CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Poems are used on a non-exclusive basis: You retain all rights. Please see bottom of section for terms.                      We're grateful for every submission received.   PARENT BLESSINGS (previously titled PARENT PRAYERS) is geared specifically for parents and will have the same spiritual tone as BABY BLESSINGS. The intention of the book is to provide insight, joy, and support for parents throughout their parenting journey. Parents will read PARENT BLESSINGS when they feel like celebrating the simple joys of parenting and will also turn to the book for comfort and insight when they feel discouraged in their role as a parent. The primary market will be a gift book for new moms and dads. The secondary market will be parents buying it for themselves for encouragement and inspiration. The chapters include: Pregnancy, Babies, Toddlers, Children, Teens, Leaving Home, Adulthood, Reflections, and Inspiration. Please avoid standard "Please help me be a better parent" submissions. I particularly need submissions for chapters printed in bold. As always, I appreciate freshness and originality. The selections will reflect upon the spirituality of parenting and day-to-day family life. Parents whose children have passed beyond the first few chapters will enjoy the book for the emotional recollection of the precious early years in a child’s life and appreciate the later chapters that pertain to them. Submission date is open. BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS: Inspiring Poems and Prayers to Celebrate all Birthdays. Harper San Francisco is very interested in this project. The book will feature selections that can be used to celebrate birthdays of family members and friends of all ages. Chapters include: Babies and Toddlers, Children, Teens, Decade Birthdays (21st Birthday, 30th Birthday, 40th Birthday, 50th Birthday, 60th Birthday, 70th Birthday, 80th Birthday, 90th Birthday, 100th Birthday), Friends, Relatives (husband, wife, mother, father, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and nieces and nephews), and Anytime Birthdays (general wishes for anyone's birthday). Please keep in mind that the pieces need to be universal; imagine the family down the street reading one of your pieces for their own birthday celebrations. For tone of book, please refer to Family Celebrations. I need lots of submissions for all categories. Submission date is open. 365 BLESSINGS: A Year of Inspiration, Comfort, and Gratitude (previously titled 2007 EVERYDAY BLESSINGS Calendar). Sourcebooks published my 2006 EVERYDAY BLESSINGS Calendar. They have decided not to publish a 2007 calendar because the market for boxed calendars is "trending down." However, my agent thinks we could take the same concept and make it a book.  I cannot pay a permission fee, but you would receive one book for each piece published. Since I need 300+ pieces for the book vs. 100+ pieces for one of my regular anthologies, your chances of being published in this book are a good 300% higher than in one of my other books. When writing submissions, picture a 365-day book with the title "Everyday Blessings" - how would you like to be inspired throughout the day? Keep your submissions to 24 lines or less including stanza breaks. If your submission would work as a specific date (such as a holiday) or seasonal match, please mention this in your cover letter or attach a sticky note to your selection. Submission date is open. EVERYDAY INSPIRATION™ Series I’m creating a gift book series that will function as an extended greeting card. One mini-book, Because I Love You, Mom, will celebrate mothers; one will celebrate grandmothers; another will celebrate the bond between sisters; and the last one will celebrate the bond between friends. Your submissions should be short (ideally 12 lines or less). They need to be both universal enough to appeal to someone other than your own relative or friend and specific enough that the recipient feels the piece was written for her or him. Your words should help nurture a strong bond between the buyer and the recipient of the book. Please mark the outside of your envelope, "Mothers," "Grandmothers," "Sisters," or "Friends." Submission date is open. FAMILY TRADITIONS: THE 100 BEST IDEAS FOR CREATING A LEGACY OF LOVE. Does your family have a certain ritual that you feel is unique? Something that other families might appreciate knowing about? Was there a fun or meaningful activity in your childhood that brings back warm feelings? Here are some categories of traditions to consider: weddings, anniversaries, new babies, christenings, birthdays, graduations, family reunions, housewarmings, memorial services, family vacations, and retirement, as well as all of the holidays. You can also submit any idea not related to the above categories, such as a mother/daughter or father/son activity. The book will likely have the same trim size as Family Celebrations. I am looking for prose submissions (not poetry), limited