Call for Submissions: Cup of Comfort

SINGLE MOMS: LET YOUR VOICES & PRAISES BE HEARD!

As Oprah Winfrey has often said, parenting is the most difficult and important job in the world -- even more so for single mothers, who single-handedly face all the usual parenting challenges, plus a whole set of unique ones. While being a single mom can be tough at times, it also brings many joys and rewards. And those blessings, along with the achievements and other positive aspects of single motherhood, too often go unrecognized. So the editor of the bestselling Cup of Comfort book series is now seeking personal stories for publication in an anthology that honors and celebrates single mothers.

Stories must be original and true, and can be dramatic or humorous. Preference is given to slice-of-life stories that read like compelling fiction, that speak a positive universal truth about the human spirit, and that both entertain and inspire readers.

* Deadline: March 20, 2007

* Story Length: 1000-2000 words

* $500 grand prize; $100 for each other story published in book

* Simultaneous submissions accepted

* Authors may submit multiple stories

* Each submission must include:
Author's name
Author's mailing address
Author's phone number
Author's email address
Story title
Story wordcount

Submit by email or mail:

EMAIL: Copy and paste the story into the body of the email; no attachments. One story per email. Send to wordsinger@aol.com

MAIL: Send hard copy (no CDs or disks) and SASE to:
Colleen Sell
Cup of Comfort Editor
P.O. Box 1539
Cottage Grove, Oregon 97424, USA

Contest update, Forum News & Freelancer News!

A Special Holiday Greetings to all of you!

CONTEST NEWS:

If you entered our contest, you should've received an e-mail regarding your status on the Fall 2006 contest. If you entered and didn't receive an e-mail, please let us know. We try to respond to everyone, to keep you updated on what is going on.

Both Beryl and I have entered a number of contests in the past -- some where we got lucky and heard from the judges, and others where we didn't hear anything at all! So taking this into consideration, we strive to keep you up-to-date on what's happening. We know it's rough... you have your story that you worked so hard on, and want feedback. Isn't that what all of us want?

FORUM NEWS:

Well, great news! By mid-February we will finally have a comprehensive forum up! We are truly excited about this, since it's been a goal of ours from the start. But not just any forum for rants and raves etc. We are going to have sections just for you. A Virtual Writer's Group where you can post your work, discuss, and receive feedback from other women. A safe place to share your work, chat or post, and gain insight. It will be free (like all of our content), yet moderator approved. Meaning, that you can be assured that there won't be any message board 'flaming' going on... only constructive critiques and encouragement. This will help us all become better writers. In fact, best stories, articles, reviews etc. for the month will be published in WOW! and/or receive prizes. We truly believe that writers should be awarded for their efforts, and we will wrangle up goodies from our sponsors and ourselves to inspire your growth as a writer. This is important to us.

Other rooms in the forum may be: the daily struggles of writing, inspiration, prompts, reviews, freelancer's markets, magazine issue feedback, letters/questions to the Eds, PR & book promotion, post your events/press releases, contests, journaling, book clubs, and general chit-chat.

Every month we hope to have a professional guest to join our forums to answer any questions you may have regarding the business of writing. This is an extremely valuable resource to gain insight and professional advice to help you reach your goals as a published writer. You can do it!

FREELANCER NEWS:

Ladies, we're adding two new columns! Premiering in our January Issue: "Freelancer's Corner" -- a place for freelancers to write, share, and give tips to other writers, as well as event listings. This column is a paying market, as is the rest of our columns. Pay is .05 cents/word, up to 1500 words. Query your idea, we're open!

Another new column we're adding is "Funds for Writers" by Hope C. Clark. Hope will give you insider tips on grant writing, emergency funds for writers, retreats, residencies, finding funds for a conference, etc. This should prove very informative and exciting.

As always, our columns and features are open. Please query the appropriate department. Our pay is .05-.10 cents/word. Up to 2500 for features (that's $250!) and 1500 for columns. We're looking forward to your queries and submissions. We request that it be previously unpublished material for the uniqueness of WOW!

Hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and as always, we're here, day in, day out, so give us a shout!