Campfire Stories: Chesapeake Bay

This call for submissions is now closed.

Overview

Campfire Stories is a collection of stories from America’s beloved national parks and outdoor regions, intended to be read together around the fire (literal or figurative!). Created by Dave and Ilyssa Kyu, the series brings a wide range of nature-focused stories, through diverse forms of writing (e.g. essays, prose, poetry, ballads, short stories), that convey an authentic sense of place.

For their next project, Dave and Ilyssa Kyu will focus on beloved regions across the USA, and are now actively seeking contemporary writers for Campfire Stories: Chesapeake Bay—an anthology of stories from Chesapeake Bay. Unlike the national park volumes, Campfire Stories: Chesapeake Bay will be a standalone paperback volume.

BACKGROUND

Volume I was published in 2018 and Volume II in 2023 with Mountaineers Books. These volumes featured stories from notable writers like Cheryl Strayed, John Muir, and Bill Bryson, award winners such as Lauret Savoy, Rae DelBianco, and Terry Tempest Williams, and newer voices including Derick Lugo, Rosette Royale, and Ed Bok Lee.

The Campfire Stories national park volumes feature a diverse range of tales found in the libraries, archives, and communities surrounding our beloved national parks. These stories are carefully curated to capture the essence of each park and reignite our imagination about the wild. Parks included in this series include:

• Vol 1: Acadia, Great Smoky Mountains, Rocky Mountain, Zion, Yosemite, Yellowstone

• Vol 2: Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Olympic, Appalachian and Pacific Crest National Scenic Trails

Over 85,000 copies have been sold to date, through retailers such as REI, L.L. Bean, Anthropologie, Terrain, Parks Project, and national park stores.

What We’re
Looking For

We’re looking for existing stories AND to commission new works about the Chesapeake Bay.

Similar to Campfire Stories: Volume I & II, the new book Campfire Stories: Chesapeake Bay anthology will capture the essence of the region and highlight the distinctive natural features, flora, fauna, community, history, and experiences of the Chesapeake Bay.

We seek nature-focused stories, through diverse forms of writing (e.g. essays, prose, poetry, ballads, short stories) that convey an authentic sense of place. Stories should not exceed 2,000 words.

For more information on the kinds of stories and storytelling mediums we’re looking for, see the Story Criteria below.

all are welcome

While all writers are considered and encouraged to apply, Dave and Ilyssa Kyu specifically seek to include emerging writers, as well as individuals underrepresented in the outdoors, including writers who are part of the following communities:

• Black, Indigenous & People of Color (BIPOC)

• LGBTQ+

• Persons with disabilities

Story Submissions

Below, we’ve highlighted the (2) submission opportunities to be included in Campfire Stories: Chesapeake Bay…

Submit an existing story.

We’re looking for submissions of existing stories about the Chesapeake Bay, including any that have been previously published to be republished in this anthology. Stories must adhere to the criteria outlined below.

Stories will be selected no later than Dec 15, 2023 and writers whose stories are selected will be paid a one-time permissions fee of $150.

Create a new story.

We seek to commission 2-5 new stories based on previous experience(s) in the Chesapeake Bay. To be considered, we ask that you:

• Submit (3) writing samples that best capture your writing style and that most closely align with the story criteria (listed below). These writing samples do not need to be stories about the Chesapeake Bay and will not be used beyond our review process.

• Submit a one paragraph summary of your connection to the Chesapeake Bay, any subject(s) you’re most excited or suited to write about, and why.

  
  We’ll select writers in mid December, with final drafts due by Jan 15, 2024. Each commissioned writer will receive a one-time usage fee of $300. 

Story Criteria

All submitting writers must have a lived experience in the Chesapeake Bay. Submitted stories should draw from the writer's own experiences and learned insights from their time there.

We strongly encourage submissions from those who identify as: an emerging writer, Black, indigenous, person of color (BIPOC) or LGBTQ+, or a person with a disability.

Stories should not exceed 2,000 words and should…

• Capture the essence of each place.
  Whether incorporating regional history or sharing more about what the writer sees and experiences (i.e. plants, animals, landscape, community), each story should help readers gain a deeper understanding of the region and share its natural essence.

• Spark the imagination.
  We are looking for adventure stories, myths and legends, descriptive and colorful recountings of place, survival stories, and more! Stories should capture the magic and aura of the given region, and transport readers there through strength of storytelling and imagination.

• Engage readers and listeners.
  It is a campfire story after all! We are looking for stories with strong reader hooks, such as clear narrative arc, a surprise element, engaging tone, or a tense climax, as well as stories for which the structure, language, rhythm, and flow are conducive to being read aloud around the fire.

• Span all forms of written storytelling.
  Similar to the other volumes, we plan to feature a broad range of storytelling formats, including: essays, short stories, poems, songs, ballads, legends, folklore, and more. While the details about the region must be authentic (i.e. history, fact & figures, physical features), we will consider writings that use fiction as a way to capture the essence of the region.

• Follow Leave No Trace principles and/or local guidelines.
  For the protection of each outdoor region and enjoyment for all people, it’s important to follow Leave No Trace principles and all local rules or guidance. While the stories don’t need to specifically capture such rules, it’s important they don’t stray from them. For example, we will not include stories about feeding bears, going off trail where it’s not permitted, or swimming in a restricted area.

For more information and/or questions, please contact us at:

hello[at]campfirestoriesbook.com

NOTE: Submitting writers should not contact Mountaineers Books with any inquiries regarding this project.