Hello there, dear readers!
Over the past few months, I've been thinking deeply about my writing goals and what I honestly hope to accomplish as a writer.
Last fall, I learned about literary magazines and started submitting my work to publishers that looked interesting. I also started a somewhat daily gratitude practice of sending thank-you notes to people who inspire, help, or encourage me.
One of those notes was to Ali Horriyat, the founder of Compassiviste, who I'd heard talking about sustainable publishing on The Art of Paying Attention podcast. We hit it off right away.
He was asking the questions that were churning inside of me that I hadn't fully voiced yet. Why do I want to share my writing with the world? At what cost am I willing to achieve that? How do I reconcile my environmental and social ethics with the publishing options currently available?
Ali reminded me that the goal isn't to sell the physical product of paper and ink. Rather, a book is "a space that holds your thought and transports it to another person."
Yes!
This opened something up inside of me and gave me hope for the world. I knew that I enjoyed sharing my work with others. And I now knew that there were more ways to do that than I had previously conceived.
During this time, I had simultaneously been creating an intentional community around me that reflects my values and honors my authentic path as a writer. Which is why I am thrilled to partner with Compassiviste, a non-profit publisher that "champions words that inspire compassion."
Compassiviste's goals and values reflect my own. They take a hard look at the environmental and social impact of publishing and take meaningful, deliberate action. Combining humanitarian activism and sustainable living, they support planetary health and empower writers to come together as a collective to build better societies.
Compassiviste has generously offered 2 new expanded prizes for the Tadpole Press 100-Word Writing Contest—a publishing and marketing package (valued at $6,000 USD) and a manuscript assessment package (valued at $1,500-$3,000 USD).
In addition, my piece, "From Darkness to Community" has been selected to be included in How to Save the World: The Compassiviste Anthology, Vol. 2. - Mental Health in the Modern World. I feel so fortunate to be featured and to have joined forces with the Compassiviste team. The anthology is available here.
These days, it’s all too easy to feel overwhelmed. With the threat of climate change and conflict coupled with stressors like social media addiction and the shadow of the pandemic, it’s little wonder so many of us are facing mental health challenges.
In Compassiviste Publishing’s second anthology, authors from around the globe open up about their own mental health challenges and victories. Through a series of short stories, poems and essays, we explore the specific struggles of mental health in the modern world—and ways to find happiness in a time like no other.
A hundred percent of royalties from the sale of this anthology go to Compassiviste Foundation, supporting their worldwide projects that aim to build a better world for all.
Contains work by: Rathin Bhattacharjee, Amber Byers, Bhargavi Chatterjea Bhattacharyya, Anjonn Dasgupta, Peter J. Dellolio, Kristen Frederick, Tani Gill, Janet Guastavino, Brianna Head, Ali Horriyat, Erin Jamieson, CML Magpile, James B. Nicola, KV Raghupathi, Ndaba Sibanda, Rachel Soland, Lynn White, Allison Whittenberg and Mia Victoria Zavala.
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