Call for pitches / submissions for New Jersey anthology | $50-$300 per piece

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: ANONYMOUS 

Deadline: 4 September 2020

A literary look at New Jersey's history and significance, this single-subject anthology will be eclectic and full of surprises, including personal essays, food writing, historical information, interviews, hand-drawn maps, artwork, and narrative nonfiction. The book will serve as an evergreen tribute to the state and an exploration of how the same place can shape people in different ways.

The book will be diverse and inclusive, containing work by a wide range of writers and artists who have something to say about New Jersey.

The book will feel like being taken by the hand by a friend who will show you all of their favorite places: the historically and culturally and personally significant, the most scenic, and the strangest. At times, it will feel like you are being let in on a secret, and at other times you will recognize yourself in its pages.

CONTRIBUTe

I am happy to look at completed submissions or pitches. Completed drafts should not exceed 2,000 words. For pitches, it is not enough to just name a topic that you want to explore-- “I want to write about Action Park” is not a pitch. Please send a few paragraphs detailing the story you want to write and a little bit about you with links to previous publications if you’ve got them. Please send a pitch for anything requiring reporting or research.

The work in the book will fall into these categories:

Personal essays: Your story can be about anything, but I need to be able to “feel” New Jersey in your piece. There must be a clear New Jersey angle or link. If you could only tell someone one thing about New Jersey or your relationship with it, what would it be? In what ways has New Jersey shaped your identity? Essays can be funny or serious or both. They can be on any topic and any style is acceptable.

Narrative nonfiction/reported pieces: Well-researched reported essays on a current or historical aspect of New Jersey, whether it's an event, person, location, or anything else. I am looking for work with a strong point of view that teaches us something. Anything super timely or “newsy” will likely be outside the scope of the book, unless it speaks to some greater truth, dips back into history, or will remain relevant in the future. I am especially interested in essays about little-known and under-represented aspects of New Jersey’s history and culture.

Interviews/conversations/oral histories: Transcribed conversations with one person, or multiple people on one topic.

Food writing: Can someone please get to the bottom of whether we should be calling it Taylor Ham or Pork Roll?? Or at least explain why this matters to anyone?? I am serious about that, but also, there are a lot of relevant Jersey culinary angles to pursue: blueberries, diners, Wawa, boardwalk food, pizza, bagels, the fishing industry, and more.

Visual art and photography: This is not an open call for depictions of New Jersey. I am looking more for series of images with some context over a random assortment of photographs or paintings of New Jersey scenery. Work should have a point of view and should tell us something. I am looking for work of any medium: photography, illustrations, maps, paintings, collages, digital art, prints, sculpture, fiber art, ceramics, etc. Please send a high quality file for viewing, and please be aware that if your work is accepted, you will need to provide images that conform to the publisher’s guidelines for artwork. In addition to accepting submissions, I will also commission work to pair with writing.

Comics: Single panel or multi-page short works of graphic fiction or nonfiction.

Everything else: I am excited to take a look at your poems, lists, scripts and screenplays, songs, hybrid pieces, and anything else that cannot be neatly categorized. The weirder the better! Very little if any fiction will likely make it into the book, but I am willing to take a look! Please clearly state that you are sending a work of fiction both in the document and in your email. Please do not send a pitch for fiction.

Use the following form whether you are submitting or pitching. Any submission that is incomplete or does not follow these instructions or formats may not be considered.

DEADLINE FOR PITCHES OR SUBMISSIONS:

9/4/2020, 11:59 PM EST

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR WORK.

Please share with with anyone you think may be interested! Email any questions to newjerseybookproject@gmail.com.

While you will likely have some kind of New Jersey connection (why else would this project speak to you?), you do not need to be a current or former resident of the state--you just have to have something to say about New Jersey.

Ensuring the content in the anthology reflects the fact that New Jersey is one of the most diverse states in the country is one of my top priorities. BIPOC writers/artists, LGBTQ writers/artists, and disabled writers/artists are especially encouraged to pitch and submit. Writing this sentence is not my only method of ensuring there is a diverse range of contributors in the book, but I do want this goal stated clearly in the submission call.

Contributor payment varies depending on the type of work, scope of reporting, and other factors.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Submissions: Via Submittable

Website: http://www.kerrisullivan.com/njbook