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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hello:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>It’s time to get your work ready to submit for the Fall/Winter edition of Magnets and Ladders. Be sure to read about our finish the story opportunity following<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the submission guidelines.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Beginning with the Fall/Winter 2022-2023 edition of Magnets and Ladders we have invited a guest judge to work with us for two editions in a specific genre.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The guest will judge the submissions selected as finalists for the contest in one genre. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We are honored to announce that our second guest judge is Nolan Crabb. Nolan will judge the nonfiction finalists for the Fall/Winter 2023/2024 and the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Spring/Summer 2024 editions of Magnets and Ladders. Read about Nolan and his extensive experience and background below.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Nolan Crabb is a native of Ogden, Utah, where he attended the Utah School for the Blind and graduated from Weber High School. Nolan holds a bachelor's<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>degree in communications from Brigham Young University. He also holds a certification as an assistive technology trainer from the Accessible Technology<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Institute in Tucson, Arizona.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Nolan spent much of his working life as a writer and editor. He was a general assignment reporter for the Ogden Standard-Examiner, and he worked briefly<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>for what is now the Deseret Morning News in Salt Lake City. He has held editing jobs in northern California and Chicago and was, for nine years, the editor<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of The Braille Forum, published by the American Council of the Blind in Washington, D.C. He also worked as the assistant editor of Dialogue Magazine,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>published by Blindskills, Inc. of Salem, Oregon.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Nolan was first introduced to computers in the winter of 1977 and has been working with them steadily since. In the late 1980s, when he was serving as<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>the director of an independent living center, he began providing computer training to many of the center's consumers. In 1999, when the opportunity became<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>available to provide computer instruction to the staff at Rehabilitation Services for the Blind in Missouri, he was eager to once again enjoy the benefits<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>that come with offering computer training to others.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In June, 2007, Nolan was hired at The Ohio State University as its Director of Assistive Technology—a position in which he provides training and software<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to disabled staff members and university faculty.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Nolan has been a member of the Missouri Assistive Technology Advisory Council. He served as a member of the advisory council for Oregon's Talking Book<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and Braille Services, and he has been a member of the Oregon State Library Board of Trustees. He represented the American Council of the Blind as a member<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of the National Association of Radio Reading Services board of directors. In 2023, he signed on as a co-host of Legend Book Talk, a weekly podcast dedicated<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to reviewing and recommending books to podcast listeners.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Nolan describes himself as a voracious reader. In his spare time, he continues to do some freelance writing and dabbles in the field of audio book narration<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and digital audio production. In early 2008, he created an Internet mailing list dedicated to the writing and distribution of book reviews focusing on<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>books from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Known as DB-Review, The list specifically focuses on digital talking<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>books, and its members are encouraged to share reviews and comments regarding books they have read. From an initial membership of some 50 people, the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>list has grown to include more than 300 members, most of whom post their reviews and thoughts on books.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>He and his wife, the former Valerie Hekking of Benyon, Utah, are the parents of four daughters and the grandparents of ten grandchildren.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please read our submission guidelines below. They can also be found on our website at:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.magnetsandladders.org">http://www.magnetsandladders.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The deadline for submissions is August 15. Be sure to read the guidelines carefully.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Submission Guidelines<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>in third-person.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Do not submit until your piece is ready to be considered for publication. Rewrites, additions, deletions, or corrections are part of the editorial process,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and will be suggested or initiated by the editor.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Poetry maximum length is 50 lines. Memoir, fiction, and nonfiction maximum length is 2500 words. In all instances, our preference is for shorter lengths<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and proofread all entries. Previously published material and simultaneous submissions are permitted provided you own the copyright to the work. Please<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>cite previous publisher and/or notify if work is accepted elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We do not feature advocacy, activist, "how-to," or "what's new" articles regarding disabilities. Innovative techniques for better writing as well as publication<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>success stories are welcome. Content will include many genres, with limited attention to the disability theme. Announcements of writing contests with deadlines<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>beyond April 1 and October 1 respectively are welcome.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>All work submitted must be original. We do not accept work written by an AI or any form of plagiarism.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>of your book to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:submissions@magnetsandladders.org">submissions@magnetsandladders.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The word count for fiction and nonfiction book excerpt submissions should not exceed twenty-five hundred words. Poetry book excerpts should be limited<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ladders.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and Ladders. All verifications of products or services provided are the responsibility of our readers. Book cover design? Copyediting? Critiques? Formatting<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>for publication? Internet access or web design? Marketing assistance? Special equipment? Make your donation through PayPal (see magnetsandladders.org)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>or by check by March/September 1. 100-word promotional information is due by February/August 15. Not sure about something? Email <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:submissions@magnetsandladders.org">submissions@magnetsandladders.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>All donations support Magnets and Ladders.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please email all submissions to <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:submissions@magnetsandladders.org">submissions@magnetsandladders.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>for publication.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Final author approval and review is necessary if changes are needed beyond punctuation, grammar, and sentence or paragraph structure. We will not change<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>titles, beginnings, endings, dialog, poetic lines, the writer's voice, or the general tone without writer collaboration. If your work is selected for inclusion<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>projects, please keep us updated if your Email address changes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We will be holding contests in the areas of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for the Fall/Winter edition of Magnets and Ladders. All submissions will be<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>entered into the contest. Cash prizes of $30 and $20 will be awarded to the first and second place winners.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please note: Funds for contest prizes are provided by Behind Our Eyes. Checks for prize winning entries not cashed within 6 months of the issue date are<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>void and considered a donation back to Behind Our Eyes. No additional payments will be made to replace the uncashed check. If you intend your prize winnings<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to be a donation, please let us know upon winning so we can send you a donation receipt letter.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Remember, the deadline for submissions is August 15, so be sure to get your entries in on time.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>When you read a story, do you ever wish that you could write the ending? If so, you have your chance. In the Spring/Summer edition Cheryl McNeil Fisher wrote a heartbreaking story starter, “hearo.” The story is off to a great start but what happens next? You have the opportunity to decide. Write your ending<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to "Hero" and submit it for the Fall/Winter edition of Magnets and Ladders. We will publish Cheryl's beginning and the top two endings in the writers'<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>climb. To read “Hero” go to:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>MAGNETS AND LADDERS / Active Voices of Writers with Disabilities<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Have a safe and happy summer.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Mary-Jo Lord<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:mjfingerprints@comcast.net">mjfingerprints@comcast.net</a><o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>