Make 2016 The Year of Memoir Magic - Open Call for Submissions!

Make THIS the year of memoir magic. Write Your Memoir in Six Months is an exclusive author mentorship program and they are publishing an anthology called Magic of Memoir: Inspiration for Your Writing Journey. It's coming out this November from She Writes Press, and they would love to include your work.

This is an open call for submissions with the hope of gathering inspiring stories about what inspired you and the challenges you overcame in your own writing journey. Please note that you do not have to be a published memoirist to submit.

We included some submission details below, and you can find full guidelines here.

WOW! recently had the opportunity to sit down with Brooke Warner and Linda Joy Myers, editors of the Magic of Memoir anthology, and ask some questions about this great opportunity. Here's what they had to say:

WOW: Thank you ladies for taking time out of your busy schedules. This sounds like a great project and wonderful opportunity for all involved.

What words of wisdom would you give someone feeling too vulnerable about writing and submitting their memoir?

Brooke & Linda Joy: Submit anyway and see what happens. If you get accepted, then you can decide whether or not to publish it then. It’s a great exercise to feel the fear and do it anyway—to push your own limits a bit to see what comes up for you, so you have a baseline and start practicing submitting your work. You are never obligated to publish your work just because you submit to a contest.

WOW: I like that line "feel the fear and do it anyway"—that's great!

Do you recommend using a professional editor (instead of just a peer) prior to contributing?

Brooke & Linda Joy: We do. Even just a professional proofreader. It can make the difference if an editor is weighing between your piece and another piece, and having your work professionally edited also shows that you take your own work seriously.

WOW: That's great advice (even for those not entering).

Some writers worry about the timing of their memoir; what advice do you give someone who wants to contribute but feels hesitant about the timing? What about those of us thinking "maybe next year would be better..."?

Brooke &Linda Joy: There’s no time like the present. Submitting can take some getting used to, and the more you do it, the more normalizing it is, and the more likely you are to get published. If you feel like you’re not ready, ask yourself why. And how can you get ready? Maybe hire an editor? Maybe consider a way to find some emotional support—by joining a writing group or hiring a coach. Put yourself out there and see what happens.

WOW: Thank you again, ladies! We will be following the progress of this project and can't wait to see the finished product.

Magic of Memoir Anthology Call for Submissions

About the Book: In this collection, Magic of Memoir, we are asking writers to share their stories of hard-earned wisdom. We want to learn how you dealt with the inner critic, or the practical strategies that provided motivation to write about the dark times your story might have brought up. Share with us the lessons you learned from the mistakes you made on this journey, and how you overcame them. Tell us what inspired you, what kept you going, and most of all why you tackled the challenge of writing a memoir.

Possible Topics:

• What challenges have you dealt with—craft, emotional surprises, wrestling with truth?
• What kinds of things did your inner critic say as you wrote your memoir and how did you get past them?
• Did you have “outer critics”—voices of family and friends—who challenged the idea of you writing a memoir? What did they say and how did you cope with that?
• What were your reasons for writing your memoir?
• Support and accountability: what factors or people helped you to keep writing?
• AND MANY OTHER TOPICS.

Deadline: Submissions must be received by May 1, 2016. Winners will be announced on August 1, 2016.

Submission Fee: $20

Prizes: The top 18-20 submissions will be published in Magic of Memoir: Inspiration for the Writing Journey (She Writes Press, November 2016), edited by Linda Joy Myers, PhD, and Brooke Warner. The top three entries will receive prize money in the amounts of:

1st place: $400
2nd place: $200
3rd place: $100

All chosen contributors will receive two complimentary copies of the book upon publication and the opportunity to buy unlimited at 50% off.

Full Guidelines: http://writeyourbookinsixmonths.com/call-for-submissions/

Today's interviewer was Crystal J. Casavant-Otto. Crystal is a church musician, babywearing mama (aka crunchy mama), business owner, active journaler, writer and blogger, Blog Tour Manager with WOW! Women on Writing, Publicist with Dream of Things Publishing, as well as a dairy farmer. She lives in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin with her husband, four young children (Carmen 8, Andre 7, Breccan 2, and Delphine 11 months), two dogs, two rabbits, four little piggies, a handful of cats and kittens, and over 230 Holsteins.

You can find Crystal riding unicorns (because life is too short to be serious), blogging and reviewing books, baby carriers, cloth diapers, and all sorts of other stuff at: http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/ and of course, right here!