New PSPP release—spring 2024

As we publish in March 2024 the stories collected during fall 2023 for Now or Never, we are issuing our 11th Call for Personal Stories through June 30, 2024 for another release in September 2024. That theme is “Foolhardy.” Check it out.

Coming Soon!
“Now or Never”

Workshop Video

For those wanting to immerse themselves in improving their writing, we created this 39 min. instructional video on
“7 essential elements of the personal story.”
This workshop video shares outstanding examples of each element drawn from selected stories in the 2020 PSPP, “That Southern Thing—living, loving, laughing, loathing, leaving the South.” Click on the image below to watch it through YouTube and then write something for our Personal Story Publishing Project.

Notes and Quotes - writing tips

Thank you for participating. Keep writing.

Titles in the PSPP series

Sooner or Later (fall 2023) - 50 stories
- 220 pages, 5-1/2 x 8-1/2, glossy cover, $20.95

Other titles in the Personal Story Publishing Project Series:
(vols. 1-8 are 200-220pp with 45-50 stories each)
Bearing Up (spring 2018) - $16.95
Exploring (spring 2019) - $16.95
That Southern Thing (spring 2020) - $17.95
Luck and Opportunity (spring 2021) - $17.95
Trouble (fall 2021) - $17.95
Curious Stuff (spring 2022) - $17.95
Twists and Turns (fall 2022) - $19.95
Lost & Found (spring 2023) - $19.95
Sooner or Later (fall 2023) - $20.95

Announcing:

Personal Story Publishing Project - fall 2024

Our 11th Call for Personal Stories

Theme for fall 2024 PSPP:

Foolhardy

Personal stories of derring-do, desperation,
and disaster—or not,
the choices faced and the choices made.

Glad we did it. It was incredible. • “Hey, everybody, Watch this!” • It was do or die, my last chance. •
I wouldn’t do it again, but it was worth the risk then. • It was a dumb thing to do. • I was lucky to get out. • The timing was off, that’s all.

Tell us your story.  

Here is your opportunity.
The Personal Story Publishing Project (PSPP) announces a new Call for Personal Stories for the fall 2024 collection. Selected true stories will resonate with the theme “Foolhardy”—stories of personal circumstances and personal choices and the aftermath—derring-do, desperation, and disaster—or not. Chances taken. Risks avoided. No guts, no glory. Better safe than sorry. “Heck, yes!” “Not on your life.”

We are seeking true, personal stories of 750-800 words sharing your lived experience and leaving the reader a lesson or a laugh or a caution for us all. We created the project to encourage new writers wanting to publish their writing. Experienced writers have joined in as well and have raised the bar for us all. A nominal reading fee applies with each submission. Reading fee is lower for early submissions.

The Call is open February 1 through June 30, 2024; publication is in September 2024. Word target: 750-800.

Submit your story to PersonalStoryPP@gmail.com.

Wanting to improve your writing?

Consider the optional add-on service for Personal Feedback.
See more info at the bottom of this column.

Details below for the PSPP-fall 2024 PSPP.

“Foolhardy”—Tell us your tale and write us a great one, because “everybody loves a good story.” (sm)

All selected stories are eligible to appear as twice weekly episodes in our “6-minute Stories” Podcast. Take a listen to see what others have written on those other themes. Find the podcast at Apple Podcast, Spotify, or Stitcher. Listen directly at RandellJones.com/6minutestories.

Writers from across the U.S. are encouraged and welcomed. As with our ten prior Personal Story Publishing Projects since 2018, we are encouraging new writers and looking for fresh voices. Of course, experienced and published writers are welcome, too. Poet laureates, prize-winning writers, and published authors have shared their stories in these collections thus encouraging the new voices to join in, too.

All the stories should be about true-life experiences of the writer, a family member, even an ancestor, or someone the writer knows personally. These are short pieces. Writers should target 750-800 words, but no more than 800. These must be true stories; no fiction will be considered. Deadline for submission is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, June 30, 2024.

Everybody loves a good story (sm) and you are invited to craft yours into a splendid piece. You are invited to share your story and the lessons learned from your experience. Give the readers something to consider as they think about their own life experiences as you share about your experiences with choices made that you or others might call “Foolhardy”—whatever that brings to your mind. We will all learn something new together.

Keep scrolling down to read the details of how to submit your story.

“6-minute Stories” Podcast

You can listen to some of the stories from Bearing Up, Exploring, and That Southern Thing narrated for our podcast of writers’ work. Find the podcast online at Apple Podcasts or through Spotify or Stitcher. Listen the stories from this website under “6-minutes Stories” in the main menu.

