Call for submissions

I received this call for submissions a few days ago. Sounds like an interesting opportunity to get published...

Mexico, a Love Story: Women Write about the Mexican Experience -- Slated for Spring 2006

Mexico has long cast its spell over us, its neighbor—and alter ego—to the north. We share much more than a 1,950-mile-long border. We share a history, exalt its food, and honor its literary luminaries. We cross its borders in droves, heading for warm waters, shady zócalos, language classrooms, open-air mercados, cousins’ living rooms, and steep temples. Mexico is in our collective blood. The Mexican-American affair is a love story ripe for the telling.

Mexico, a Love Story will be more than a random collection of essays about the adventures of women who have traveled or lived in Mexico. It will be an anthology of personal narratives describing how Mexico has shaped lives or influenced decisions, how the country has affected each woman in life- or mind- altering ways. Writers with compelling true stories will have an opportunity to help shape this tapestry of journalism that will transcend the ordinary travelogue.

We are looking for essays by women that reveal some kind of love affair with the country, its people, its cities, its ancient and surviving civilizations, its stretches of open land and oceans, its food. Women have always had a special relationship to place—volumes have been written on that subject. It is the distinctly female nature of narratives in Mexico that will unite these stories. Experiences you may have had in Mexico—such as with love, death, identity, self-discovery, aspirations, and culture shock—may be universal, but in this anthology they must be conveyed with a focus on the way they inform women’s lives.

Send us your “love” stories on Mexico. We are looking for well-crafted personal essays about not just what happened to you there, but how Mexico shaped your worldview in some noteworthy way, how it seduced, impacted your senses, changed you—for the better or worse. We are looking for diverse and unique perspectives. We want strong, developed, first-person writing that goes beyond mass market journalism. We want a diverse mix of voices—humorous, unadorned, poetic, visceral—as well as a wide range of ages and races.
Some likely topics include:

• Heritage and identity
• Mother-daughter (or father-daughter) travel
• A moving experience of the country’s Catholicism (and/or ancient religions) or with its indigenous cultures
• Enriching romantic relationships or friendships
• Adventure stories from wild or rugged territory
• Being an expat
• Border patrol encounters
• Deepening experiences of Mexico’s art, archaeology, or history
• Personal involvement in the country’s political strife or struggles
• A below-the-surface experience of a festival or custom

Editor: Camille Cusumano is the editor of two other Seal Press anthologies: France, a Love Story and Italy, a Love Story, both of which offer examples of the types of essays we are seeking.

Publisher: Seal Press, an imprint of Avalon Publishing Group, publishes groundbreaking books by and for women in a variety of topics. Visit www.sealpress.com for more information.

Deadline: September 1, 2005

Length: 3,000–5,000 words

Format: Essays must be typed, double-spaced, and paginated. Please include your address, phone number, email address, and a short bio on the last page. Essays will not be returned.

Submitting: Send essay electronically as a Word or Rich Text Format file (with .doc or .rtf extension) to Camille Cusumano at ocaramia@earthlilnk.net. Put “Mexico, A Love Story” in the subject line. If email is not possible, mail the essay to 1270 D Storey Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94129.

Payment: $100 plus two books

Reply: Please allow until October 1 for a response. If you haven’t received a response by then, please assume your essay has not been selected. It is not possible to reply to every submission personally.