Submission Announcement from Well Versed and Winner of Behind Every Door

The Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild is now open for submissions of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and flash fiction for their 2017 issue of Well Versed.

Logo courtesy of CCMWG blog

Here are a few basic submission highlights:

Unpublished entries only

Deadline January 15, 2017

Winners announced April 7, 2017

Release date June 4, 2017

Complete guidelines, including cost for entering and prize amounts for each category, can be found on the Well Versed rules and submission guidelines page. 

***

Drum roll, please . . .

Next, is the announcement of the winner of Cynthia A. Graham's novel, Behind Every Door from Blank Slate Press, an imprint of Amphorae Publishing Group. Thanks to Cynthia for her interview questions and to everyone who left a comment.

My random number generator, aka my husband, picked the number five. 

Commenter #5 is : K9friend, aka Pat Wahler.

Congratulations, Pat. I will get the copy of Behind Every Door to you soon.

***

Finally, later this month I will feature a guest post about "setting as character" from Dixon Hearne, author of the short story collection Delta Flats: Stories in the Key of Blues and Hope.

I hope you will return to read what Dixon has to say on that topic.

Notes from the Unbound Book Festival: Mark Doty Discusses Poetry and Memoir

Standing in the center of the chapel on the campus of Stephens College, Mark Doty read a selection of his award-winning poems. After his readings he shared his thoughts on poetry and memoir.

 

On poetry:

The best poems are purely personal, but they should not leave the reader saying, “So what?”

Reach toward bridges between the writer and reader.

"Create an opportunity for shared experiences in places that are unexpected and unlikely, where beauty and dignity reveal themselves."

Performance can lift one out of oneself.

Cultivate individual sensibilities.

On racial violence, he said that it’s not just the province of poets of color to write about it. “It’s everybody’s job to address it.”

Be part of change.

 

On memoir:

Writing his memoir was like watching a film of his childhood unfold.

 

Tap into memory in detail.

Memory and imagination become close together.

How the book felt was most important.

Art is a refuge.

 

After his first year of grief over the death of his partner, prose opened up more expansive ways to express himself.

“Joy resides in the present, in the now.”

 

 

Next week I'll share my notes on what the panel of professionals had to say about the five submissions selected for discussion during the Unbound Book Festival's First Page Rodeo .

Call for Submissions: Nimrod International Journal of Prose and Poetry

Yesterday I received an e-mail with a call for submissions from Eilis O’Neal, Editor-in-Chief of Nimrod International Journal of Prose and Poetry, at the University of Tulsa.

The Call for Submissions for their Spring/Summer 2015 issue has the theme of: 

Circulatory Systems: Current and Connection.

For hints at what the editors have in mind, visit the Nimrod Journal website.

Here are some guidelines:

Stories and creative nonfiction  - up to 7,500 words

Poetry - up to 8 pages 

All work must be previously unpublished 

Postmark Deadline: November 30, 2014 

Publication Date: April 2015

Send manuscripts to:

Nimrod Journal

The University of Tulsa

800 S. Tucker Dr.

Tulsa, OK 74104

Please mark both your cover letter and the outer envelope with “Spring 2015 Theme.”

Questions? Email nimrod@utulsa.edu, call (918) 631-3080. Or visit the website.

CCMWG's Write Direction Conference 2014

The Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild will hold its annual  "Write Direction" conference on Saturday, October 18, 2014, from 8:30-4:00 at the Unity Center, 1600 W. Broadway in Columbia, MO. 

Early-bird registration (by Sep 26) is only $35 for CCMWG members and $40 for non-members. 

Registration includes:

* Choice of break-out sessions,

* Sales/exhibition space in author’s hall,

* Breakfast snacks, lunch, afternoon tea

Keynote speaker Terry Allen will talk about "Writing Dialogue" and "Writing in Shadows and Fog." Dr. Allen is Professor Emeritus of Theatre Arts from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire who taught courses in playwriting, directing, acting, stage movement, theatre history, theatre of the Holocaust, and American cinema for thirty-four years. 

Alan Proctor: "Submitting your Poetry: What Poetry Editors Want." Alan Proctor is a poetry editor for Kansas City Voices, a former humor columnist, tree surgeon, Vice President of a public university and classical guitarist. 

Mary Horner: "Write like a pro to sell your nonfiction writing." Mary is the author of Strengthen Your Nonfiction Writing, a guide to help you write like a professional. She teaches communications at St. Louis and St. Charles Community Colleges. 

