Chicken Soup for the Soul

Chicken Soup for the Soul, is seeking submissions for an upcoming anthology on faith:

Whether we consider ourselves to be Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu or any other religion, our belief in a higher power directs our lives and our thoughts. Everyone's "faith story" is different. Some of us find faith late in life. Others lose their faith after a tragic event or spiritual dry spell, only to rediscover it through a divine nudge. Faith can appear quickly or build up over time. It can hit us like a sledgehammer or whisper in our ear. It can show up in a miracle or in an ordinary event. However faith arrives, it is life-changing and powerful.

If you have an inspirational personal story of finding your faith, we want to hear from you!

The deadline date for story and poem submissions is December 31, 2011.

Continue reading here for submission guidelines.

I have heard that accepted submissions are paid $100, but I am presently unable to find this information on the site.

Edited: I finally found the sentence I was looking for. Payment is actually $200 and ten copies of the book your work appears in.

Muslim Mothering

Demeter Press, which claims to be the "first book publisher focused specifically on the topic of mothering and motherhood," is seeking submissions for an edited collection on Muslim Mothering. This is not a mere anthology, but a scholarly work that will include "multiple, varied, and even contradictory images, symbols, and representations of Muslim mothers and Muslim mothering." While the deadline to submit abstracts has already passed, it may be worth contacting the publisher to see if they will make any exceptions. The guidelines state that the work is to be published in 2012, while the website says 2013...so perhaps there is still some time left to make a contribution to what seems like it will be an interesting collection. 

Continue reading here for more information.

Post-9/11 British and American Literature: Ten Years Later

Kristine Miller, an English professor at Utah State University, is compiling a series of essays centered on the theme of "post-9/11 British and American literature" for publication in a book.

Potential topics include:

• The work of a particular British or American writer 
• Comparative studies around a particular post-9/11 theme
• Representations of other conflicts (WWII, for example)
• Literature by or about British or American Muslims
• Representations of the media
• Women responding to 9/11
• Representations of public rhetoric and/or private trauma
• The 9/11 Commission Report as literary text
• Graphic novels or comics after 9/11
• Literary commemoration and memorialization 

If interested in submitting an essay, continue reading here.

Deadline for proposals: December 1, 2011
Deadline for submissions: June 1, 2012

Contribute to an Anthology of Writing by Young Arab Americans

Professor Pauline Kaldas of Hollins University is in the process of putting together an anthology of writing by young Arab Americans (up to age 18). 

According to this announcement:

Poetry, personal essays, and creative nonfiction will be considered for publication.  The focus of the anthology will be on issues relating to Arab American identity and the experience of young Arab Americans in the United States.

Deadline for submissions: December 1, 2010

If interested in contributing to this anthology, continue reading here.

Muslim Fiction Anthology

Andrew Madigan of United Arab Emirates University is editing an anthology of short fiction related to the Middle East and the Muslim world. According to this announcement:

Entries must be set in the region, and address the concerns of the region, though the characters (and the authors) can be from any culture or nationality. Translated works will be considered. Word count is not the central issue, though works of 2,000-10,000 words are more likely to be accepted.

Deadline for submissions is March 2011.

If you are interested in contributing to this anthology, continue reading here.

Submissions for Grief/Loss Poetry Anthology

New Century Publishing is putting together an anthology of poems that deal specifically with the grief involved in losing a mother. There is no pay for accepted poems.

Thank God I...

Thank God I Had Depression...

Thank God I Went Broke...

Thank God I Had Diabetes...

...Can you imagine being grateful for that???

These are just a few of the jolting titles of the Thank God I... series of anthologies, which is now accepting submissions for its next volume of stories. According to this Craigslist Ad, payment to authors is in royalties.

I did some searching on this website and could not find any evidence that these books are geared exclusively to Christians or members of a particular faith...so this might be an interesting place for a Muslim-authored story to appear. Please leave a comment if you submit a story to this anthology or have more information.

Parent-Teen Stories

The Parent-Teen Series is a series of books containing "a collaboration of short stories written by teens and parents that have experienced troublesome teen years in areas such as substance abuse, teen pregnancies, eating disorders, cutting, 'attempted' suicides, dropping out of school, being homeless and much more."

There are many topics for writers to choose from, and it seems like it might be a good opportunity for Muslim writers to share stories of their difficulties and how Islam helped them cope or solve a problem.

According to the site:

"The hope is for the READER to find that one story he/she can relate to and begin feeling less alone in their struggles. Sometimes that is all it takes, someone else's story, to begin a search for a new path towards a healthier, happy life. "

If interested, check out the Guidelines for Submission.

Compensation: $20.00 IF STORY IS ACCEPTED FOR PRINT. You will also receive a FREE BOOK upon publication.