to approximately 180-word increments and ideally no longer than 360 words, which represent two pages in the book. If you can limit your description to 180 words (one page), so much the better! Submission date is open. GIRLS NIGHT OUT: POEMS, INSPIRATION, AND REFLECTIONS (Previously titled A WOMEN’S BOOK OF POETRY FOR THE SOUL) Over the past decade I’ve received countless amazing submissions from female writers that never quite fit the particular theme of my current project. These are poems about womanhood, stages of life, memories, and everything in between. As a result, I created this book to compile the breath-taking poetry that simply would not fit into a typical "inspirational book." I would love to add a few more high-quality submissions. This book is definitely "edgier" than my other books. Chapters include: Our Bond, Spirituality, Shared Experiences, Grief and Healing, Partings, Love, and Reflections. The submissions shouldn’t have an "I am woman, hear me roar" tone, but more "this is my experience as a woman." The collection will be for women to turn to when they need hope and understanding. Submission date is open. WHAT IS LOVE? This is a prose collection of short thoughts, submitted by people of all ages, answering the simple question, "What is love?" For those who are 19 and under, please list your age. Adults: Feel free to ask this question to children of all ages, then write and submit their answers. The first book in the series will likely be selections written by elementary school children. If you are an elementary school teacher (or a parent volunteer), I'd be happy to email you a handout that describes this project, gives examples, and ideas about how to collect submissions.  Submission date is open. *TERMS: Terms are generally $25 + one complimentary copy of the book for each piece published for one-time rights. You retain all rights. If the book's advance is small, I can't always guarantee $25/piece, but I do my best! At the minimum, you will receive a complimentary book for each piece published.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Please limit your submissions to no more than 3 per book. For all of my books, I find that short submissions, no more than 24 lines, work best and those that don’t lecture, but rather, enlighten. Submissions should be insightful, encouraging, or inspirational. Previously published work will be considered. Any dedications or personalization should be removed before submitting your work in order to make it appeal to a wider audience. All submissions should be typed, double-spaced, titled, and submitted one per page. The contributor’s name (the way it should appear in the book), address, and phone number should be listed at the top of each page. (If you have an email address or a fax number, please include it with your submissions. While I don’t accept regular submissions via email or fax, I sometimes send an "alert" via email if I need poems for a particular chapter in a current book—or if a proposed project sells quickly and I have a tight deadline to meet.) Send submissions to June Cotner, P.O. Box 2765, Poulsbo, WA 98370 and include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with sufficient return postage. All those submitting work with an SASE will eventually receive a reply. It's helpful if you list the books for which you are submitting on the lower left corner of your envelope. You may include submissions for multiple projects in one envelope. It usually works best to include a cover letter that lists the titles of all of your submissions along with a note telling me it's okay to dispose of any unwanted submissions. I will return your cover letter in my response so you will have a record of what was sent.  Response time is approximately 3-4 months. If you live outside the U.S., you are welcome to email no more than three submissions to june@junecotner.com Please use the name of the book as your subject line and include all of your contact information on each submission. My books receive major publicity. I market my books strongly and strive to find additional recognition for contributors, such as publication in national magazines and newspapers. Poems and prayers from my books have appeared in USA Today, Family Circle, Woman's Day, New Age Journal, the "Dear Abby" column, and major newspapers. Many poets have been contacted by card companies to have their poems featured on a card as a result of exposure of their poem in one of my anthologies. My books feature poetry from approximately 20% classic and famous authors and 80% contemporary writers.

The most common reasons for rejections: Too specific to one religion (if the book is religious or spiritual, interfaith pieces work best)   Language is not fresh   Too long; generally poems of 24 lines or less work best in these books   Does not fit in with theme of book   Not universal enough; too specific to your experience   Too prescriptive   Too complex or not easily understood   Lacks the poetic quality I’m seeking