Linda Rodriguez: "Riding the Tiger: Writing and Publishing Novels with a Big Five Publisher in a Chaotic Time of Transition."  Linda Rodriguez’s third Skeet Bannion novel, Every Hidden Fear (St. Martin’s/Minotaur), will be published May 5, 2014. 

Mary-Lane Kamberg: “What’s So Funny?” Put your sense of humor on paper. Her workshop includes practical advice for using humor in poetry and following the narrative form for humorous essays. Mary is a professional writer with more than twenty years’ experience. She is the author of 27 books. Her articles have appeared in Better Homes and Gardens, Marriage and Family Living, Christian Science Monitor, Healthy Kids and many others.

Gerado Mena:  "Unleashing your Inner Voice." His workshop includes generating material, sifting, and creating poems using modern structural techniques. War Poetry: (Closing Session) Iraq.  In this workshop he will read from his poetry book The Shape of Our Faces No Longer Matters and will share his journey from a head full of bad memories to a book of war poems. Gerardo Mena is a decorated Iraqi Freedom veteran. He spent six years in Spec Ops with the Reconnaissance Marines and was awarded a Navy Achievement Medal with a V for Valor for multiple acts of bravery.  His poetry and essays have appeared in The New York Times, Ploughshares, Best New Poets 2011, Ninth Letter, and elsewhere.

For complete details, visit the CCMWG site.

Spring into Action: Enter Writing Contests from Saturday Writers and the Arkansas Writers' Conference

The past few days have been gray and dreary, but I don't need to look at the calendar to know that spring is just around the corner. Daylight comes earlier and lasts longer; daffodils are sprouting green leaves out of the brown earth; robins, cardinals, and mourning doves are busy building nests.

What better way to spring into the new season than by entering these writing contests?

The first group of colorful contests is from Saturday Writers.

 

Full disclosure: Although I'm no longer on the board, I am a founding member of SW. The current board has boundless energy and is full of fresh ideas, like their 2013 contests. Each month has a specific theme related to one or more colors. 



Saturday Writers 2013 Contests

Besides being colorful, here's what I like about the Saturday Writers' contests:

Anyone can enter
You don't have to belong to Saturday Writers to submit
The entry fees are modest ($5 for members $7 for non-members)
Although most contests are for short stories, others are for poetry and nonfiction
Judging is blind
Judges are from outside Saturday Writers (so everyone gets a fair shake.)
If you are a winner and want to be published, your work can be published in the Saturday Writers anthology. (Note: I'm not sure what happens if you win and don't want your work published, but I'm sure you can inquire about that.)
Deadlines are monthly
If you miss one month, you can plan ahead and enter another

To learn more about these colorful contests, visit the Saturday Writers website.

The second group of contests are part of the 69th Annual Arkansas Writers' Conference.

 

Several years ago I attended this conference with a friend. The organizers were welcoming and friendly, and the conference was informative, entertaining, and a lot of fun. I even won a few contests--woo hoo! What I like most about this group of contests is the variety of contest categories. Here's what else I like:

Anyone can enter
You don't have to attend the conference to win (although more categories are open to attendees)
One entry fee of $15 allows you to enter more than 20 contests (you can enter as many as 40 if you attend and are from Arkansas)
There are lots of generous prizes
Categories include poetry, essays, articles, and stories (mystery, children, humor, romance)
Categories are judged by sponsors or groups (Variety of judges makes for better chances for winning.)
Deadline is April 25, so there's still time to gather some entries
All entries are to be mailed to one address, so there's no confusion as to where to mail each entry. (Unlike some organizations that require separate checks and entries to be mailed to several different locations.)

To find out more, visit the AWC contest website.

Good luck if you enter. I'm thinking of entering a few contests myself.

It's Not Too Late to Take Your Writing Career in the Write Direction

This Saturday, November 10, I'm excited to be giving a workshop at the "Write Direction" conference in Columbia, MO.

The annual conference, sponsored by the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild,  kicks off at 8:30 and ends at 4 p.m.

The conference will be held at the Unity Center, 1600 West Broadway in Columbia.

CCMWG president Judy Stock, conference chair Carolyn Mulford, and everyone involved in planning the event have done a wonderful job obtaining presenters, laying out the agenda, and keeping the registration fee affordable.