Call for Stories: Wisdom of our Mothers

The person putting this anthology together has specifically stated that he would be interested in adding some Muslim stories to the collection:

Call for Stories

Attention Writers: We want your stories.

Familia Books is buying stories to be collected into an anthology tentatively titled Wisdom of Our Mothers. Fifty percent of the profits from the book will be donated to shelters for mothers and their children escaping from abusive relationships.

Payment: If your work is accepted, you will be paid US $100 per story upon publication of the book. (Other payment options for more money are available.)

Story guidelines: Stories will be true accounts of life’s lessons learned from one’s mother, regarding values, ethics, relationships. They should be generally positive, but may explore areas of disagreement or conflict with one’s mother.

Maximum length is 3,000 words (no minimum).

How to submit your story:
E-mail (preferred): ericjbowen@comcast.net
S-mail: Familia Books • PMB 326 • 1225 E. Sunset Dr. Ste. 145 • Bellingham , WA 98226 USA

Include with submission: Contact information: your name, address, phone number, and email address.

Deadline: November 30, 2008 (tentative)

For more information: Visit www.familiabooks.com

Latino Muslims Anthology

The Victoria Press invites essays on the subject of Latino Muslims in the United States and abroad for inclusion in an anthology scheduled for release in the summer of 2009.

Essays may address a variety of issues, including cultural encounters/conflicts, religious transformations, taking of ethnic Muslim names and myriad related issues. Essays should be scholarly in nature and authors should hold a current professorial post in a related area of study; retired professors are also invited to submit esssays.

From the guidelines for submission: Exceptionally distinguished and important works submitted by authors who do not meet these expectations may, in select cases, be given equal consideration.

Read more here.

Seeking Stories of DUA

I am collecting true stories of DUA (supplication), especially duas that were directly and noticeably answered…duas you thought were “far-fetched” or could not be fulfilled. Allah willing, I will use the stories to supplement a larger work on Islamic supplication, so, if you share your story, please be willing to have it published along with your name, age, profession, and location (first names or pen names are okay).

Guidelines for Sharing your Story

1. All stories must be true and firsthand accounts of dua that YOU made. In other words, do not tell me about a dua your sister, friend, cousin, etc. made, unless you are able to put me into contact with that person so I can hear his/her version of the story.

2. Explain what happened in as much detail as possible, using all the five senses. It is not enough (for example) to say: “I prayed that I would graduate, and it ended up happening one year later.” I am looking for essays that describe as much as possible about the dua you made. I want to know the circumstances leading to your supplication, why you made that specific supplication, how you felt when you made it, and what you thought the results would be. For example, were you confident your dua would be answered, or were you hopeless/skeptical? Were there any obstacles (real or perceived) in your way? Did you make this dua seriously/intensely, or was it more casual?

3. What was the specific dua that you made? Did you make one of the sunnah duas or come up with your own wording? What language did you use? Where did you sit/stand/etc.? Tell me as much about the physical process of making dua as possible.

4. How many times did you make this dua? How often? What time of the day or night did you make it?

5. Finally, share the outcome. How was your dua answered – and how long did it take? How did you feel? Provide as many details as possible. Explain your emotions and reactions. The point is to inspire people with your story, so be as detailed as possible.

The following information must be provided in a Word document (along with your essay) for a submission to be considered:

1. Your real name (first and last) along with the name you prefer using for publication.

2. Your current age, profession (if any), and location. How old were you when you made the dua? What is your gender?

3. Your e-mail address. This is required so that we can work on any edits that may be needed for the story. No edits will be made without your knowledge and approval.

4. Do you grant permission for this story to be published in a book or article dedicated to the subject of Islamic supplication? (answer yes or no)

There are no restrictions on the themes of the stories, and the duas you mention can be big, small, or somewhere in-between.

You may also submit more than one story for consideration.

Send all stories of DUA in a Word document to amel.abdullah{at}yahoo.com.

Feel free to send this notice to others who may be interested.

Contest Entry Fees

Someone sent me a notice containing information about a writing competition to post on the blog. When I visited the website, however, I noticed that the contest requires a $10 entry fee. I am not sure about the Islamic ruling on this topic but managed to find the following:

Contests & sweepstakes with a participation fee

Ruling on contests where buying something is a necessary condition of entry

According to the above fatwas, contests that require fees are considered gambling, which is prohibited in Islam. I think it is important, however, to obtain a more specific fatwa for writing competitions, which (unlike sweepstakes and certain types of competitions mentioned in the above links) are merit-based. I'll post again when I find the relevant information.
In the meantime, check out these lists of writing competitions having no fees:

No-Entry-Fee Fiction Contests

Contests at Freelancewriting.Com
(Note: You'll have to search the extensive database to find the contests having no fees).

