Call for Submissions: Broccoli to Writing: and Everything In-Between

Broccoli to Writing: and Everything In-Between

The WORKING TITLE is: Broccoli to Writing: and Everything In-between.

We have extended the date of entries until April 2, 2010, due to the Christmas Holidays.

This anthology is open for submissions of short stories and poems from all levels of writers in any genre of fiction or non-fiction. All submissions must be the original work of the individual submitting it, and rights for publication in this anthology must be clear.

Word count must be 1,000 (minimum) to 7,500 (maximum) words for short stories or essays. We will consider poetry of any length.

It is not necessary to have known Dick Stodghill in order to participate. However, the book is a dedication to him. The proceeds of the book will go directly to an established charity of Jackie’s choice, in Dick’s name. We will be announcing the charity she selects soon.

Please adhere to the submission guidelines put forth in this letter. The same rules apply as if you were submitting to an agent or publisher, which are as follows:

1. Short Stories and Poems may be on any topic in any genre. The title promotes all things Dick liked and disliked, so no topic is off limits.
2. Format all submissions in Word doc using Times New Roman, 12-point font, with 1” margins on all sides, and double-spaced with the pages numbered in the lower right-hand corner. Type the title of the piece and author’s name in the upper-right hand corner of each page. Example:  Title/Author Name
3. Poetry should follow the same guidelines, minus the double-spacing.
4. A cover letter, with the title, the name you want used on the story, your contact information, and any other relevant information, should be included. If this is not included, we cannot accept the submission.
5. We will edit and proofread all accepted submissions.

Works included in the Anthology will be decided upon by April 10, 2010 and notifications made by April 15, 2010.

Once a submission is accepted, a release form will be sent to you for your signature, giving us the right to use that particular submission for this anthology, as well as any advertising and/or marketing used for promoting this anthology. You will retain the rights to your submission.

Projected release date of this anthology is sometime in late spring or early summer. A definite date will be decided when we have received all the submissions.

Please submit your work to submissions@weavingdreamspublishing.com or mail to Weaving Dreams Publishing, P. O. Box 194, Watseka, IL 60970.

We are looking forward to your submissions!

Marie Pacha and L. Sue Durkin

Thoughtful Thursday: Stars!

Come Join Us on the Adventure of Creating Stargazing for Small Press Idol 2010!

http://christopherandtinasue.blogspot.com/

Artwork Courtesy of Christopher Chamberlain: http://manyfacesart.weebly.com/

Then the traveler in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so...
 Jane Taylor, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars.
Les Brown

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.
 Harriet Tubman

It is the stars, The stars above us, govern our conditions

 Shakespeare

The sky was clear -- remarkably clear -- and the twinkling of all the stars seemed to be but throbs of one body, timed by a common pulse.
Thomas Hardy

For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.
 Vincent van Gogh

The stars are the jewels of the night,
and perchance surpass anything which
day has to show.
Henry David Thoreau

 

You must carry a chaos inside you to give birth to a dancing star.
      Nietzsche

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Max Ehrmann 

For A Different Kind of Thoughtful Thursday !

 http://www.jolynnevalerie.blogspot.com/

 

Book Feature: The Locked Doghouse Mystery, Jennifer Swanson

The crime-fighting dog duo of Penny and Rio are on the case again!

Squeaky the mouse desperately needs their help to recover his precious valuables from a locked doghouse next door.  But will Hobbes, the Great Dane, who lives in the yard object?  And how will a couple of dogs and a mouse open a metal lock?  Through an ingenious plan, the intrepid pair strive to solve this mystery.  

Can they recover Squeaky’s belongings before the doghouse is destroyed?  Follow along as the dynamic detectives Penny and Rio discover that they can do anything, as long as they work together.

To learn more about this award-winning book please visit: http://www.pennyandrio.com  

To buy this book, please click here

Our Guest: Don't Be A Niche Market Clone, Terena Scott

Don't be a Niche Market Clone
by Terena Scott

I've been thinking a lot about social networking and company branding, and I've decided that adhering too strictly to the dominant culture of your niche market is a very bad idea. Do you really want to be a niche market clone?

Most micro publishers embrace their niche market. How else can you compete with the big publishers? A niche market is specialized around a certain topic or population, like hang-gliding enthusiasts and the hearing impaired. It makes good financial sense to find your niche and market to those readers because you'll spend less money trying to compete with hundreds of thousands of books. I know one press who made a fortune publishing books to dentists and another press that specializes in law books for real estate agents. Medusa's Muse publishes "transformative memoir," which is a pretty broad term for my niche market, which gives me the flexibility I want while letting readers know we are THE place for good quality, true stories written by people who have changed their lives by embracing what scared them.

