June Cotner Seeks Stories

June Cotner has let me know she's seeking stories for the following two anthologies. If you're interested in inspirational writing--prayers, blessings, poems, prose--this may be the market for you to submit to!

I've pasted her instructions below:

*************


Note: I have two new projects. The compensation for one-time rights is $25/selection + one complimentary copy of the book. Reprints are okay.


Send submissions to:

June Cotner
P.O. Box 2765
Poulsbo, WA 98370

Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with sufficient return postage. Please put all of your contact info on each submission. You are welcome to share this information with other writers and colleagues.


CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

EARTH BLESSINGS:
Prayers, Poems, and Prose Honoring the Earth.

Preliminary chapter titles for EARTH BLESSINGS include : Love (for humankind) & Kindness, Courage, Compassion, Faith, Simplicity, Unity in Diversity (commonality of all), Group Consciousness, Our Children, Spirituality, Prayer, Community & Worldly Concerns, Forgiveness & Tolerance, Activism, Purpose & Balance, Healing, Miracles, Gratitude, Wonder & Appreciation, Praise & Celebration, Hope for the Future, and Inspiration. For desired spiritual tone, refer to my book, Looking for God in All the Right Places or the previous version of this book, Heal Your Soul, Heal the World. “Green publishing” is popular right now and focuses primarily on the nuts and bolts of how to improve the environment. In contrast, EARTH BLESSINGS is a spiritual book that will reflect upon the beauty of the earth and remind all of us to cherish the earth. I believe that Chronicle Books will be the publisher. Submissions for EARTH BLESSINGS need to be postmarked no later than April 30, 2008.


* * * * *

SERENITY PRAYERS:
Prayers, Poems & Prose to Soothe Your Soul

My agent is currently negotiating a contract with Andrews McMeel. SERENITY PRAYERS will offer serenity, encouragement, and inspiration as individuals navigate the challenges of everyday life. The overriding intention of SERENITY PRAYERS is to provide a timeless collection of prayers, poems, and prose that will leave the reader feeling more at peace, relaxed, hopeful, and encouraged after reading passages from the book. It will be packaged like my book, Comfort Prayers. Please refer to my books Comfort Prayers and Bless the Day for desired spiritual tone. Preliminary chapters include: Serenity, Faith, Courage, Hope, Healing, Relaxation, Reflections, Gratitude, and Inspiration. Submissions for SERENITY PRAYERS should be sent via USPS (with an SASE) and postmarked no later than Feb. 29, 2008.

* * * * *


On the lower left-hand corner of your envelope, please list the book’s title of the project for which you are submitting. You are welcome to include submissions for multiple projects in one envelope. If you want any rejected submissions returned, please include sufficient return postage on your SASE. It’s easiest for me if you list your poem titles on a cover letter and tell me to recycle any unwanted submissions. Thank you!

************

Good luck with your submissions!

Anthology Call for Submissions

Today, I received a most devastating and sad email. A wonderful Editor friend of mine, Candace Carteen, has lost her dear husband, George Blakeslee. This is a tragedy that happened out of the blue right here at the holidays.

As a writer herself, Candace knows the power of healing that comes from pouring our hearts and souls onto paper. Realizing the lifetime of coping that lays ahead, she has chosen to cultivate beauty and hope from her painful loss and is asking you to as well.

In an anthology, I Know Why the Widow Cries, you will have the opportunity to share your story with other grieving widows. This is your time to help others face the very heartache you've endured. By reading your words, other widows will find strength, courage, and inspiration for a new life--a life without their beloved husbands.

If you are a widow, I urge you to write down your story and submit it for inclusion in what I know will be a compelling anthology--a powerful tool for widows in all stages of this unreal loss.

Visit Candace Carteen's website to learn more. She doesn't have the information posted about this anthology just yet. Give her time and she will. In the meantime, check out the other upcoming titles for the "I Know Why" series. Perhaps you have a story (or two) for those as well.

Candace is an awesome lady and you will most definitely enjoy working with her! Stay tuned for more information regarding I Know Why the Widow Cries anthology...

And... anyone who believes in prayer, Candace and son, Keefer, need massive amounts of prayers and blessings right now. I know my own heart aches for them and they'll remain in my prayers for a very long time.

Thanks to blogging!

Today has been great.... I have been in contact with three editors--wow! All contact was great and encouraging and promising.

One editor actually asked for another story for an anthology I've already sold a story to. Who knows, I'm going to send a second story but it may or may not make it to the final cut. Still, it was an honor to be asked for a second story....

Another editor really gave me the encouraging boost I needed to query a great magazine about my personal story of weight loss... (Thanks!)

Also, I sold an article today that I queried an editor about. I got like a newsflash with the title and went from there. I wrote this piece in about 15 minutes, printed it out, scanned over it, got a second opinion before I sent it over cyber space and wrote a very casual query and included the article (just in case she wanted to read it) and bingo! A few hours later, I checked my email to find I had not only received a reply (QUICK!) from that editor, but she thought it was great and wanted to buy it. And, the pay is nothing to cry about!

Sometimes we just have to jump in and go for it!