel free to go your own direction. We want to hear what you’re thinking about, what you’ve been working on, how the heck you make it day to day, what you love, what you don’t and what you think the world needs to hear. Or, hey, just tell us what’s going on in your living room right now. It doesn’t have to be spectacular, just honest and yours (ok and spellchecked too). If we deem it blog friendly we’ll post it along with your name (aliases are ok), region, photos, and any website link you may have.

Submit your words and any photos you would like included to submissions@motherverse.com with Mothering Out Loud in the subject line. We’ll let you know as soon as it goes up and you can start bragging to your friends. (just a little note, we will assume if you send it you want it published..you will maintain rights to your own work but by submitting it you give us the right to publish it on the blog asap, and, of course, we reserve the right to not publish your work if we so choose).

A Cup of Comfort

Six Great Publishing Opportunities for Personal Stories in the following categories:

Loved Ones of People with Alzheimers (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.

The WAHM Magazine

Thanks to Erika Dreifus of The Practicing Writer for the latest tip:

WAHM, the new, interactive, content-driven, virtual on-line magazine for work-at-home parents is coming in January 2008! We're getting ready to launch this innovative approach to providing work-at-home parents with the information they need and want. The WAHMmagazine is a forum and resource for those who currently are or have been full-time or part-time work-at-home-parents. WAHM is designed to disseminate information about the whole enchilada of being a work-at-home parent.

Department features include:

Voices—a featured interview with a work-at-home parent, ideally a well-recognized figure

The Nitty-Gritty—a section devoted to work-at-home business issues
Parenting—well...duh.

Relationships—these need nurturing

My Time—a section devoted to relaxation, rejuvenation and personal time

Health and Fitness—because sometimes our own health and fitness needs get neglected.

Stories from the Trenches—a section devoted to creative non-fiction and fiction that relates to being a work-at-home parent …
got to The WAHM Magazine for submission guidelines.

Dreaming About Water, a collection of personal essays and practical advice by and for women living with diabetes

Dreaming About Water.
Amy Mercer (LM blog editor) and Violeta Garcia-Mendoza (Lm Literary Reflections co-editor) are seeking personal essay submissions from women writers for their upcoming collection.

Essays should fall between 1,500 and 3,000 words and explore an aspect of living with diabetes.

The collection will cover any and all aspects of living with diabetes: from diagnosis to aging gracefully. Other possible essay topics may include:

Diagnosis
Growing up with diabetes
Dating with diabetes
Diabetes at college/leaving home
Diabetes & relationships with food
Finding the Perfect Doctor
Wedding planning/marriage with diabetes
Diabetes in the workplace
Traveling with diabetes
Starting a Family (either through pregnancy and/or adoption) with
diabetes
Gestational diabetes
Parenting and diabetes
Dealing with complications/ Staying healthy with diabetes
Type 2 diabetes

Our goal is to provide diabetic women- type 1 and type 2- with a place of community while they navigate the various stages of their lives, and their diabetes.

We welcome you to submit one or more essays. For more information, or to submit, please write mercermendoza@gmail.com.

Hero Series call for true stories

Adams Media is publishing a new anthology (book) series featuring uplifting true stories about the experiences and relationships that inspire and enrich our lives—namely those with our mothers, our fathers, and our teachers (also mother-figures, father-figures, and mentors). These slice-of-life stories will be written by people from all walks of life and provide unique personal insights into powerful universal truths, as well as honor the "everyday hero" in their lives. Each anthology in the series will be divided to highlight the variety of ways mothers, teachers, and fathers go beyond the call of duty to heroism.

Submission Deadline: SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

For detailed guidelines, please review:

"Hero Series Guidelines" on Literary Cottage Agency.

Christian Science Monitor

The Home Forum section of the Christian Science Monitor is looking for, "upbeat, personal essays" from 300-900 words on parenting, travel, home, family and food. Payment ranges from $75-160, paid upon publication. All submissions should be sent via email in a microsoft attachment. See writing guidelines.

Call for Submissions - Poetry

"Photographer Elisha Rain & poet/writer Kelli Russell Agodon are joining together to create an anthology that speaks to being a mother in this current world. We are looking for poems exploring all areas of pregnancy, birth, and any aspects of being a mother. We are very open to all motherhood content and themes, but want poems that are powerful, truthful, thought-provoking, and/or thoughtful."

