OMG! My Reality!
We need your stories!
Story Submission Guidelines
This new anthology will be a collection of personal real-life stories written by and about kids, preteen and teens. We are looking for humorous, heart-warming, wistful, and inspiring stories written by individuals 25 years old and younger.
If you have a story to tell about your personal experience that is sure to touch the hearts, lives and souls of youth just like you all over the world, we would love to read it and consider it for publication. Please follow the submission guidelines listed below:
1. Your story must be a true account of something that has happened to you or someone you know. It must be written in the first person. Be sure to read the “Do’s and Don’ts” page for helpful writing tips. They are also included on the sidebar on the story submission page .
2. The contributor (you) must be 25 years old or younger at the time of story submission.
3. Your story must be between 500 and 1,200 words, neither more nor less.
4. Do not submit your story more than once. However, you are allowed to submit more than one story per title if you have several to share.
5. Please do not submit anonymous stories, stories written under pennames or false names or as-told-to stories (example: by Barry Jones and told to Mary Jones).
6. Keep a copy of the story you submit to us for your personal records.
7. We will accept stories that have been previously published if you now have the rights that will allow us to reprint it. We will require proof of those rights (generally a copy of your publishing contract or release will suffice).
8. You retain the copyright to your submission. Should your story be selected for publication, Publishing Syndicate will ask for non-exclusive rights, to include, but not limited to, publication of submission in all formats and use of the submission for marketing and promotional campaigns. This means you can sell or publish your story in sections or its entirety, including any edits Publishing Syndicate makes. You will receive legal documents to sign that will further explain these rights.
9. If your story is accepted for publication, you must sign a permission release form. All individuals referenced in your story must also sign a release form, and it will be your responsibility to obtain those signatures. Although under certain conditions we may waive subject permissions, tentative acceptance of your story is dependent on these forms being completed.
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. Please include your current age on the manuscript to help us determine if a parent/guardian will be required to also sign the permission release form should your story be selected.
11. We do not accept full book manuscripts. They will be deleted.
12. We do not accept poetry submissions at this time. They will be deleted.
13. We do not accept stories with inappropriate language or subject matters. They, too, will be deleted.
To parents: As much as you would like to, please do not write your child’s story for them. Nancy Withers is a retired educator (40+ years) and Dahlynn McKowen has read more than 100,000 anthology stories to date: together, they more than likely will be able to tell if a story is written by an adult. If either creator is uncertain of the contributor’s “voice” then the story will probably not be selected. It is fine to help your child, but again, please do not write the story on their behalf. Thank you.
Story submission process: All stories must come through our electronic submission form. We will not accept any mailed or e-mailed submissions. And please do not send e-mails asking if your story has been accepted for publication; we will not respond. Know that the story evaluation process typically will take six to nine months. However, if we are interested in considering your story, you will receive an e-mail notification directly from us. From that point, we will set up a line of communication with you which may include helping you edit your story to clarify your message or make your story stronger. Keep in mind that your story will still be under consideration, not accepted for publication.
Consideration/Compensation: As a contributor to books in the OMG! My Reality! series, you will receive:
1. One (1) copy of the book.
2. A T-shirt featuring the OMG! My Reality! logo and the wording “I’m a published author!”
3. A share of the book royalties. For one year following publication, you will collect a small percent of the royalties paid to the co-creators. Split among 60-plus contributors, the amount will likely not total more than $50-$100 per contributor. It could be more; it could be less.
Deadline: Open until we get enough workable stories to fill a title.
Thank you and good luck!
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