Here's what you can expect:

Bill Clark, columnist with the Columbia Daily Tribune, will serve as the keynote speaker and inspire participants on The Joy in Taking the Next Step"

Other speakers and breakout session topics include:

Bridget Bufford on "Creating Characters through Archetypes"
Matthew Murie, English professor at Westminister College, on "Finding Your Perfect Pitch"
William Trowbridge, Missouri Poet Laureate, on "Humor in Poetry"
Dr. Edward Adelstein, anatomic and clinical pathologist, on "Every Death is a Short Story"
Donna Volkenannt on "Structuring Short Stories for Passion and Profit"
Linda Fisher from Mozark Press, Yolanda Ciolli from AKA Publishing, and Lou Turner from High Hill Press will participate in publisher/editor panels

Registration fee includes lunch, special-interest tables, book sales, and an afternoon tea.

Student discounts are available and Late registrations will be accepted at the door.

Hope to see you there!

Well Versed 2013 Open for Submissions

 

The other day I received an e-mail from Linda Fisher, managing editor of Well Versed.

 

Well Versed is the anthology published by the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild. The dandy logo on the left is from the chapter's website.

According to Linda's e-mail, the editors are now accepting submissions for Well Versed 2013.

Linda advises in her e-mail that the submission rules have changed this year, so please read the guidelines carefully. You can access them by clicking on this link.

The submission fees are modest, and prizes are awarded to winners in three categories: poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. If your work is selected you will receive one contributor copy plus a nominal payment.

Last year the editors received a record number of submissions and published their largest volume to date.

The submission deadline for the 2013 anthology is October 31, 2012.

Personal Note: I had two nonfiction pieces in the 2012 anthology, which I found to be an extremely polished and professional publication.

Good luck if you submit!

Writing by the Numbers: 14 Writing Exercises, 20 Markets, and One Poem

At lunch over the weekend I was part of a discussion on the topic of which is more important--numbers or words--math versus reading. Of course, I took the side of words.

While numbers have been called the universal language, where would we be without words? We learn to talk before we learn to count, don't we? And if we can't read, how can we recognize numbers?

While I'm still a word nerd, the discussion got me to give numbers their due.

Numbers and words are important in different ways; often they are complementary. I even have examples:

The other day I stumbled upon this list of writing exercises in Stumbleupon with 14 writing exercises.

The first six focus on scenes, narration, verbs and most of all STORY. The next eight focus on creating rounded CHARACTERS.

Here's something writing-related with even more numbers.

Earlier this week Becky Povich sent me a link to Meghan Ward's blog Writerland, whose blog post includes a listing 20 markets for personal essays.

Oh, and then there's Elizabeth Barrett Browning's famous sonnet,  "How Do I Love Thee? Let me count the ways. . ."

Monday is Pun Day

Sorry for my infrequent posts lately, but I have a few deadlines that I'm working on and need to finish.

It's been said that puns are the basest form of humor, but for some reason when I read or hear most puns, I can't help myself from laughing. And who can't use a dose of humor each day?

So, to brighten your Monday, I thought I'd share the rest of the puns sent to me by Barb, a teacher-friend.  The first one is dedicated to poets. 

* A backward poet writes inverse.

* Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. (This one took a while to sink in.)

* Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

* Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other: "You stay here. I'll go on a head." (Childish humor, but I chuckled.)

* I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me. (Got it!)

*  The midget fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large. (No offense meant to any vertically-challenged folks.)

* If you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine.

* Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, 'I've lost my electron.' The other says 'Are you sure?' The first replies, 'Yes, I'm positive.'

And I'm positive this is the last batch of puns--but if you have any you'd like to add, feel free.

Happy Monday!

Wednesday Club of St. Louis 86th Original Poetry Contest for Local Poets

Founded in 1890, the Wednesday Club of St. Louis has a long history of supporting the arts and intellectual pursuits in the St. Louis area. The club's goal is "to provide a center of thought and action for the advancement of education, science, philanthrophy, literature, and the arts."

If you are a poet who lives within a 50-mile radius of St. Louis, the Wednesday Club of St. Louis has a contest you might want to consider. The club has invited poets to enter its Eighty-Sixth Original Poetry Contest. The submission deadline is Feb 1, 2012, and the awards reception is April 11, 2012. Acclaimed poet Mark Halliday is this year's judge.

Entrants must be over 18 and live within a 50-mile radius of St. Louis. Prizes range from $400-$100. The submission guidelines are quite specific. If you want to find out more about the contest, here is a link to the contest guidelines.