What writers are saying about
the Personal Story Publishing Project:

• My books arrived! WOW. What a delight. I couldn't put Sooner or Later down, read every story thrice. And I'm just getting started. Can't wait to share my copies with friends and family. Sooner or Later gardens with memories, planting heirloom seeds in every story. Each piece flowers, from Becky Gould Gibson's wry and wise The Origin of Lust to Cindy Stonebraker Reed's awe-inspiring Bringing My Father Home. Soon or Later reminds us that story telling grows - and preserves the fruits of many lives. – Mary Alice Dixon

   

• Thanks again for all the conversation and respect you have shown my writing throughout this process. I appreciate your thoughtful approach to both my work and me. Have a good day, Friend. – Annette Brown

   

• Such a great opportunity, I am grateful for it! Thank you for your support. I’m loving reading and listening to the other stories.  – Rhoda Cerny

   

• This is just a quick note of sincere thanks. I am reading and enjoying the stories of Sooner or Later. I wanted to thank you for the kick I am getting out of being included in the company of the fine folks and the fine creations you’ve published. All your help, and all your encouragement are giving me some juice. – Nellie Whitehead

   

• My involvement with PSPP has been very rewarding. Having my work published is part of it, but the exposure to writers with fine talent is even more rewarding. Thanks again, - Tom Gery

   

• I received my books, and they are BEAUTIFUL. Thank you for putting out such a quality product—again! – Alexandra Goodwin

   

• Thank you for so many things:

  -For coming up with this enterprise to begin with,

  -For leading such a well-run organization and process,

  -For providing writers with a challenge and welcome opportunity,

  -For being generous with your time and being so responsive to questions and correspondence,

  -For turning out really fine products,

  -For coming up with what are likely creative extensions of your original idea – like 6-Minute Stories podcast,

  -For creating an arena that inspires both writers and readers.

   

  It’s been professional and a pleasure every step of the way.

  Congratulations on, and many thanks for, what you have created.—Mark Marshall

Rules for submitting your personal story
This publishing opportunity is made possible through Daniel Boone Footsteps Publishing of Winston-Salem, NC, with the promotional help of writing groups and literary organizations in several states. A nominal reading fee is due with each submission. It is payable online by choosing "Personal Story Publishing Project, fall 2024" as a service under "Books & DVDs" in the main menu. (You may also mail a check for the fee payable to Daniel Boone Footsteps, if you prefer.) 

Reading fee varies by date of submission. Submit early.
$7 - February and March
$8 - April and May
$9 - June 1-15
$10 - June16-30
 
(The reading fee is nominal so as not to present a barrier to submissions, but we also want to encourage writers to submit their best.)

Reading Fee Option
Your “reading fee” will be covered by your purchase of any one of eight published collections: That Southern Thing, Luck and Opportunity, Trouble, Curious Stuff, Twists and Turns, Lost & Found, Sooner or Later, or Now or Never. Find them under “Books & DVDs.” Add “Reading Fee Option” in the “Additional Information” space on the checkout page. You’ll get a great collection of PSPP stories by other writers mailed to you and also cover the nominal cost of submitting your story for consideration for our 11th Call for PSPP, “Foolhardy.” What a deal!

We acknowledge all submissions.
All received submissions are acknowledged by email within a week, most same day or next. Expect that and follow up if you do not receive an acknowledgment.

Authors retain all story rights
Authors of stories selected for the anthology will sign a simple, non-exclusive release giving us permission to print your story in the anthology and produce it in audio for sharing on “6-minute Stories” Podcast. Authors retain all rights to their original writing and are free to publish it elsewhere, too. Authors of included stories will be able to purchase copies of the anthology at a discount for having, sharing, or selling. Daniel Boone Footsteps will make the anthology available for retail purchase online at a low price to encourage high readership. 

Online submission of stories 
You should email your story to PersonalStoryPP@gmail.com as an attachment. MS Word documents (.doc or .docx extensions) are acceptable. You may also send the text as Rich Text Format (.rtf), or just paste the story into the body of the email. You may also mail your submissions through the postal service as hard copy to Daniel Boone Footsteps, 1959 N. Peace Haven Rd., # 105, Winston-Salem, NC  27106. With hard copy, include your check or money order payable to Daniel Boone Footsteps. If your submission is selected, you will be contacted about emailing the file. Please include your name, mailing address, and email address at the end of your submitted story, whether sent online or hard copy.

Submissions received by 11:59 p.m. EDT, June 30, 2024 will be considered for inclusion in the anthology of personal stories on the theme. A slight preference will favor those submissions arriving before June 1. Please send your submissions early. If your story is selected for inclusion, you will be contacted directly. A list of authors of stories to be included will be emailed to all submitters by July 31. Good writing and a compelling story are paramount, but we will also be looking for a diversity of geographic locations among submitters. 

Thank you for writing and for sharing your best. 

Personal Feedback on your writing
(optional add-on service and well worth it)

If you would like personal feedback on your writing of your submitted story, please select "Personal Feedback" as an add-on service offered under "Books & DVDs" in the main menu. For your $15 fee, you will receive feedback and suggestions from a professional writing coach and book editor with over 25-years’ publishing experience. He earned his MFA as well. This service is optional and will not affect consideration of your submitted story for inclusion in the anthology. This is a deep learning opportunity for you. We all want to become better writers. Some submitters find this most useful and have revised their submissions based on this feedback. Several writers have benefitted from this service multiple times, on submissions to different themes. (The Personal Feedback option is only available for submitted stories also paying the Reading Fee or using the Reading Fee Option. Submissions of revised text do not require another Reading Fee. )