Signs of spring pop up in various ways. Some are more obvious than others, such as the weather warming, snow melting, and robins returning. Others need to be searched for, like pussy willows and the pale purple crocus blooms dotting prairie landscapes.
Writing opportunities are all around us. We just need to search for places to submit our writing. One place is anthologies. An anthology is a collection of writing in various genres put together by a writer or an editor who collects the pieces from a variety of authors. Anthologies can be compiled around a theme.
Chicken Soup for the Soul publishes a number of books every year. Each anthology is centred around a theme such as cats, dogs, holidays, parenting, grandmothers, or even miracles and angels. They post requests for submissions on their website https://wwwchickensoup.com Each upcoming book title is listed along with the deadline for submissions. They also give a brief overview of what they are looking for under that title. They accept poetry and prose with the word limit for prose being 1,200 words. Each story must be true and first person rather than “as told to.”
Submitting online is easy. You just follow the guidelines and then the prompts for submitting. Your story or poem may be chosen, and then you have the thrill of seeing your piece in print and know that it goes to various countries and sell millions of copies, making it the most popular and best-selling paperback.
There are other anthologies to which you can submit. It takes some digging to find out where to submit your work. And when you find the answer, it’s great to share these possibilities with your fellow writers.
Inscribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship has a call out for submissions for their next anthology, Creativity and Chaos: Artistic Endeavours for Trying Times. Check out the website for details on submitting. They are looking for fiction, nonfiction, poems, devotionals, memoir, and so much more. The guidelines are laid out well for writers to follow.
Why should we submit our writing to an anthology? These are just a few of the reasons:
- Gain publishing credits
- Work with an editor and go through the submitting process
- Exposure to a wider audience
- Learn how to write to specific guidelines
- No cost to the writer to publish and market their pieces
Another place to submit your writing is to magazines. As members of Inscribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship, we have the opportunity to submit to our own magazine. FellowScript is published four times per year.
This gives you the chance to write within the guidelines, work with an editor, see your work in print, gain name recognition, and earn a small payment as well. It also allows you to offer words of encouragement or helpful tips to fellow writers.
Google the submission guidelines for other magazines with which your writing genre and style might fit. If you write memoir style stories, check out Guideposts, Reader’s Digest, or others that are similar. If you write devotionals, check out The Upper Room magazine, church papers, or other Christian magazines.
It takes time to discover what opportunities are available. Let’s share places we find that are taking submissions. Then write to the guidelines, submit in the manner they want, and wait to see if your piece is accepted. Don’t be discouraged if you receive a rejection or, in the case of Chicken Soup for the Soul and some others, you won’t hear anything unless your work is accepted. Magazines such as The Upper Room choose their pieces a year ahead of publishing them. You need to be patient.
Keep writing. Look for places to submit short pieces. Learn from any comments you receive and keep on trying.
Carol Harrison, a Saskatoon speaker, published author, and storyteller, is passionate about mentoring people and helping them find their voice and reach their full potential. She shares her heart through real-life stories and God’s Word to encourage people and give them a glimmer of hope. Visit her website at www.carolscorner.ca or email her at carol@carolscorner.ca