The Wednesday Club of St. Louis also is sponsoring a Junior Poetry Contest for local high school students in grades 10-12, who must submit through their school's English Department. That contest will be judged by former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins. Here is a link for the contest guidelines for the Junior Poetry Contest.

The Wednesday Club's 86th Original Poetry Contest is a great opportunity to showcase the talent of local poets. If I were a decent poet I would enter, but with my limited poetry skills I wouldn't have a chance. But I hope that some of my visitors who are poets will check out the contest. If you do enter, good luck!

Call for Submissions of Prose, Poetry or Artwork from KC Voices (Paying Market)

Christmas Day was lots of fun and over too quickly. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is ready for the new year.

If one of your goals for 2012 is to publish your prose, poetry, or artwork, KANSAS CITY VOICES has the mission to "discover, encourage and promote creativity and communication through literature, art, and other forms of cultural expression."


The editors are seeking unpublished works which are "exceptional written and visual creations from established and emerging voices" for their magazine which is published in November of each year.

While the payment is modest (ranging from $20-$30, plus contributor's copy), publishing in regional magazines is a good way to support small press and build a writing portfolio.

Here are a few highlights of their submission guidelines:



* Online submissions only
* Submissions need not relate to Kansas City or the Midwest
* DEADLINE: March 15, 2012
* Unpublished at time of submission
•  Notification by  June 15, 2012

The above are just highlights. The actual submission guidelines are very specific. Here's a link to Kansas City Voices with complete guidelines.  

Good luck if you submit!

Silver Boomer Books Call for Submissions on Widowhood

This morning I received an e-mail from Becky Haigler, one of the principals at Silver Boomer Books, announcing a call for anthology submissions.

The editors are looking for stories, essays, poems, and interviews on the theme of Widowhood for the anthology.

Short works, especially poetry, are favored. Their emphasis is on "quality rather than quantity."

The submission period opens December 1, 2011 and closes March 30, 2012.

Writers whose works are selected will be notified in August 2012.

Expected release date is October 2012.

For complete details, visit the Silver Boomer Books submission page.

Through the grace of God my husband is still alive, so I don't have anything to submit for this anthology, but I thought some of my visitors might be widows or have something to write about on the topic.

Good luck if you submit, and God bless you if you are a widow.

Contest Time - Green River Writers

This weekend's soccer tournament in Kansas was a scorcher, and I have the sunburn to prove it. And it's still sweltering here in Eastern Missouri. This morning I watered my garden and filled up containers for the birds to take a drink and cool down, but the water evaporated almost as soon as it left the hose.

To stay out of the heat over the next few days I've decided to work on some contest entries. Talk about timing! Last week I received a brochure from Green River Writers announcing their annual writing competitions.

According to information on their home page, "Green River Writers is a non-profit organization founded in Kentucky in 1984 to support writers through education, promotion, and fellowship." GRW is a fine writing organization I've supported in the past by entering their contests.

I'm first to admit I'm not a poet, but there's something about writing limericks that calls my name. I've won a few times in Category #9, The Jim O'Dell Memorial Poetry Limerick Contest. Maybe it's my Irish roots stirring from ancestors who came to America during the Irish Famine. Or maybe it's because the type of limericks the contest wants --- wild and absurd ---are so much fun to write!

Here's what I like about the Green River Writers Writing Contest:
* A total of 15 categories
* Modest entry fees (ranging from $2 to $5)
* Two Fiction contests
* One Limerick contest


* Categories are sponsored by individual writers and writing groups
* It's gratifying to support other writing organizations by entering their contests


* It's fun to win!
* Grand Prize Categories pay $175/100/50

What I don't like about this contest:
* 13 of the 15 categories are poetry (Too bad I'm not a poet)
* In past years, it has taken months to receive checks and certificates after the winners' names were announced. Maybe they've worked that out this year.
* Except for the Grand Prize categories, the prize amounts are modest (ranging from $50 on the high end to $10). But it's not about the money . . . right?

So, I am going to come up with a few entries, and maybe even stretch my writing muscles and try my hand at poetry other than a limerick. Who knows, with my Irish roots, I might get lucky?


Submission deadline is Sep 30, 2011
Winners announced by Nov 30, 2011

Click here for a downloadable PDF flyer.

Good luck if you enter, and let me know if you win!

