Buy a Book, Save a Bookstore

This idea and great cause is courtesy of Tin House. Buy a book at an independent bookstore and save your receipt.

Tin House Books will take unsolicited manuscripts through November 30, 2010, provided they are accompanied by a receipt from a bookstore.

Tin House magazine will take unsolicited submissions through December 30, 2010, provided you include a receipt or a scan of a receipt from a bookstore.

If you cannot afford to buy a book or cannot get to an actual bookstore, you may explain why in haiku or one sentence (100 words or fewer). They will consider the purchase of e-books as a substitute only if you explain why you cannot get to your neighborhood bookstore, why you prefer digital reads, what device, and why.

Happy Halloween! Make your local goblins happy.

Holiday Story Contest

Do you have far to go for the holidays? You could win round trip holiday travel expenses plus $1,000 in spending money.

Folgers is sponsoring a holiday story contest and there is no fee to enter. In 200 words or fewer, answer the question, "What is the best part of wakin' up at home for the holidays with Folgers® Coffee?"

Folgers will award five contest winners, plus up to three family members or friends, travel to and from their holiday destination. Entries will be evaluated based on relevance to the theme of the contest, creativity, and clarity of expression.

Submit using their online form that has an automatic word counter. The deadline is November 30, 2010 at noon.

In the Soup!

My "Dog Day Surprise" true story of what happens when two dogs visit Santa is in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Gift of Christmas. This is my first time "in the Soup." I received my copies from Simon & Schuster last week. They have a cheery old-time Christmasy cover and a ribbon bookmark. The book should be available soon exclusively through Wal-Mart.

If you're not a Wal-Mart fan, wait a little longer and look for Chicken Soup for the Soul: Tales of Christmas which will be sold exclusively through Barnes & Noble. My story is in there, too. The two books have many stories in common.

According to the publisher, all stories are "Santa friendly."

CRAB ORCHARD REVIEW

Call for Submissions: http://craborchardreview.siuc.edu/special.html
Guidelines: http://craborchardreview.siuc.edu/guid2.html

Deadline: November 1, 2010 (postmark; does not accept e-mail submissions)

Currently seeking work for their Summer/Fall 2011 issue focusing on writing exploring the people, places, history, and new directions that have shaped and are reshaping the American South. All submissions should be original, unpublished poetry, fiction, or literary nonfiction. Novel excerpts are acceptable, as long as they stand on their own as fiction. Pays $25 per page ($50 minimum for poetry; $100 minimum for prose). Submit only one piece during each submission period.
Crab Orchard Review is published twice per year, under the auspices of the Department of English at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and with partial funding from the Illinois Arts Council, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.