Also take a look at these pages providing warnings about writing competition scams:

Writing Contests: When Winners Are Losers

Warnings about Contests and Vanity Anthologies

In the Pursuit of Writing

I happened to stumble upon Juli Herman's new blog: In the Pursuit of Writing. Sr. Juli is an accomplished Muslim writer from Malaysia who has lots of great insights into the lives of moms who write. Among her many projects, Juli is planning to submit an essay to the Mothering across Cultures anthology, which sounds like something many Muslim writers would have material for. I also noticed a link to Today's Tomorrow on Juli's blog. This is an interesting on-line magazine for Muslim homeschoolers that I have been meaning to mention for a while. If interested, you can submit articles and ideas on this page.

Deadlines Extended

Two deadlines of importance have been extended:

1. IWA 4th Annual Poetry Contest - extended to May 15, 2008
This contest offers prizes of $50 to the first place winners in each category

2. Open Letters, Open Hearts Anthology - extended to May 31, 2008 (deadline is slightly flexible)
Contributors to this anthology receive two complimentary copies of the published volume

Anthology: Islam on My Side

Here is an announcement I found on the Islam on My Side blog:

Islam on My Side will be a published anthology featuring individual voices of Muslims living their lives in post-9/11 America. The collection will be works of creative nonfiction that address the following themes: How has life changed for you post-9/11? More specifically, how did the events of 9/11 impact the way you present yourself as a Muslim? Has your view of other Muslims changed? Do you believe the way your friends, family or peers view you has changed? Has your view of yourself as a Muslim been altered?

I am looking for honest essays that illuminate the many and varied experiences of the members of our ummah. I hope to present a broad spectrum of voices; voices from Muslims of both genders, all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. There are many kinds of Muslims out there, and I want to hear from all of you.

At this time I cannot promise compensation for your submissions. However, I am pursuing funding for this collection with the goal of compensating every writer featured in the collection.
Send your prose and queries to submissions@islamonmyside.com. DO copy the text of this blog and send it widely to your friends or anyone who might be interested along with the address of this blog. I will be posting updates and excerpts as this anthology takes shape.

I have high hopes for this collection. Insha’Allah you share them. I have seen and heard stories of many Muslims living life in America post-9/11. Most often, they are brief newsclips offered by the media. Human coverage of us has been both good and bad, but often out of our control. This is a chance for us to take that control back and present ourselves to the world with our own voices; to give the world a chance to absorb what we have to say. Writing our stories down allows us to reflect heavily on every word so that we can be certain we’ve said what we mean. Please take this opportunity to tell your own story the way you believe it should be told.

I will work with writers on editing accepted submissions, but will not consider submissions rife with spelling and grammar errors, or that do not have a clear and cohesive structure to the story being told. Also, your prose must have a working title. For more submission guidelines, and for information on contributing to the Islam on My Side blog, click on the “Submissions” link under “Pages” in the sidebar.

Please do not send fiction and poetry submissions at this time, although I do plan to solicit those in the future for a companion collection. For now, I will be reading only non-fiction.

The submission deadline for Islam on My Side will be August 1, 2008.

Read more details about the submissions process here.

Muslim Like Me Anthology

Kim Joseph of Muslim Like Me is putting together an anthology of convert/revert stories. Here is a flyer that explains more about the project.

Call for Submissions: Open Letters, Open Hearts

Sister Christine (Amina) Benlafquih is teaming up with An-Najm Publishers to compile a unique anthology of "Personal Letters from Muslims to Family, Friends and Others."

Here are the details of this exciting project:

Call for Submissions
Open Letters, Open Hearts
Personal Letters from Muslims to Family, Friends and Others

Working Title: Open Letters, Open Hearts
Narrative Author/Editor: Christine (Amina) Benlafquih
Publisher: An-Najm Publishers, London, UK
Deadline for Submissions: January 31, 2008 (see Guidelines below)

About the Book
The anthology-style Open Letters, Open Hearts will feature heartfelt letterswritten by Muslims who appeal to their family, friends and others to open theirhearts and minds to the message of Islam.

Most of us have been touched and inspired by an emotional piece of writing. Something as simple as a greeting card or as lengthy as a novel can successfullyevoke emotion in a reader. Whether raw and direct, or gentle and persuasive, thepower of the written word can not be denied.

Muslims worldwide are invited to use this power and compose open letters whichaddress the people and unique circumstances in their own lives from an Islamicperspective. Whether differences need to be solved, religious issues explained,or concern expressed about someone’s harmful life choices, a letter allows thewriter to convey sincerity and present Islamic values and teachings in apositive, relevant light.

Although Muslims naturally wish for others to recognize the truth of Islam,one of the main objectives of Open Letter, Open Hearts is to appeal to theemotional ties that connect us to family, friends and humanity in general. It ishoped that people of all faiths will find common ground with Muslims through thepersonal stories and situations revealed in the letters. Inshaa’ Allah, thisconnection will help open the door to better understanding of Muslims andIslam’s true teachings.

