• Home
• Who We Are
• What We Do
• Hero Series Guidelines

True Stories about Everyday Heroes

We are delighted to announce that Literary Cottage has compiled three anthologies as part of  a new series for Adams Media. Designed to honor the everyday heroes in our lives, each anthology features uplifting, original, true stories about the experiences and relationships that inspired and enriched our lives, namely those with our teachers, mothers, and fathers.  These true, original slice-of-life stories have been  written by people from all walks of life and each provides unique personal insights into powerful universal truths, as well as honors the "everyday hero" in their lives. Each anthology highlights the variety of ways real life mothers, teachers, and fathers go beyond the call of duty to heroism.

 PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL THESE ANTHOLOGIES HAVE GONE TO PRESS.

MY TEACHER IS MY HERO

(Released April, 2008)

MY MOM IS MY HERO and MY DAD IS MY HERO

(Scheduled for Spring, 2009) 

When new opportunities arise, they will be posted here. 

Writer's Guidelines

How to Create a Hero Story

The Hero series will weave powerful life lessons into vividly told true tales. They are real-life (nonfiction) stories that will ideally read like fiction, but will always be true and embody a universal truth. They are true stories that reveal the positive aspects of close relationships: stories that inspire, entertain, and enlighten readers. We want true, everyday stories that bring tears of compassion and joy to our eyes, hope to our hearts, and nourishment to our souls. All stories must be true, original, creative, slice-of-life depictions of the most important and influential experiences and relationships in our lives.

Basic Requirements

Story Length: 850-1100 words

Point of View: First-person or third-person (no second person)

Style: Narrative nonfiction, creative nonfiction, or literary nonfiction, written as a story

Tone: Stories must be true, uplifting and preferably poignant, heartwarming, and/or humorous.

Tips for Writing a Hero Story

• Create an anecdotal story about a true event or series of event(s) that caused the person(s) you are writing about to have a profound and positive impact on you.
• Write a true personal story that embodies a universal truth.
• Show, don't tell. Color your story with action, imagery, dialog, and/or dramatic scenes. Minimize use of adjectives and adverbs. Make the reader experience the events and emotions portrayed.
• Write from the heart. Tell your story honestly, fully, and succinctly. Make each scene as real for the readers as it was for you and the person you are honoring.
• Begin with a strong lead that hooks the reader and that clearly and creatively introduces the main character(s), establishes the central theme of the story (plot), and sets the scene.
• Create a rich middle that depicts compelling life experiences and human emotions, in other words, dramatic action. The mid-section should include at least one compelling plot point (pivotal moment) as well as transitional scenes or other transitional devices that continually move the story forward and toward the conclusion.
• End with a satisfying conclusion that resolves the conflict/challenge in a positive way, leaves readers with an Aha! a Wow! or a Yes! moment.
• Build your story around a distinctive, compelling, and believable premise that weaves together the story and drives the plot forward.
• Use lively, descriptive language that is appropriate for the time, place, and people depicted in the story as well as for our mainstream adult readers.
• Read your story out loud and then revise it to remove anything that is not essential to the story. Make sure that every word counts and that the story flows together seamlessly.
• One of the best ways to discover the nature and flavor of a Hero story is to carefully review the samples available on this page.

• Story must be true and uplifting. We are honoring heroes.
• Tell a story—utilizing classic story structure, i.e., beginning/middle/end.
• If you write an essay or profile, they must include dynamic characterization.
• Keep the focus on your hero, i.e., the hero of the story!
• Use description, characterization, action, and dialogue to bring your hero to life on the page.
• Focus on a momentous event that illustrates your hero’s heroic character.
• SHOW us why your hero is/was unique, exceptional, colorful, dramatic, heroic.
• Cut right to the chase, open with a scene; do not open with "My dad is my hero because…."
• Come up with a snappy, evocative title; avoid “My Dad, My Hero,” etc.
• Avoid death and illness stories (ditto with religious overtones).
• Strive for unique, fascinating, entertaining, distinctive tales.
• Make all the characters in the story dimensional, memorable.
• Please use active voice and strong verbs. Avoid "It was" and "There was" sentences.
• Use potent, succinct modifiers.
• Employ a strong voice.
• Humor is welcome.