Send no more than 4 poems cut & pasted into the text of the email to:
motherhoodanthology (at) excite.com -- replace (at) with @

For more information, go to their website.

Call for Submissions: Futuristic Motherhood

Mama Specific Productions is seeking submissions of speculative fiction stories about the future of motherhood, including science fiction, fantasy, mystery and any sub-genres. The theme is motherhood in the future. Some things to prompt or give you ideas to start with: What do you imagine the function of motherhood to be? How do you think the image of motherhood will change? How do you think the image of motherhood will stay the same? What possible customs, norms or laws will be in place in the future that would have an impact on changing or affecting mothers? How will science and technology affect pregnancy, birth, and child rearing? How might full social equality affect childcare in the home and workplace? How does a lack of social equality in a highly technological society affect pregnancy, birth, and childcare? How about in a future culture with a highly evolved social order but low technology?

Submission deadline: September 15, 2007.

Call for Submissions: Cup of Comfort

Adams Media is seeking submissions for an upcoming Cup of Comfort anthology called "A Cup of Comfort for Divorced Women." From their web site:

Divorce in the twenty-first 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. The majority of stories will be written by women who are or have been divorced. Stories can be poignant, irreverent, humorous, witty, or wise.

Submission Deadline is December 31, 2007. See the writing guidelines for more info!

Call for Submissions: Meadowbrook Press

Funny-but-True Anthology Submission Guidelines

Meadowbrook Press is working on a series of hilarious anthologies featuring funnier-than-fiction tales about the "misadventures" of life. The first anthology in the series, The Breastfeeding Diaries, will be available in November 2007. In the meantime, we're planning many more titles in this funny series, and we want to hear your stories!

WANTED: Short, funny, true stories recounting the “misadventures” from weddings/honeymoons, pregnancy/childbirth, or the baby/toddler years for an upcoming series of anthologies to be published in book form by Meadowbrook Press.

STORY LENGTH: Up to 800 words

PAYMENT: For selected stories, we'll pay the following one-time fees. (Word counts refer to final edited versions.)

$50 for 100 words or less
$75 for 101–250 words
$100 for 251–500 words
$125 for 501–800 words

RIGHTS REQUIRED: Non-exclusive worldwide rights in all languages. Author retains copyright to story.

FORMAT: Stories must be submitted electronically. A story may be typed in the body of an e-mail or sent as an attached Microsoft Word document.

E-MAIL TO: awiechmann@meadowbrookpress.com with subject line “Anthology submission.” Please indicate the submission category: wedding/honeymoon, pregnancy/childbirth, or the baby/toddler years.

DEADLINE: September 1, 2007

We’re looking for tightly written stories featuring one specific incident with a clear humorous focus. For samples of stories that fit our vision for this series, please e-mail a request to awiechmann@meadowbrookpress.com with subject line “Anthology Samples”. Please do not submit stories that are interesting/enlightening/touching but not funny. Such stories are outside the scope of this project.

Poetry Wanted for Parent Blessings book

POETRY needed for PARENT BLESSINGS (previously titled PARENT PRAYERS) is geared specifically for parents and will have the same spiritual tone as BABY BLESSINGS. The intention of the book is to provide insight, joy, and support for parents throughout their parenting journey. Parents will read PARENT BLESSINGS when they feel like celebrating the simple joys of parenting and will also turn to the book for comfort and insight when they feel discouraged in their role as a parent. The primary market will be a gift book for new moms and dads. The secondary market will be parents buying it for themselves for encouragement and inspiration.

The chapters include: Pregnancy, Babies, Toddlers, Children, Teens, Leaving Home, Adulthood, Reflections, and Inspiration. Please avoid standard "Please help me be a better parent" submissions. I particularly need submissions for chapters printed in bold. As always, I appreciate freshness and originality. The selections will reflect upon the spirituality of parenting and day-to-day family life. Parents whose children have passed beyond the first few chapters will enjoy the book for the emotional recollection of the precious early years in a child’s life and appreciate the later chapters that pertain to them.

Submission date is open.

Motherwords, a new magazine for mothers.

Motherwords is a new regional magazine for mothers and families North of Boston. We are currently accepting stories written by moms for moms. We are open to all stories related to motherhood including but not limited to: birth stories, how children have changed your marriage, adoption, good places to take your kids,etc. You do not need to be a resident of New England to submit a story.

