OtherSpeak: open season

I have made a decision about OtherSpeak. Yes, we are going for it. Hurray!

The thing that tipped me over the edge was a submission from my dear friend Cris, which I really wanted to share, and which is coming soon. It got me excited again, when I’d been swithering.

If I may, I will remind you of my parameters.

• Word count must be 500 or less (can be as few as 200).
• I intend minimal to no editing. I will correct spelling, punctuation, or grammar if needed without your permission, but I will ask your permission for any changes beyond that.
• You will not receive compensation other than the joy of seeing your work here; however, you retain all rights to your work for future sharing where you will.
• Please consider what others may be interested to hear, not only what you want to share.
• I prefer to publish under your name, though I will consider requests for anonymity on a case-by-case basis.
• I reserve the right to accept or reject submissions without extensive explanation, without you getting ticked off at me, okay? It’s not all about literary merit, and I won’t be judging you as a writer. So breathe. It’s a subjective decision-making process based on the things I and my readers are interested in. I will still like you [at least probably, I’m pretty sure], and I hope you will return the favor. Deal?
• I love hearing from other people about their experiences. I am interested in the kind of community sharing that is enlightening, fascinating, or informative. I’m seeking perspectives I cannot offer; my ears will prick up at experiences outside my own.

And finally, I started doing some math and realized that if I publish only one OtherSpeak article a week, and get – let’s say – twenty entries I want to accept, we are already at half a year. What if I get a hundred?

So, a final disclaimer. If I receive too many submissions, I will take one of two paths: I may close down this opportunity earlier than you wish – or more likely, I may post multiple submissions together as links to click on, instead of actual posts with the text on the blog. If you enter an article for consideration, you permit me to use either form of sharing.

Example:

Joanna Smith writes here about The Joys of Square Foot Gardening

Kate Cooper confesses How I Gained More Weight Than I Intended

Sara Stacey shares regarding Everything You Need to Know about Raising Husbands

Grrrr, why did I do that?! Now I want to read them.

For more topic-and-title ideas, see my initial brainstorm page here.

Please send completed submissions to sharizook at gmail.com. Let the games begin.