Book Giveaway - Tanka Moments: A Man's Journey by David Lee Kirkland

In honor of national poetry month, I'm giving away a copy of a book of poetry written by David Lee Kirkland, a long-time writer friend.

David, or Kirk as many of us call him, is an award-winning poet, novelist, short-story writer, storyteller, Templar, fiddler, and frequent wearer of kilts.

Tanka Moments: A Man's Journey, published by High Hill Press, is his latest published work.

Packed in the slim volume are 265 tanka and dozens of haunting illustrations, which capture the essence of the book. The tone of poems ranges from playful to serious, uplifting to thought-provoking, romantic to down-to-earth.

Here's a sampling:

27.

Children's eyes

Even averted

See so much

How can we wonder

Where lessons are learned?

37.

Rattlesnake

Head poised, tail shaking

Fair warning

If only people

Were so courteous

43.

Learning to drive

On Dad's old Mercury

No second gear

Transitions are not smooth

Between youth and manhood

254.

Hungry birds huddle

Outside below the feeder

Hopeful, eager

Our children gather inside

Seeing presents by the tree

If you would like to win a copy of Kirk's poetry book, here's what you need to do:
* Leave a comment
* About your favorite poet or poem or your thoughts on poetry
* Between today and April 20th
* Be sure to include an e-mail address so I can contact you if you win
* I will pick one name at random from all who leave comments.
* Winner will be announced on or around April 21

Good luck, and Happy Poetry Month!

Upcoming Contest Deadlines

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. I've been under the weather, but I'm feeling better today and hope to get some writing done. We're supposed to get a snow storm later this evening, so I'm going to bundle up and try to keep warm by generating heat on my keyboard.

If you're looking for a helpful writing resource, Poets & Writers on-line magazine is an excellent one to check out.

One useful feature is the database of contest deadlines. This latest database includes contests for poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and nonfiction. Deadlines shown on the link above land between January 25 and February 11. Entry fees range from None to $50. Some contests have specific residency requirements, but most are open to all. A few contest entry fees include magazine subscriptions to contest entrants.

So, if you're looking for a home for your poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or nonfiction, check out Poets & Writers.

Call for Poetry Submissions - Flashlight Memories

Here's a market for my poet friends.

Silver Boomer Books is seeking poetry of no more than 23 lines (including the spaces between lines and/or stanzas) for their upcoming anthology themed Flashlight Memories.

Flashlight Memories recounts memories experiences with reading, which produced lifelong readers.

Please submit your work according to the guidelines found at http://silverboomerbooks.com/submissions.html

Poetry deadline: October 5, 2010

Good luck!

Whispering Prairie Press 2010 Writing Competitions

Here's a contest announcement from the Kansas City Writers' Group and Whispering Prairie Press. The contest has a category for most types of writing.

KCWG is a chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild and publisher of Kansas City Voices magazine.

Whispering Prairie 2010 Poetry, Flash Fiction, and Essay Writing Awards

Prizes in Each Category: 1st place $100, 2nd place $50, 3rd place $25, plus one honorable mention for every 10 entries.

Open to all writers age 18 and up, except members of the Board of Directors of Whispering Prairie Press. All work must be the author’s original work.

Poetry: Any style, any subject. Limit: 36 lines

Flash Fiction: A complete fictional short story with a beginning, middle and end. 1,000 words or less

Non-fiction Personal Essay: 1,000 words or less

Submissions: All entries must be unpublished at the time of submission.
1. No limit on number of entries.
2. Submit hard copy with no name on manuscript.
3. Put word count for fiction or line count for poetry in the top right corner.
4. Include a cover sheet with name, address, e-mail, telephone number with area code, category, and title of entry. If author is a full-time college student, add the name of the school
5. Prose must be double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman or Courier. Poetry may be single spaced.
6. Enclose SASE for next year’s guidelines. Entries not returned.

Entry fee: $5 for each entry or 3 entries for $10. (nonrefundable)
Full-time college students: 2 entries for $5 May mix categories.

Address:

Whispering Prairie Press Writing Awards
PO Box 8342
Prairie Village, KS 66208-0342

Postmark Deadline: June 30, 2010

Winners will be announced by August 1, 2010, and winners’ names posted at http://www.kansascityvoices.com/.Judges’ decisions are final.

Good luck!

Note: If you visit the KC Voices link you can also read their regular submission guidelines.

Today in St. Peters, MO: Windy, high 81 degrees.

