journey Summer is here and people are hitting the road to enjoy some rest and relaxation — and maybe even some cultural enrichment. What’s your idea of a perfect vacation? If you’ve experienced one — tell us about it in a poem or flash fiction (200 words or fewer). Or if you’re still waiting for your dream sojourn, let us know what you envision — in a poem or flash fiction. If you’ve experienced a less-than-perfect vacation, we’d like to hear about that, too! 

PROMPT: In a poem or flash fiction (200 words or fewer), tell us about your perfect or less-than-perfect vacation. Please send a photo of yourself — at any age — to accompany the poem, and provide a caption for the photo (when, where). (If possible, send a vacation photo.)

WHAT: Submissions can be original or previously published poems or flash fiction. You retain all rights to your work and give Silver Birch Press permission to publish on social media and in a potential print edition.

WHEN: We’ll feature the poems/flash fiction and photos during the Silver Birch Press MY PERFECT/LESS-THAN-PERFECT VACATION Poetry/Flash Fiction Series from late July into August (actual dates to be determined, based on number of submissions).

HOW TO SUBMIT: Email one poem or flash fiction to SBPSUBMISSIONS@gmail.com as an MSWord attachment — and in the same file include your name, contact info (including email address), one-paragraph author’s bio (written in third person), and any notes about your creative process or thoughts about your poem. Please put all this information in one MSWord document and title the file with your last name (and only your last name). Write”Vacation” in subject line of email. Please send a photo of yourself (vacation photo, if available)— at any age — to accompany the poem, and provide a caption for the photo (when, where).

SUBMISSION CHECKLIST
To help everyone understand our submission requirements, we’ve prepared the following checklist.

1. Send ONE MS Word document TITLED WITH YOUR LAST NAME (e.g. Smith.doc or Jones.docx).

2. In the same MS Word document, include your contact information (name, mailing address, email address).

3. In the same MS Word document, include an author’s bio, written in the third person (e.g., Bill Smith has been writing since age seven…”).

4. In the same MS Word document, include a note about your poem or creative process (this is optional).

5. In the same MS Word document, include a caption for your photo (including where, when and/or date taken).

6. Send a photo of yourself at any age as a SEPARATE jpg attachment (not in the MS Word document). Title the photo with your last name (e.g., Jones.jpg). (We’d prefer vacation photos.)

7. Email to SBPSUBMISSIONS@gmail.com — and put VACATION in the subject line. (NOTE: This is a new email address for this series.)

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday, July 31, 2015

Thank you! Happy travels!