We’re looking for authors to be part of the second book
of the Wag Away Tales Series.
Project Summary:
When Love Wags a Tail: Heartwarming and Humorous Tales of Rescue Dogs and Their Humans
Author:
Carmen Leal is a storyteller and the author of eleven books including I Chose You, Imperfectly Perfect Rescue Dogs and Their Humans, Faces of Huntington’s, and The Twenty-Third Psalm for Caregivers. Carmen relocated from Hawaii to Oshkosh, yes, there is a story behind the move, and has become an awesome dog mom. For over four years Carmen provided marketing support for a rescue shelter and was involved with the adoption of over 6,500 puppies and dogs rescued from a high-kill shelter. Carmen and her husband have become reluctant gardeners and know a crazy amount about Wisconsin weeds. She is hard at work on her second book in the Wag Away Tales. She is the mother of two sons, two incredible grandsons, and Coconut, the best imperfectly perfect rescue dog in the world. Learn more about Carmen
Target Reader:
There’s just something about rescue dog stories with happy endings. Dog lovers, dog rescuers, or anyone who enjoys honest, humorous, and heartwarming stories about rescue dogs who found their forever homes will love this engaging compilation.
Why This Book?
Being owned by a dog is a wonderful way to experience unconditional love. Maybe your kids are out of the house, the pressures of work are behind you, or you are starting a new chapter of your life after a divorce, the death of a spouse, or retirement from a career. There are physical, mental, and emotional benefits to sharing your life with a dog. When you adopt a rescue, you’re giving them a better life. You’re giving yourself one, too!
When Love Wags a Tail: Heartwarming and Humorous Tales of Rescue Dogs and Their Humans celebrates the canine-human bond. Each chapter will be filled with stories from a variety of seniors who share why they found and fell in love with their rescue and how an abandoned or abused dog made a difference in their lives.
What Makes a Great Story?
Our lives are made of experiences which in turn become the stories that we tell to others. I’m looking for honest, interesting, heartwarming, and funny first-person stories about senior adults, you or someone you are close to, and their dog. Stories in this compilation are true and inspirational and come from people who are excited to share their rescue dog journey. If you adopted a rescue dog and were a dog mom or dad as a senior, then I’d love to hear from you. You do not need to be a published writer to be considered. If a story makes me laugh, or cry, or think, if it gives me chicken skin, well, there’s a good chance others will have the same response.
Here are a few of the topics that will be included.
- Who rescued whom?
- Choosing the right dog at the right time
- The joys of choosing a senior dog
- How dogs help us heal
- What my dog taught me about myself
- Saying Goodbye to a faithful friend
I want that story that helps me and my readers to be grateful that in all the chaos of what’s happening in the world, there are always dogs.
Last Minute Needs
I have received many wonderful submissions. However, there are some specific types of stories I would love to have included. If you fit into any of these categories, please feel free to share a story or even a short anecdote.
- I need funny stories about life with your dog. I have lots of heartwarming stories, but funny would be great.
- I wish I had stories from men about their connection with their dog. Maybe you have a father or husband and you can tell the story from their perspective.
- I would love a story about having a dog if you or someone you know has mobility issues and how your dog has helped.
- If you have a unique way you adopted your dog I’d love to know. For example, in the first book we have a dog who was trained in a prison program which was interesting.
- Do you travel with your dog? I’d love to share how that works and some of the best trips you’ve taken together or some that didn’t work at all.
Thank you again and I am looking forward to putting this all together and having our book reach people and raise awareness and funds for rescue dogs.
What I Need from You
- First-person true stories should be between 750 and 1,000 words but there could be some flexibility depending on the stories selected.
- If you have a family or friend with a story who doesn’t feel comfortable writing it then you can tell their story for them.
- You do not need to be a published author. Just do what I call a brain dump and I will do the rest.
- You may submit multiple stories if you’d like.
- If you are featured in the first book we would love to have a story from you. It can be a story about the same dog from a different perspective or a new furry friend.
Submission and Acceptance Timeline:
Deadline for submissions has ended, but if you have a story you know is perfect for this book, please reach out to me.
Rights and Publishing:
Submissions for When Love Wags a Tail: Heartwarming and Humorous Tales of Rescue Dogs and Their Humans are for one-time use. You may use your submission elsewhere since you still own the rights to your piece. You may use a previously published article or blog post as long as you own the rights for using it. If your submission has been previously published, please let us know where it was used.
This will be jointly published by Wag Away Publishing and EABooks Publishing and will be available for sale on Amazon and other online retailers in the print form and in Kindle for the e-book.
Authors will have a bio of up to seventy-five words in the end matter. All bios may also include a link to their website and or a social media link.
Compensation:
If your story is included, I can’t give you anything except a copy of the book and my gratitude that together we will be able celebrate those amazing four-legged buddies who bring so much love and joy to our world. You’ll also be creating awareness about adopting instead of buying and helping wonderful organizations rescue more dogs from high-kill shelters.
Wholesale Purchasing:
Contributors may purchase books at a wholesale price of 20% off the cover price plus shipping. Orders will have a minimum purchase of five books. Copies will be direct shipped from Amazon to the author after payment is made to Wag Away Publishing via PayPal, Venmo or by personal check. Amazon orders take approximately two weeks to arrive so please plan accordingly.
Next Steps:
Please visit https://wagawaypublishing.com/sample-stories to read sample stories from the first book of the series. When Love Wags a Tail: Heartwarming and Humorous Stories of Rescue Dogs and Their Humans will follow that same format and cover many of the same themes.
The best way to get me your story is by sending a double-spaced Word document as an attachment. Please make sure you include your name and email address on your submission. If you do not have Word or know how to send it via email, reach out to me and we’ll figure it out. The submission address is carmen@carmenleal.com.
Thank you for considering my request and please feel free to forward this to family and friends who might be interested in sharing their stories.