Motherhood: We are all in it together; why not share the journey?
Please e-mail your story as a word attachment to:
sarah.teres( at)motherwords. org--replace (at) with @

The deadline for the inaugural issue is June 25, 2007.

Please remember to include your contact information as well as a short personal bio.

For more information about Motherwords, please visit our website: www.motherwords.org

Motherwords. Every mother has a story....what' s yours?

In The Motherhood Scriptwriting Contest

In The MotherHood is the first scripted Web series by moms, for moms and about moms. Conceived by Suave and Sprint, the story will be written in part by YOU, based on your funny, comical and no-holds-barred experiences of motherhood.

Colicky babies, toppling toddlers, terrible-two tantrums, kindergartners uttering obscenities (during parent-teacher conferences, of course) — the comedies of motherhood never seem to end!

What can you do, except laugh and then write about it at In The MotherHood?

It's easy to take the next step, and here's a little secret: Behind the Sign Up Now link lies a haven for harried mothers, a paradise for pooped parents — a really fun event where you'll get to tell your best motherhood tales, win prizes and see your work turned into a series of video webisodes starring the fabulously funny Leah Remini.

We need moms of all kinds to become a part of this new community — you are welcome whether you want to write your own script or just want to read others' stories and vote on them. So what are you waiting for? Sign Up Now before your kids figure out that you're on the computer.

Seeking Personal Stories about Mothers and Motherhood

The story site Common Ties has been publishing personal stories to rave reviews since October 2006. Among its themes, Common Ties is seeking stories about mothers and motherhood to be published starting on Mother's Day. The deadline is May 8.

Most of us retain powerful stories about our mothers/stepmothers/female legal guardians. Your mother might have gotten you the lead in all the school plays, been a shoulder to cry on during hard times, been the inspiration for your current career, or instilled in you values you still hold dear. Or she might have had trouble resisting the bottle or the whip and been the cause of more years of counseling than Woody Allen has had. Most likely you have both good and bad memories, and we would love to see your most compelling stories based upon those memories. You can also tell stories about other mothers you have known, as well as your own experience with motherhood.

Typical payment is between $100 and $200 and in some cases, can reach up to $1,000. Stories should be between 750 and 3,000 words.

Call for Submissions: Glimmer Train

Glimmer Train Press is looking for short stories (12,000 word limit)about family matters. The dates are April 1-30 and October 1-31. The editors at Glimmer Train want "stories to READ like fiction."

http://www.glimmertrain.com/familymatters.html

Call for Submissions: The Maternal Is Political

Writer-mamas, how do your political views affect the way you parent? How has motherhood shaped or transformed your politics? How does the act of mothering serve as a form of activism in your life? What important work is being done at the place where motherhood and politics meet? Shari MacDonald Strong is seeking essay submissions for a literary anthology about mothers who are changing the world; about the relationship between motherhood and social change. The deadline is June 1, 2007. Selected essays will appear in the anthology The Maternal Is Political (Spring 2008, Seal Press). For more details, see the submissions guidelines at Shari’s blog. (The call for submissions will be posted on Seal Press's website in the next few days.)

Contest: Are You a Writer Mama (or Papa)?

Writer's Digest wants to hear from you on the topic of "When Parenting and Writing Collide." Write your best original, unpublished parenting-and-writing story in a 500-word essay and email it to publicity(at)fwpubs.com with "Writer Mama contest" in the subject line.

Christina Katz, author of Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids will select the top three entries. The first-place entry will be published in an upcoming issue of "Writer's Digest" magazine; second- and third-place entries will be posted on WriterMama.com. All winners will receive a signed copy of "Writer Mama." All entries must be e-mailed by March 31.

The fine print: The entry must be written in the body of the e-mail; attachments will not be accepted or opened. Each entry should include your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. Only the winning writers will be contacted, and entries will not be returned. "Writer's Digest" retains first-time rights to run the winning entries in the magazine and/or on their website or associated websites, after which all rights return to the author. The decisions of the editors are final.

Call for Submissions - Seal Press

How to Fit a Car Seat on a Camel, Edited by Sarah Franklin
To be published by Seal Press, Spring 2008

From the submission guidelines: "How to Fit a Car Seat on a Camel is a collection of humorous essays by women. Whether it’s being stuck on the tarmac for 15 hours with Dora the Explorer for company, or discovering that the road trip these days is more National Lampoon than Jack Kerouac, this anthology depicts the good, the bad, and the just plain hilarious side of traveling with children."