Foggy Days and A Chance to Win a Book on Becky's Blog

Today in St. Peters, MO: Foggy, high 40 degrees. With all the fog we've been having, I feel like I'm in San Francisco again.

Like God, the human mind works in mysterious ways--well, mine definitely does. The fog we've been experiencing lately has spun my mind in different directions. The past few days I've been quoting the Carl Sandburg poem FOG to my grandkids, who look at me like I've lost my mind, but actually I think it's just taken a brief vacation.

"THE fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on."
Carl Sandburg

The foggy weather also makes me think of San Francisco, which reminds me of the Clint Eastwood "Dirty Harry" movies with Detective Harry Callahan.

So, here's a Dirty Harry quote, which is one of my favorites: "You've got to ask yourself one question. Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?"

If you're visiting my blog you're probably more of a poet than a punk, but I'm hoping you are feeling lucky. Lucky enough to win a book.

Over at Becky Povich's, one of my writing buddie's blogs, you can win a free book. Becky is giving away a copy of "Time to Write" or "Thinking Write" by Kelly L. Stone to one lucky winner who posts a response on her blog by midnight CST, January 23. I have never heard of Kelly L. Stone, but her books look interesting, and I love the titles.

Back to Becky and her contest: The good news is she wants to hear about books you've read that you fell in love with. The bad news is there are several rules--oh, those pesky rules--please read them carefully. I posted about "Mudbound" by Hillary Jordon, a book I fell in love with, but I think I missed one of the rules. (Forgot to include the copyright date).

So, how about it: Do you feel lucky?

Blue Mountain Arts Seasonal Submission Dates

Today in St. Peters, MO: Mostly clear tonight, low 3 degrees. Brrr.

On the weekends I generally don't post on my blog, but while cleaning my office space last night I discovered a copy of some writer's guidelines with a very short deadline. (I'm really trying to get organized in 2010.)

In an envelope from Blue Mountain Arts, Inc. I found guidelines with a list of seasonal poetry submission dates.

One of this month's deadlines is tomorrow. Yikes!

The deadlines for January are:
Easter - Jan 4, 2010
Mother's Day - Jan 25, 2010

The publisher wants contemporary prose or poetry written from personal experience that reflects the thoughts and feelings people want to communicate to one another but don't always know how to put into words. The poem length does not matter, so long as it can fit on a card. They publish long and short pieces.

They do not want rhymed poetry, religious verse, one-liners or humor.

Try to avoid words or phrases such as "special," "gift," "sending you a hug," and "angel."

Mail postal submissions (typewritten, one poem per page, your name on every page, SASE). Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number with your submission and e-mail address if you wish periodic e-mail updates of their current needs to:

Blue Mountain Arts Editorial Department
P.O. Box 1007
Boulder, CO 80306

or

e-mail to editorial@sps.com They DO NOT accept attachments or website links. Type and paste text into the body of your e-mail. Submit as many different works as you wish in the same e-mail, but include your name, address, and telephone number. E-mail submissions will receive a reply as receipt of submission.

They respond within 2-4 months, but do not respond to e-mail submissions that are not chosen. So if you do not hear from them within 4 months, assume your work is not under consideration.

They pay $300 per poem for worldwide, exclusive rights to publish on a greeting card or other products and $50 per poem for one-time use in a book.

If you have questions, e-mail editorial@sps.com

Good luck!

Monday's Market - Highway 101 Chapbook

Today in St. Peters, MO: Mostly sunny, high 69 degrees. It was lovely yesterday. After church I washed windows and took down screens in the kitchen and bedroom for Walt to wash and put back on the windows.

Here's a submission call-out sent to me by Julie Earhart, one of my writing buddies. Julie is a teacher, a writer and an editor who works for the St. Louis Public Library. Julie was editor for Saint Louis Events magazine when I wrote for them--before they went out of business. She is plugged into the literary scene in the St. Louis area and generously sends e-mails with submission call-outs, announcements about book signings, and the like. She also has been a speaker and judge for Saturday Writers several times.So, I pay attention to Julie's e-mails.

She recently sent an e-mail about Highway 101, a new chapbook press out of California, accepting poetry or prose from Oct 1-Dec 31. Editors are Sarah Suzor and Annie Pentilla. Payment is 15 copies of the chapbook. For more information or a printable Highway 101 flier visit Highway 101 Press .

Thanks, Julie!