Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Call for Submissions to Anthology on Rejection: Cairn Press LLC

Cairn Press LLC is looking for essays, short stories and poems in a forthcoming anthology. All works should address being rejected for publication (or otherwise) in some way. We feel that all writers could use a bit of encouragement in regard to the rejection letters that pile up far faster than the acceptances. Sometimes we can get down on ourselves. However, in realizing that most every writer has to deal with rejection, even a few notables, we can carry on.

We are seeking works that address being rejected as a writer, whether through short story, personal essay, example, elegy, or brief rant into the void. Regarding tone, we’re hoping for humorous, sarcastic and pithy, rather than “sitting at the edge of the bed, staring at the floor.”

“Staring at the floor,” is, we feel, very depressing and pathetic. However, it’s a nice way to realize you need to vacuum. Please refer to the genre-specific guidelines below.

Submission guidelines:

Creative works must be submitted between January 1 and March 31, 2014.

All submissions must be sent as an attachment to, or in the body of, an email addressed to:

rejectionAT cairnpressDOTcom

Please identify your genre (nonfiction, fiction, poetry) and the word “submission” in the subject line. A brief cover letter is welcomed. Please, no hard copy submissions. If accepted, we will require a 50-75 word bio. All authors will be notified of their status by July 1, 2014.

Nonfiction and fiction: If attaching your work, please send as doc/docx/rtf/pdf file type only. Only works with a word count between 100 and 5,000 will be considered. Please double-space and number your pages. We prefer a Times font for readability.

Poetry: If attaching your work, please send as doc/docx/rtf/pdf file type only. Please, no poems more than a page in length, with a maximum of three poems submitted. Please single-space poems. We prefer a Times font for readability.

(Note: We understand the irony that we will likely have to send out rejections for this anthology.)

Publication details:

Editors:
Joshua Cochran: Writer familiar with rejection, founding editor of Cairn Press LLC.
Marc Mitchel: Writer familiar with rejection, generally just pressed.

When and How:
If a sufficient number of high-quality writings are submitted and accepted, Cairn Press LLC will publish the anthology in the fall of 2014 (November). It will be available in print and eBook form.

Advertising and distribution:
After sending out proofs for review, the book will be advertised in magazines, direct mailings to bookstores, and via social media. Cairn Press titles are currently distributed through Ingram Content Group.

Author compensation:
All contributors will receive two copies of the anthology, plus the following payment immediately upon acceptance:
For nonfiction and fiction, authors will receive $10-$100 depending on word count.
For poetry, authors will receive $10 per poem.

Rights:
Cairn Press LLC requests non-exclusive rights for the work accepted. This means both author and publisher can use the material in any means, for any want or need.
Please spread the word and get your submissions in!

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