As we are trying to expand dialogue among black women, we encourage women to submit works they would like to share with their sisters across the world. We are accepting songs, photography, personal essays, short stories, comics, biographical sketches, short films and anything else suited to the format of a book, CD or DVD. If you need some ideas check out the list at the bottom of the page.
When we launched Live Unchained, we decided to organize the multi-media anthology thematically, based on the submissions we received. Given what women have submitted so far, we are dividing the anthology into three sections that reflect the process of longing for, defining and embracing freedom.
Longing for Freedom
This section will include stories and experiences of imagining and desiring freedom when facing challenges and barriers. We are seeking expressions concerning women's experiences with freedom denied in literal and/or symbolic ways.
Defining Freedom
Stories and experiences in this section will reflect how women question and understand freedom. We want to hear what freedom means to you and what the process of defining it looks like.
Freedom Expressed
Some women believe freedom is attained through the act of creative expression. We want to know how women celebrate their freedom. What images does a free woman create? What does she draw, write and sing about?
We are accepting submissions on a rolling basis. Soon, we will be contacting all the women who have shown interest with more information about how to contribute to a Live Unchained "sampler," made up of selected audio, visual and written submissions. We'll use this sampler to market to possible publishing companies. It will also be available online.
Specifics on what you can contribute:
If you are a filmmaker or videographer, send us:
Short Films
Documentaries
Mockumentaries
Music Videos
Motion Graphics
Animations
Format--.mov or .avi
Duration--should not exceed 90 minutes
If you are a graphic artist, painter and/or illustrator, send us:
Digital Art
Illustrations
Comic Strips/Sections from Graphic Novels
Format--.psd or .jpg or.pdf
Dimensions--should not exceed 11"x17"
Length--should not exceed 10 pages
If you are a photographer, send us:
Conceptual, Travel, Black & White, etc. photos
Format--.psd or .jpg or.pdf
Dimensions--should not exceed 11"x17"
If you are a musician, send us:
Songs
Soundscapes
Music Videos
Filmed performances
Format--.mp3 or .mp4 for audio & .mov or .avi for film
Duration--should not exceed 20 minutes
If you are a writer, send us:
Short Stories
Essays
Poetry
Format--.pdf
Length--should not exceed 3500 words
If you are a spoken word artist, send us:
Filmed Performances
Audio Recordings
Format--.mp3 or .mp4 for audio & .mov or .avi for film
Duration--should not exceed 20 minutes
Notes on submissions:
- There is no need to censor yourself. Be real. We trust that you know when to use colorful language to tell the story and not simply to add some artificial pizzazz. Just speak your truth, whatever that might be.
- Sorry guys, this is a girl thing. We are only accepting submissions from women. But if you want to start your own anthology, we support you!
We do, however, accept pieces women create in collaboration with others as long as they are the principle artist and/or writer.
- We are accepting and encouraging work, originally created in a language other than English. For all written work, however, please include English translations. For songs and performance poetry, please include lyrics and/or words in the original language and English.
We’re looking for submissions related to the following topics:
Art
Spirituality
Sensuality
Fashion
Friends
Family
Dating/Relationships
Travel
Money/Being Broke
Personal Growth
Motherhood
Feminism
Sex (or lack thereof...)
The African Diaspora
Pop Culture
Creative Stories
Identity
Dorm Life
Sexuality
Entrepreneurship
Activism
Work
Health
Hip Hop
Race
Impress us with your own category!
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at: liveunchained@gmail.com.
We look forward to hearing from you!