Call for submissions - stories for NZ children
Editor: Barbara Else Publisher: Random House NZ

A new anthology in the series that includes Weird and Wonderful, Claws and Jaws, Mischief and Mayhem, Hideous and Hilarious, Dare & Double-dare & Showtime!

Friends! (working title)
Stories for the 7 - 10 age group, from 400 to 1200 words.
(No poems, plays or non-fiction.)

The new anthology will focus on stories about friendship: old or new friends, best friends, worst friends, unusual or unexpected friends, animal, vegetable, or mineral friends ...
Whether the main characters are human, animal or imaginary, they’ll be involved in something that illustrates the significance of friendship to this age group.
I expect the final collection to include realistic tales but there are also exciting possibilities for fantasy stories and experimentation. I’ll be looking for humorous lively pieces as well as darker ones. I would like a mix of new and already published stories, but the bias will be towards new writing.

NB: Writers from all ethnic groups are encouraged to send in stories.

Submission requirements: (these are industry standards, and for very good reasons.)

· Hard copy only, one side of A4 paper, size 12 font (minimum), 1.5 or double-spaced, in a serif font (e.g. Times New Roman). No email submissions.
· Title page should include author’s name, postal address, email address, word count of the story, whether the story has been published before and where (name of the publication, date, etc).
· Number each page and include the author’s surname and a key word from the title in a header or footer.
· No staples: paper clips only.
· Brief cover letter with your writing history.
· Include a stamped self-addressed envelope for return of the story if it can’t be used in the collection or for contact by the editor once decisions have been made.
· Receipt of stories can be acknowledged only if there is an email address or a second stamped self-addressed envelope.
· Stories with no s.a.e. cannot be returned.
· If a story is accepted, I will ask the writer for a digital copy at that stage.

All stories to be sent to Barbara Else, PO Box 46-031 Park Avenue Lower Hutt 5044 by 31 January 2009. Authors will be contacted when decisions have been finalised which will probably not be before 31 March 2009.

(To see the kind of story that works for this series, please look at the previous anthologies.)