The Council of Literary Magazines and Presses [clmp] just announced that the The Firecracker Awards for Independently and Self-Published Literature are back and [clmp] is accepting submissions now through Sept 1st. Check out this feature in Publishers Weekly for more information about the award's legacy. All independent publishers and self-published authors of literature are encouraged to submit to the Firecracker Awards. CLMP is accepting submissions in five categories: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, young adult, and graphic novel. All submissions will be read by at least two readers. Winning titles will be highlighted in a national marketing campaign that features prominent placement in indie bookstores from coast to coast, and will receive significant digital marketing with the Firecracker Award Winning Book logo. Submission fees will be used to generate marketing materials for winning titles and to raise necessary funds for CLMP. For more details about the ...

We realize that some members of the aaduna community, have already celebrated Pride Month in June, did so this weekend, or will do so during the next several weeks. We join our voice with the LGBT community to articulate that human rights, inclusion, respect for cultural/ethnic/political differences, equity and citizens rights must be available to everyone.   We understand most of these issues are still challenges; well-intentioned people have differences of opinion stemming from socio-political-economic and religious perspectives, and obstacles to basic, human rights are not limited to any geographical region of the world or a specific country or neighborhood.  As we maintain our commitment to providing safe harbor and publishing opportunities for poets, writers and visual artists, we fall back on our Mission of inclusion, empowerment, and the willingness to embrace others the way we want to be e...