call for submissions: the best women's travel writing 2011

photo by Jen Castle

* Please note that this call for submissions was for The Best Women's Travel Writing 2011. I am no longer accepting submissions for this collection or the 2012 edition. To submit a story for the 2013 edition, please submit online at the Travelers' Tales website. Submit early for a better chance of being included.



Calling all women travel writers!

Is there a story held captive in you that's begging to be set free? Here's your chance to liberate it: send it to me!
I have the honor this year of editing the  Travelers' Tales anthology, The Best Women's Travel Writing 2011.

I've spent countless hours over the past few years trying to convince people to tell their stories--not to me or to the public, but to their journals. In my book, Writing Away, I persistently deliver the message that in this very public era, it wouldn't kill you to keep some stories to yourself. But my tune changes a bit with this post, because now I'm encouraging you to go ahead and make those stories public.

Send your best true tale of the road to submit@travelerstales.com.

We're looking for the full range of experience: adventurous, mystical, funny, poignant, cuisine-related, cross-cultural, transformational, funny, illuminating, frightening, or grim—as well as solo travel and travel

with friends, partners, and families. Stories should reflect that unique alchemy that occurs when you enter unfamiliar territory and begin to see the world differently as a result. Previously published essays are OK, provided you control all rights to the story. Multiple submissions are also OK.
The deadline is September 21st.

Length & Type of Story

There’s no set length; however, shorter stories have a better chance of being accepted. We recommend the range of 750-2,500 words. To get a sense of what we want, please see The Best Women's Travel Writing 2010, The Best Women's Travel Writing 2009, The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008, The Best Women's Travel Writing 2007, The Best Women's Travel Writing 2006, and The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2005.

Remuneration: $100 honorarium, a free copy of the book, and the right to purchase an unlimited number of any Travelers' Tales titles for 50% off the cover price (plus shipping and handling).

Submission:

Email your submissions to:
submit@travelerstales.com.
If sending attachments, they must be in MS Word or RTF format. Please put “The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2011” in the subject line, and please be sure your name and contact info is in the attachment, not just in your email. Submissions will not be returned.

You can also send a hard copy to:
Travelers' Tales

853 Alma Street


Palo Alto, CA 

94301

Please include on your essay all of your contact information, plus a 3- to 10-line bio about yourself. Essays will not be returned; notification of acceptances only, close to publication date. Essays not selected will be considered for future Travelers’ Tales books, unless author explicitly requests otherwise. We collect year round for this annual collection, so if you miss the deadline your story will be considered for the following year.

Rights


We are interested in non-exclusive rights, in all languages, throughout the world. Our use of the material does not restrict the authors' rights in any way to have their stories reprinted elsewhere.

Caveat


In most cases we will do some editing of accepted stories for considerations of style, grammar, or length and may also alter the story title. Due to the large number of submissions received we will only contact you if we decide to include your submission in this collection. Final decisions are made near the end of the editorial process, and all authors whose stories have been accepted are notified at that time.

In addition to publishing books, we like to promote the best travel writing we can find and do so in our Editors' Choice section and elsewhere on our Web site. By submitting your story to Travelers' Tales, you agree that we may post it on our site as an example of good travel writing. You will not be paid for this use, but you will retain all rights to your material, and as a Travelers' Tales contributor you will be able to purchase any TT books at 50% off. If you do not wish us to post your story, please indicate this clearly at the beginning of your submission. If we select your story for publication, we will contact you regarding permission and payment.