The trouble with focusing on a niche market is how that market can start to define you, the person. When your publishing niche requires you to behave, dress, and speak a certain way, then you may have a problem. If your comfortable dressing and behaving the way your niche likes, then go for it. Problem solved. But just because you're really excited about your books on Chinese antiques, that doesn't mean you have to wear white gloves and listen to classical music.

Don't let your market define who you are. Embrace your creative, eccentric self and use it to your advantage.

I would be curious about a person who stomped around a high dollar auction in her combat boots while looking at fine china. Or a person who was terrified of flying but loved airplanes. Those people would stick out in a niche market dominated by ladies in pearls or former airline pilots. And if you stick out, your books get noticed.

Of course it can back fire if you go too far (breaking a Ming vase because you stomped too hard in your boots could create some issues), and trying to rebel from your niche mold is just as insincere as forcing yourself to fit in. Find the happy balance between what your market needs and what you need.


Terena Scott
Medusa's Muse Press
www.medusasmuse.com
www.medusasmuse.blogspot.com

Thoughtful Thursday: Possibilities

Artwork by Christopher Chamberlain: http://manyfacesart.weebly.com/

The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.

 Marcus Aurelius

The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.

 George Bernard Shaw

Probable impossibilities are to be preferred to improbable possibilities.
Aristotle

The pleasantest things in the world are pleasant thoughts: and the great art of life is to have as many of them as possible.
 Montaigne

Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.
Mark Twain

The significant problems we face in life can not be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.

Albert Einstein

We all have possibilities we don't know about. We can do things we don't even dream we can do.
Dale Carnegie

Our minds are finite, and yet even in these circumstances of finitude we are surrounded by possibilities that are infinite, and the purpose of life is to grasp as much as we can out of that infinitude
Alfred North Whitehead

For a different kind of Thoughtful Thursday please check out Author Jo Lynne Valerie's Blog!

http://www.jolynnevalerie.blogspot.com/

Book Feature: Valentine's Day Special From Weaving Dreams Publishing

This Valentine’s Day!

Boost Your Love of Reading

with

Weaving Dreams Publishing

  Buy A Copy of:

Notes in A Mirror

Life is Like Making Chocolate Chip Cookies

or

No Shadows Left Behind  

Before Valentine's Day from the Weaving Dreams Publishing Website

Receive a 10% off coupon towards any future purchase from the Weaving Dreams Publishing website

before December 15th.

New books will be released throughout the year, so check out the Catalog of Books at WDP to redeem your coupon!

http://www.weavingdreamspublishing.com/welcome.html

Book Review: Walking In The Deep End, Susan Parker

 

Walking In The Deep End

Susan Parker

 Publisher: Silver Threads
# ISBN-10: 1893067092
# ISBN-13: 978-1893067097

Reading Susan Parker’s new book, Walking in The Deep End, brings to mind front and centre the fact that everyone has a “so what?” story but it is what one chooses to do with circumstances and how one uses the lessons learned from the events on their path that truly shape a person.

From sharing candid feelings and thoughts of a loved one’s suicide, to taking the reader through a battle with an eating disorder, to expressing feelings of despair and sharing the pain of a deep and devastating grief, this book touches on many issues and situations that aren’t often brought up in casual conversations.

At the same time, the narrative is personal, the voice inviting and it becomes easy to read through the tough memories and feelings.

Without being self-righteous, Susan Parker shares with the readers’ instances of how her faith helped her through the darker days

 Walking In The Deep End is a very honest and well-written memoir that has the ability to inspire and uplift all who read this story. 

To learn more about Author Susan Parker and Walking In The Deep End, please visit: http://www.walkinginthedeepend.com/

Book Feature: Magician of Oz by James C. Wallace

Life in Indiana was quite the adventure for young Jamie Diggs and his parents. After a tumultuous move from Kansas, Jamie explores the covered bridges, forests and cemeteries of rural Indiana where he discovers the ways of the Hoosiers. When his parents bring up an old humpback trunk from their basement, Jamie discovers his magical heritage lurking inside, including a unique old pocket watch that predicts the weather. Jamie learns the ways of magic from a local magic club, meets Tree-In-The-Road, gathers Morel mushrooms for his mother's legendary potato soup and discovers his great grandfather, the original Wizard of Oz's sentry stone. He soon finds himself transported to the Land of Oz where he must face the wrath of the Fighting Trees who have grown bitter after their defeat at the hands of the Tin Woodman so long ago. In this compelling tale of fantasy and adventure in the Land of Oz, the young magician discovers new friends along the way, conquers his fears and battles the oncoming wave of trees and mushrooms alongside Dorothy and Toto.

To learn more about the Magician of Oz and Author James C. Wallace please visit:

http://magicianofoz.blogspot.com/

You May Purchase This Book From Amazon here: 

http://www.amazon.com/Magician-Oz-James-C-Wallace/dp/0578023539/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246224375&sr=8-1