Author Archives: askwendy

About askwendy

Full-time freelance writer (1,000 published pieces), editor and author of three books (2 for McGraw-Hill and 1 for Writer's Digest). www.guidetoqueryletters.com
Nov19

Leapfrog 2014 Fiction Contest

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Leapfrog 2014 Fiction Contest. Open January 15, 2014–May 1, 2014. Entry fee: $30.

Adult and Children’s manuscripts: Novels, novellas, story collections, any style
Finalist judge: Mark Brazaitis

See www.leapfrogpress.com for details. Email: fictioncontest@leapfrogpress.com.

Nov15

Chicken Soup call-out: The Cat Did What?

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Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cat Did What?
101 Amazing Stories of Magic Moments, Miracles and… Mischief

We are so excited about Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Cat Did What? We know you’ll have many great stories for us, and that you rejoice in the simple absurdities, funny habits, and crazy antics of your cats. Our cats make us smile every day, but sometimes they really outdo themselves. Whether they came up with the idea themselves, or you put them in a situation that caused them to do something unusual, we want to hear about it! Tell us what your cat did that made people want to ask again and again, “The Cat Did What?”

We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1200 words. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both. We can’t wait to read all the heartwarming, inspirational, and hysterical stories you have about your cats!

Here are a few suggested ideas but we know you will come up with your own:

• Has your cat ever done something that made you laugh out loud?
• Has your cat ever demonstrated a surprising degree of empathy or comprehension of a     situation?
• Have you ever taken a trip with your cat? Did s/he do something funny?
• If you have more than one cat, have they ever done something together that you can’t     believe?
• Does your cat do something that no other pet of yours has ever done?
• Does your cat act a certain way with a particular family member?
• Has your cat ever gotten stuck somewhere?
• Has your cat ever done something extremely embarrassing?
• Has your cat ever done something that you only heard about from someone else?
• Do you sometimes think your cat is human?
• Has your cat done something heroic?
• Has your cat “two-timed” you with another family?

Please remember, we no longer publish “as told to” stories. Please write in the first person about yourself or someone close to you. Do not ghostwrite a story for someone else unless you list that person as the author. If a story was previously published, we will probably not use it unless it ran in a small circulation venue. Let us know where the story was previously published in the “Comments” section of the submission form. If the story was published in a past Chicken Soup for the Soul book, please do not submit it.

If you submitted a story or a poem on our website to a book entitled “Stories About Cats” within the last few months please do not submit that same story or poem to us again. We have it in our database. We have tweaked the title of our cat book just a little and we have extended the deadline date for submissions but other than that the database remains the same and your story is in there and will be considered for the book.

If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story and you will retain the right to resell it.

SUBMISSIONS GO TO OUR WEBSITE. Select the Submit Your Story link on the left tool bar and follow the directions.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS JANUARY 5, 2014.

CONTACT US
Please do not reply to this email address. You will NOT receive a response. For any further questions or correspondence, contact webmaster@chickensoupforthesoul.com.