Head over to the main Jackpine Writers’ website to use our electronic submission form!
Wanted: SHORT Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction.
THE TALKING STICK is a locally published and nationally recognized publication.
Writers must be from Minnesota or have some connection to this area. ALL ENTRIES MUST BE VERY SHORT. Focus on short forms, cutting all unnecessary words. Create an elegant moment that hints of a longer, more complex story. Think of these as compressed creations.
DEADLINE: March 1, 2021. This year we will again offer monetary prizes in each of the 3 categories. Writers may submit for more than one category. Our Editorial Board will select the poetry and prose to be published in The Talking Stick. A published Minnesota author will judge for the monetary prizes from the selected submissions, with authors’ names removed. Writers will be invited to our Book Release Party in September 2021 if we are able to hold a book release party. PLEASE READ SUBMISSION GUIDELINES COMPLETELY.
Prizes are $200 for first place and $100 for second place in each of the three categories. Works are to be UNPUBLISHED. This must NOT be on your Website or on a Blog. We want new writings, unseen by the public. No simultaneous submissions, please. Submit manuscripts with name, address, email address, and phone number in upper right corner of each page. THIS MUST BE THE WAY YOU WANT YOUR NAME IN THE BOOK. Clearly mark the genre for which you are submitting: POETRY, CREATIVE NONFICTION, or FICTION. We would prefer that you do NOT start out your written piece with “inspirational” or “referenced” quotes from other literary works because of possible copyright issues, etc. We accept no political or religious rants and no children’s writings.
This year, we will have a special separate $50 prize for first place for humor and $25 for second place. We will choose this from any of the 3 genres. Do not label them as Humor. Let us decide. Just send in one of the three following genres.
POETRY – Limit TWO poems per writer, either a Prose Poem no longer than ½ page or a poem with line breaks but either one no longer than 35 LINES total (and this must include counting the blank lines), typed single– We have 35 lines available on each book page, whether you use them as blank lines or lines of words. Note also that our books are small. Long lines will wrap and take up an extra line. No word count necessary. See other requirements under #3 above.
CREATIVE NON-FICTION – Limit TWO entries of 650 words or less each, typed single-spaced. Number the pages and include word count at end. See other requirements under #3 above.
FICTION – Limit TWO short stories of 900 words or less each, typed single-spaced. Number the pages and include word count at end. See other requirements under #3 above.
Send only ONE copy of each submission along with SHORT bio (50 word limit). If you have a pen name, you MUST stress in a cover letter what your real name is (for the contract and mailing) and the name you want in the book (on the submission page, in the table of contents, and back of book). PERHAPS PUT BOTH NAMES ON THE PAGE(S) OF SUBMITTED WORK. If you do not make this clear, we cannot promise that we will catch the different name. PLEASE SEND ALL OF YOUR WORK AT THE SAME TIME.
Send ONE SASE so we can send an acceptance letter and contract to you. All contracts are to be signed and returned, but in the event a contract is not returned, submission implies permission to publish. FORMAL NOTIFICATION is required if you wish to withdraw your submission or if it is published elsewhere during this time period. After May 1, 2021, submissions cannot be withdrawn. SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE RETURNED. Decision of the editorial board and judges is final. Editors and editorial board of the JWB and JWB board members are eligible for publication in The Talking Stick, but not for the monetary prizes in this contest.
Send hard copy to: Sharon Harris, TS SUBMISSIONS, 13320 149th Ave, Menahga, MN 56464. Send ALL your submissions for ALL categories in ONE 9×12 ENVELOPE—do not fold or staple sheets. Submission guidelines are also on our website: www.jackpinewriters.com. We are accepting submissions in electronic format again this year. Check the website for details at www.thetalkingstick.com. We will NOT accept submissions in the body of an email—only with our electronic form, either pdf or Word document. Do NOT send docx files—we cannot guarantee format to be correct. A SASE is not required but would be greatly appreciated.
Contributors who have one or more pieces selected for publication in the talking stick will receive ONE free copy of The Talking Stick. Your copy may be picked up at our Book Release Party in September 2021 if we are able to hold the party. Any books not picked up will be mailed later—we appreciate receiving $3.00 for postage. JWB requires first publication rights only.
The Talking Stick
Volume Thirty One
Escapes
Published: 2022
Paperback
Poetry Winner
“Christmas Train Set”
by Beth Spencer
Creative Nonfiction Winner
“Life Alert”
by Tara Flaherty Guy
Fiction Winner
“Passed Tense”
by Tara Flaherty Guy
Second Place Poetry
“Under the Covers on New Year’s Day”
by Deborah Rasmussen
Second Place Creative Nonfiction
“Barbershop Prompt”
by Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Second Place Fiction
“Cleaning House”
by Victoria Lynn Smith
The Jackpine Writers’ Bloc is native to Minnesota. We are a writing group as well as a publishing company. Our literary journal, The Talking Stick, has become a state-wide publishing ground for amateur and experienced writers alike. Our goal in publishing writers is simple – we publish to encourage solid writing that shows promise, creativity and brilliance.