Terms & Conditions - Payment

$100 (each) for all stories published in the books, plus one complimentary copy of the book on publication. Three stories in each anthology will be selected as a prizewinner. The First Prize story will earn an additional $100; the Second Prize story will earn an additional $75; and the Third Prize story will earn an additional $50. The editor, not the publisher, is offering the prizes.

Please Note:

1. We do not publish magazine articles, fiction, poetry, eulogies, sermons, testimonials, letters, commentary, persuasive essays, diatribes, academic papers, confessionals, erotica, pornography, or experimental literature.
2. If you can write a compelling, personal, intimate essay or profile that is completely focused on the impact the Hero had on your life and brings the qualities that made him/her heroic in your life alive on the page, we may consider it.
3. Stories with religious themes or references will only be published if religious beliefs are truly inherent to the story and delicately woven into the story (not as the focus!), and will be a very small percentage of accepted stories, as in less than 5 percent.
4. We generally do not publish reprints or revisions of material that has been—or will be—published in a magazine, a book, or the Internet (with the exception of books comprised solely of the author's original works).
5. Due to the large volume of submissions received, we cannot report on the status of individual submissions - with the exception of finalists, who are notified in writing. The grand-prize winning stories and the list of contributors for each volume will be posted on this website upon the book's publication.
6. Manuscripts are not returned.
7. Authors may submit multiple stories for any volume of the Hero series, at any time up to the submission deadline. Again, early submissions are encouraged!
8. We purchase all book rights to the story as we print it, with the exception of an anthology or work consisting of solely of your own work. Additional questions about rights will be addressed if your story is selected.

How to Submit Your Story - Formatting Requirements

• Send all stories as a separate WORD document. If you don’t have Word, embed the story into the body of the e-mail. Name file as follows: Your Last Name, Your First Name (DO NOT USE TITLE or "Hero")
• Single-space all contact info (name, address, phone, e-mail) at the top left corner of the separate word document.
• No headers or footers; No page numbers.
• Use one-inch margins: top, bottom, left, and right.
• Use 12 pt. Times New Roman; single-spaced with one space between paragraphs.
• Make Paragraphs flush left; NO indentations.
• Only use ONE space after a period.
• Do not put titles in all CAPS; Type your name as you want to be credited one space beneath title
• Do not put “The End” or a # symbol at the end.
• At the bottom of your document, please provide a tightly focused three-sentence bio that includes selected writing credits, but limit self-promotion to mention of a website. Humor is good. Link it to the story if relevant. Do not type in "Bio:"
• In the subject line, cite the Hero volume (for example, "Dad Hero").
• Send only one story per e-mail.
  
• If sent via regular mail, it is okay to send more than one story per envelope.
  
  • Computer disks or CDs will not be read.
  • Send via USPS Regular or Express Mail Only!
  • NO FedEx, UPS, etc.

How to Send Your Story

Electronic (e-mailed) submissions are preferred, with the story attached as a separate Word document. If you do not have Word, you may embed the story in the body of the e-mail (single-spaced and unformatted, please). If the deadline permits, mailed entries are accepted, but E-MAIL IS PREFERRED.

Files should be named as follows: Last Name, First Name (Do not use title or "Dad Hero") 

Each submission must include all contact information single-spaced in the upper left hand corner of the story file (Files that do not meet this requirement may be discarded).

Please choose one of these submission methods:

E-Mail
Send e-mail to: sreynolds@literarycottage.com

US Mail
Send USPS mail to:
Literary Cottage
Attn: Susan Reynolds
P. O. Box 1070
Pembroke, MA 02359

Please direct questions and suggestions to: sreynolds@literarycottage.com

Due to volume, we cannot accept telephone calls.