Sunday, May 13, 2018

Submission opportunity

Miracles Do Happen
A Guideposts Compilation

NOTE: Do not reply or send submissions to this email address. Send all submissions to Jeanette Littleton at compilations@earthlink.net.

James Stuart Bell is putting together this compilation for Guideposts. It is a separate book from his other current callout for Heaven Sightings for Bethany House. Jeanette said this book requires a quicker turnaround, so get your submissions in as soon as possible to be considered for the Guideposts book.

The deadline is not fixed. See "rolling due date" info below.
 
From James Stuart Bell:

Dear Contributor,

You may recall my role as editor for story collections such as: A Cup of Comfort, Extraordinary Answers to Prayer, and a number of books related to Angels, Miracles, and Heavenly Encounters, published by Bethany House.  I am now helping to compile a story volume for Guideposts entitled Miracles Do Happen.  I have added a summary of the subject matter by chapters with additional considerations at the end of this letter.  Chapters three through ten comprise the story categories of the book from which you can choose.  These stories must have at their heart a true miracle, something that simply cannot happen by natural means.  (See guidelines and considerations below.)

We’ll consider original, unpublished stories of up to 1,500 words and they must be at least 900 words.  The stories should have a creative title, an attention-grabbing introduction, main body with a conflict or challenge, and a clear, satisfying resolution.  They need to be descriptive, rooted in time and place, with a realistic portrayal of the characters involved.

They also need to be substantive stories rather than mere testimonies or teachings, and the focus should not be just on the supernatural realm alone, but rather the spiritual lesson learned.  Please include a personal biography of 30 words or less at the end of each manuscript.

We will have a rolling due date for the manuscript until we receive our quota of stories but would appreciate your submission within a month of receiving this email.  Please send your manuscript attached to the e-mail rather than pasting text in the email window.  Send your manuscript in normal manuscript formatting in Times New Roman, 12-point, with your full contact information--name, address, phone number, and e-mail address at the top of the first page.  We are offering a one-time fee of $50 for stories 1,250 words and over, and $25 for stories under that word count.                            

We will send you contracts upon the publisher’s acceptance and would need them back promptly.  Payment will be made after all contracts have been received.  Please direct all inquiries and manuscript submissions to my colleague, Jeanette Littleton, at compilations@earthlink.net.  If this e-mail has been forwarded to you, and you can’t submit to this call, but would like to hear about other editorial needs as they arise, please send us your e-mail address and we’ll add you to our notification list.

If you have a specific chapter you think your manuscript fits, please note that in the manuscript—near your contact information.

Blessings to you and yours,

James Stuart Bell

Story Descriptions, Guidelines, and Considerations:
 
Chapter 3 – Nature and Animals
         Stories: miracles involving nature and animals
Chapter 4 – Children
         Stories: miracles involving children
Chapter 5 – Dreams and Visions
         Stories: dreams and visions
Chapter 6 – Healing
         Stories: physical and emotional healing
Chapter 7 – At the Right Moment
         Stories: coincidence, divine providence, timing, just in the nick of time
Chapter 8 – Spiritual Growth
         Stories: awakening, reawakening, conversion
Chapter 9 – Prosperity
         Stories:  financial, money matters
Chapter 10 – Answered Prayers
         Stories: miscellaneous

Story Guidelines:
  • First person experience of a miraculous encounter or event
  • Amazing and miraculous, as opposed to a gentle, inner nudge
  • Must express a Christian connection and worldview; no preaching
  • Experience should be grounded in a real-life situation: physical setting, time, place, context of the person’s life
  • Must not have been previously published
Miscellaneous Considerations:
  • The wonder of a miracle is that its cause is hidden.
  • Against all odds
  • Soul-stirring accounts that reassure the reader that God is watching over them.
  • Give reader hope that a miracle can happen to him or her
  • Help the reader to look beyond what she or he experiences with the five senses to realize that God is holding him or her up.
  • Ordinary people experiencing extraordinary events
  • Protection from danger; sending in His angels
  • Interceding when reader’s faith needs to be strengthened
  • Cried out to God and received an answer
  • Bolster and encourage faith
  • Everyday people just like the reader experiencing miracles
  • Includes biblical references and useful prayers
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