Note: Thanks to everyone who contacted me. The contributors have been chosen.
Inner Hero Book Call for Entries
You know I’m writing a book on the Inner Critic. Actually, it’s about finding your Inner Hero and confronting the Inner Critic using the persona of your Inner Hero.
Image printed on fabric, then stitched to paper. Original image © Bo Mackison, 2011.
An important part of the book is to include art from people who love to do creative work and encourage others. Not famous people, but experimenters and explorers. If that’s you, today is the day to start planning. The Inner Hero Art Journal: Mixed Media Conversations with Your Inner Critic is going to include artwork from a variety of people, and today is the day I’m asking for contributors.
About the book:
- The book has five example chapters. Each chapter has a separate art technique and a writing technique.
- In the book, I’ll be creating a series of double-sided, loose-leaf journal pages with art on one side and writing on the other.
- You will be submitting either an art sample or a writing sample.
These are the chapters and techniques in the book
| Inner Hero Name | Art Technique | Writing Technique |
| The scribe | Ink as paint (abstract) | Free writing |
| The tarot-reader | Paper mosaic | Alike and Different |
| The alchemist | Printing on fabric (combines paper + fabric) | Guided visualization |
| The gardener | Botanicals in artwork | Tools (What tools do you use to inspire yourself?) |
| The wise woman | Combining techniques | Using aphorisms, proverbs, folk sayings and quotes. |
Ink used as paint. Abstract, © Quinn McDonald
Update: Please follow the instructions below, even though they are long. Do not submit both art and writing. It’s your choice, don’t ask me to decide. Please pay close attention to sending your contact information (#5) and how to handle the subject line (#6) below.
What you need to do now:
1. Choose an inner hero name/technique you would like to work with from the chart above. For each persona, there is a corresponding art or writing technique. The Inner Hero you choose will determine the technique. Choose only one–art or writing.
2. For art submitters: Send two low-resolution images showing a sample of your work. Work you like to do is best. It’s not necessary to show the kind of technique you are going to do. These images are just samples. The purpose of these samples is to help the publishers see your work.
3. For writing submitters: Submit a 100-word to 150-word writing sample. (Please no more than that). You can copy it from your blog or something you have written, or you can write a sample piece just for this. Do not send a link to a site, and do not send an edited sample from a published piece. I want to see your own writing in the email.
4. You can read FAQs about art techniques and writing by clicking on this link: FAQ It is a pdf, and you will need Adobe reader. Download it here for free.
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5. Once you have decided what you want to submit, send me the email with the samples, your full name, phone number and mailing address to Innerherobook@gmail.com I will not share this information with anyone, it is simply providing me several ways to contact you.
Paper mosaic. © Quinn McDonald, 2011
6. In the subject line put the name of the inner hero and what technique you are choosing.
For example, if you want to use natural objects in your submission, and you want to submit writing, you will put Gardener/Writing in the subject line.
If you want to be the Alchemist and work on fabric and paper, put Alchemist/Art in the subject line.
You may choose the last chapter, combining techniques, but you must list the specific art techniques you will be using in the body of the email. “Combining” here means art techniques.
7. The email with samples is due on October 21, 2012 by midnight Eastern time. Remember, these are just low-res samples of your work, not finished pieces.
8. If your work is chosen, you will receive another email by mid-November. Final artwork photos are due by December 31, 2012. You will not send in artwork, you will send in photos. More information will be sent to the people who are chosen for submissions.
Botanical pear collage. ©Quinn McDonald, 2012.
Fine print you should know:
1. There is no guarantee you will get chosen. Even if you are chosen, you may get cut at the last minute. I have absolutely no control over this, and it is not a judgment against you. It’s a matter of book pages and design.
2. You won’t get paid for your work. ( I wish you would.) On the other hand, if your piece is chosen, you will be in a published book that I am working hard to make popular. You will have bragging rights to be a published artist or writer.
3. You will be asked to sign a permission slip that says the work is entirely owned by you—that you are not using someone else’s work. In other words, any photos, phrases, artwork was done by you. If you rip pages from a magazine for collage, they cannot be recognizable.
If you are using quotes, they must be in the public domain (this includes proverbs, folk sayings from your country, or quotes from ancient books, such as writing from the Buddha, Rumi, the Bible or Q’ran).
4. You will own the copyright to your work. However, North Light may use your image in advertising, or in subsequent editions of the book, or in translated books.
If you have any questions, send them to the email address in Item 5, above, with the word Questions in the subject line. I will try to answer the questions quickly. Please read the FAQs first. I’m so happy to be able to include a big variety of meaning-making art in the book!
QuinnCreative 