The nonprofit group Four Corners Writers is seeking submissions for their first anthology, which is tentatively set to publish before Nov. 15. The group is accepting submissions for cover art, nonfiction, fiction and poetry.
Submissions are due by Sept. 1, and judges plan to select writers by Sept. 30. Selected writers will receive a small stipend, and the artist selected for the anthology’s cover will receive $250.
The anthology is funded by the LOR Foundation and the city of Cortez’s 81321 Launch Program. Submissions don’t have to be original work, but the individual submitted the work must have written permission for its submission by the original author or artist.
The fiction submissions will be judged by Chuck Greaves, nonfiction by Mark Stevens and poetry by Lisa Taylor. All three judges are local writers and published authors.
“It is competitive,” Taylor told The Journal. “Not everyone who is interested is going to get in.”
10 submissions will be chosen for both fiction and nonfiction, and 20 will be selected for poetry. As of this writing, only 14 poems have been submitted.
Taylor said she looks for craftsmanship and the use of imagery and metaphor in the poems. Poems don’t have to rhyme.
“It can be contemporary or experimental. I’m open to every kind of form, including prose poetry,” Taylor said. “It just has to be crafted. I look for somebody who has put time into it.”
The Four Corners Writers have been the area for a while now, but their nonprofit status is new and only about a month old. The group meets every third Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Zu Gallery in Cortez. Anyone, writers and nonwriters are welcome.
“All are welcome. The mission of the group is to identify, develop and promote literacy voices in the American Southwest,” said Greaves, who wrote the LOR grant for the anthology.
The hopes to publish an anthology every year, with a launch or public event to celebrate the publication.
All submissions should be in Microsoft Word (.doc or docx) format, double-spaced and in 12-point, Times New Roman font. Poems, however, will be single-spaced.
At the end of the submission, the author’s name, contact information and a two- to three-sentence bio should be written in italics.
Only one submission is allowed for fiction and nonfiction, but up to three submissions are permitted for poetry. The finished work should be emailed to fourcornerswriters@gmail.com, and either fiction, nonfiction or poetry should be written in the subject line.
If entering in multiple categories, submissions should be sent in separate emails.
“We would really like work that represents the flora and fauna or something important to the Four Corners region,” Taylor said. “It’s only open to people who either live here, have lived here or have connection to here.”
Submissions utilizing the work of others without express consent, graphic or violent imagery or created with the use of AI will not be considered.
Fiction and nonfiction works should not exceed 3,000 words. Chosen submissions will receive a stipend of $50 and one copy of the anthology upon publication.
Poetry should not exceed 500 words, and the poems should be single-spaced, unless a different form of spacing is required for the overall aesthetic or message of the poem. Chosen submissions will receive $25 and a copy of the anthology.
Cover art submissions should be 5.25 by 8 inches or 11 by 8 inches or cropped to fit these dimensions. The title can be incorporated into the artwork, but it is not required.
All sales of the anthology will directly benefit the Four Corners Writers.
Full submission guidelines can be found at www.fourcornerswriters.com. Questions for written submissions and writing submissions can be directed to fourcornerswriters@gmail.com, and questions and submissions for artwork can be sent to jodybchapel@gmail.com.
The flyer from the Four Corners Writers advertising the anthology can be viewed at bit.ly/4Cwriters.
