Hi there. And welcome to Your Story is Welcome, a short story site.
Here, I’m encouraging young writers and guest authors to pen adoption-centered short stories, and send them on over to be published on the website. It’s tied to my upcoming adoption-themed YA anthology, Welcome Home.
Easy. Writers can send over their short stories, and if the story is accepted (I can’t take everything!), I’ll commission a piece of artwork for the story. I’ll also be tapping guest editors for each short. You might get an editor at a big publishing house, you might get an author you love, you might get a literary agent. It’ll be a fun surprise.
I have some wonderful volunteers lined up and ready to play along, including Adi Alsaid, Sangu Mandanna, Nic Stone, and Dave Connis.
The stories will be published on the microsite, and hopefully, they’ll get shared around a bit due to the joys of Tumblr. If you’re wondering who owns the story after it’s published on the website… the answer is you. Do whatever you want with the story after. Please. I don’t want the rights to anything.
What Are the Guidelines? How Can I Submit?
Short stories should be around 2,000 words or less, and centered around adoption. They can be entirely fictional or based on personal experience. You can send your story in right to me at ericsmithrocks at gmail dot com. Simple as that. You’ll hear back pretty quickly.
Are you a teacher, foster parent, librarian, adoptive parent, youth center worker, etc. who knows someone that might want to participate? Do you want some flyers and postcarsd to share? Please email me (ericsmithrocks at gmail dot com) with your address, and I will send you a bundle of free postcards in the mail to giveaway to students and colleagues.
The postcards are lovely with gorgeous quotes on the front, and the flyers are short one-sheets that will explain how to send in a story. Thanks to Ashley Poston for designing these. Please buy all her books, past and future.
You can download the flyer for the microsite and the files for the postcards, here. I’m happy to mail you the materials, but if you’d like to print them out yourself, you are more than welcome.
Email away. Or hit up the Ask box here on the microsite. I’m here to answer them.