The Open Letters, Open Hearts project was born of the editor’s desire to meether personal da’wah obligation and help her non-Muslim family better understandher decision to embrace Islam. All Muslims have a religious duty to give da'wah(invite others to Islam through teaching or example of good actions). However,many Muslims are uncomfortable doing so, either due to inhibition or becausefamily and friends aren’t open to such discussion.

Da’wah is not only directed at non-Muslims. Born-Muslims often find themselves dealing with family and friends who either don’t practice the religion at all,or neglect certain aspects of it.

Submitting an open letter to the anthology – and inshaa`Allah directly to theperson(s) to whom it is addressed – offers a positive step towards meeting ourda’wah obligation.

Submission Guidelines
- Please limit your letter to 1200 words or less.

- Submissions must be in English. Proofread your letter carefully forspelling and grammar. Poorly written submissions will not be considered.

- You may submit more than one Open Letter, but each letter must be submittedseparately.

- Letters may be written to an individual or a group (i.e. an entire family,colleagues, neighbors, etc.).

- Although general content to promote understanding of Islam is acceptable, letters which address very unique, personal situations are most likely to beselected. For example, a revert to Islam may feel the need to explain hisreversion to an angry family member. A born Muslim might want to clarify to hermother why some of her “Islamic” cultural practices are actually not compatiblewith the true teachings of Islam. Another writer might address a friend’s alcohol or gambling addiction.

- Open Letters of a political nature or letters which address a vast group ofpeople (i.e. letters addressed to the West, all Americans, world leaders, etc.) will be considered only if the content and message will outlive today’s current events.

- Whatever the letter’s theme, the content must contain relevant and correctIslamic perspective or teaching. Passages from the Holy Qur’an and Ahadeethshould be referenced.

- Write from the heart. Letters with a strong emotional component are highly desired. References to personal events and family history will help evoke memories and stir emotion in all readers.

- The tone of the letters should be kind, informative and non-judgmental. Hateful or inflammatory language will immediately disqualify a submission.

- Any topic is welcome, as long as the writer successfully relates it toIslam.

Possible topics include:

- Culture versus religion

- Comparison of Christianity and Islam

- Explanation of conversion/reversion

- Incompatibility of the Trinity with Islam- Infinite Mercy of God

- Women in Islam

- Islamic appearance and dress

- Comparison of the Torah, the Bible, and the Qu’ran

- Current events and terrorism

- Tawheed and the belief in One God

- Islam’s views of Jesus and Maryam, peace be upon them

- Harmful lifestyle choices and practices- Polygany

- Concept of submission to Allah- Non-Muslim and Islamic holidays

- Rights of parents and children

- Tenets of Islam

- Commonalities and differences between Christianity and Islam

- Shirk and the association of others with Allah

Payment
As this is a da’wah project to promote better understanding of Islam andMuslims, the publisher, editor and contributors will receive no monetarycompensation. Writers of letters selected for publication will receive twocopies of the printed anthology.

About the Narrative Author/Editor

Christine (Amina) Benlafquih is a freelance writer and the currentpublications officer of the Islamic Writers Alliance. A former publications andpublic relations director, she accepted Islam in 1993. She lives in Morocco withher husband and six children.

Please contact the publisher for details on how to submit a letter to this invaluable anthology.

Call for Submissions: Islam in Science Fiction Anthology

At the Islam SciFi site I mentioned in my last post, there is a call for submissions for an Islam in Science Fiction anthology. Here are some of the details:

Theme: As stated on the website
Genre: SF or fantasy. No horror, please.
Length: Any
Reprints: Okay.
Simultaneous Submissions: No
Deadline: January 31, 2008
Rights: One time anthology rights
Payment: The authors will be paid, though the payment will be nominal - 1 cent per word, with a minimum of $10 and maximum of $40 + a contributor's copy. The payment will be upon publication.

Visit the website for more information.

Call for Submissions: Crossing Limits Anthology of Poems

Scroll all the way down to the middle-bottom of this page, and you will find an ad seeking submissions from "poets who are American Muslims or American Jews."

Deadline: September 30, 2007

Contact the poster directly for more info. on the goal of this project.

Call for Submissions: Religious and/or Spiritual Conversion Stories

This individual is seeking the following:

Religious/spiritual conversions stories needed for serious nonfiction book – partly anthology, partly commentary. Looking for stories that show feelings and/or logic involved in moving from not caring about religion to religious belief OR how one abandoned the religion of their upbringing OR how one moved from agnosticism/atheism to a spiritual stance. Must be 100% true. Limit 1750 words.

Deadline: 10/1/2007

This may or may not be a paying opportunity. Check with the coordinator of this project for details.

Click here for contact info.