[Stylist] Publication and Contest Opportunity

[Marilyn Smith]

Hi,

As many of you know, I'm one of the editors at Behind Our Eyes. Mary-Jo 
Lord, a Stylist member, is our primary editor, and sent the following 
announcement to our subscribers earlier this month.

Marilyn

--------------------

Hello and happy New Year. I hope everyone has had a safe and happy 
holiday season. Once again, it’s time to start thinking about your 
submissions for the Spring/Summer edition of "Magnets and Ladders." 
Please read our submission guidelines below. They can also be found on 
our website at: http://www.magnetsandladders.org

The deadline for submissions is February 15. Be sure to read the 
guidelines carefully, and read our contest information at the end of 
this message. There will be a special contest to honor the memory of a 
Behind Our Eyes member who passed away last spring, so be sure to take 
advantage of this onetime opportunity.

Submission Guidelines

Writers with disabilities may submit up to three selections per issue. 
Deadlines are February 15 for the Spring/Summer issue, and August 15 for 
the Fall/winter issue. Writers must disclose their disability in their 
biography or in their work. Biographies may be up to 100 words in 
length, and should be written in third-person.

Do not submit until your piece is ready to be considered for 
publication. Rewrites, additions, deletions, or corrections are part of 
the editorial process, and will be suggested or initiated by the editor.

Poetry maximum length is 50 lines. Memoir, fiction, and nonfiction 
maximum length is 2500 words. In all instances, our preference is for 
shorter lengths than the maximum allowed. Please single-space all 
submissions, and use a blank line to separate paragraphs and stanzas. It 
is important to spell check and proofread all entries. Previously 
published material and simultaneous submissions are permitted provided 
you own the copyright to the work. Please cite previous publisher and/or 
notify if work is accepted elsewhere.

We do not feature advocacy, activist, "how-to," or "what's new" articles 
regarding disabilities. Innovative techniques for better writing as well 
as publication success stories are welcome. Content will include many 
genres, with limited attention to the disability theme. Announcements of 
writing contests with deadlines beyond April 1 and October 1 
respectively are welcome.

Have You Published a book? If you would like to have an excerpt of your 
book published in an issue of Magnets and Ladders, please submit a 
chapter or section of your book to submissions at magnetsandladders.org. 
The word count for fiction and nonfiction book excerpt submissions 
should not exceed twenty-five hundred words. Poetry book excerpts should 
be limited to five poems. Please include information about where your 
book is available in an accessible format. We will publish up to one 
book excerpt per issue.

Authors under age 18: Please include a statement from a parent or 
guardian that indicates awareness of your submission of literary work to 
Magnets and Ladders.

Do you have a skill, service, or product valued by writers? For a 
minimum contribution of $25.00 we will announce it in the next two 
issues of "Magnets and Ladders". All verifications of products or 
services provided are the responsibility of our readers. Book cover 
design? Copyediting? Critiques? Formatting for publication? Internet 
access or web design? Marketing assistance? Special equipment? Make your 
donation through PayPal (see magnetsandladders.org) or by check by 
March/September 1. 100-word promotional information is due by 
February/August 15. Not sure about something? Email 
submissions at magnetsandladders.org. All donations support Magnets and 
Ladders.

Please email all submissions to submissions at magnetsandladders.org. Paste 
your submission and bio into the body of your email or attach in 
Microsoft Word format. If submitting Word documents, please put your 
name and the name of your piece at or near the top of the document. 
Submissions will be acknowledged within two weeks. You will be notified 
if your piece is selected for publication.

Final author approval and review is necessary if changes are needed 
beyond punctuation, grammar, and sentence or paragraph structure. We 
will not change titles, beginnings, endings, dialog, poetic lines, the 
writer's voice, or the general tone without writer collaboration. If 
your work is selected for inclusion in a future "Behind Our Eyes" 
project, you will be notified; your approval and final review will be 
required. To insure we can contact you regarding future projects, please 
keep us updated if your Email address changes.

We will be holding contests in the areas of fiction, nonfiction, and 
poetry for the Spring/Summer edition of Magnets and Ladders. All 
submissions will be entered into the contest. Cash prizes of $30 and $20 
will be awarded to the first and second place winners. Remember, the 
deadline for submissions is February 15, so be sure to get your entries 
in on time.

Do you like to write about nature, wildlife, and the outdoors? A member 
of Behind Our Eyes has donated funds to hold a contest in honor of Ernie 
Jones, former member who passed away in June 2018. Ernie loved gardening 
and his writings frequently centered around themes of nature. We will be 
awarding one prize of $50 to an author of a story, memoir, essay, or 
poem that features nature, wildlife, or the outdoors. Please send your 
special contest piece to
  submissions at magnetsandladders.org and state that your entry is for the 
"Nature, wildlife, and the Outdoors" contest.

Have a happy and safe new year.

Mary-Jo Lord