Chick Ink anthology Call for Submissions

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:

CHICK INK
Every Tattoo Has a Story
Edited by Karen Hudson, The About.com Guide to Tattoos and Body Piercings

We are seeking original, true, personal stories by women on the experience of being a woman with a tattoo--the ups, the downs, and everything in between.

Being a tattooed woman can be thrilling and liberating, it can also be challenging. We are interested in stories that might reveal an insight, offer advice--in short, writing that informs, intrigues, and inspires. Humor is welcome.

About CHICK INK:
Biker chick! Circus freak! White trash! These were the labels that used to be assigned to women with tattoos, but no longer. Today women obtain more than half of all tattoos, a number that has quadrupled since the 1970s and more and more women are getting inked every day. From businesswomen to new moms to mid-lifers, nowadays you never know who is inked beneath their clothes.

From the divorcee looking for a new start to the 20-something looking to express herself, from the mastectomy patient looking for art to cover scars to a woman looking to memorialize a special moment in her life, women get tattoos for many reasons.
And each one of those tattoos has a story.

Chick Ink tells the real stories of those women and their body art, those who get tattoos and those who give tattoos. Why did they decide to get a tattoo, what was the tattoo experience like, and how has having that tattoo changed their perceptions of their own body and how others perceive them?

Chick Ink will also include stories from female tattoo artists. Stories about why they went into the tattoo industry, people they have tattooed, and the stereotypes and barriers they have had to face in this male-dominated profession.

Chick Ink gives voice to the thousands of women who got tattooed despite the stereotypes society may place upon them. It showcases the unique personal experience that getting a tattoo can be and also the bond it creates between inked women. These candid and funny tales reveal the daring and yet deeply meaningful motivations behind tattoos and how that inked art changes the bearer both internally and externally.


SAMPLE TOPICS:
• Reactions from others—either positive or negative—on your tattoos.
• Issues specific to being a tattooed woman: overcoming others' expectations, stereotypes, etc.
• Dealing with resistance from family, friends, coworkers, children, significant others.
• The particular joys and freedoms that come with a tattoo.
• An incident that motivated you to get a tattoo.
• Lessons learned: Would you get tattooed all over again? Why or why not?
• Tattoo misadventures.

EDITOR: Karen Hudson is the about.com guide to tattooing and body piercing. Her site is the 9th most accessed site on About.com. Karen has served a yearlong tattoo apprenticeship at a tattoo studio in Dallas, Texas. Her personal links within the tattoo community continue to keep her updated in body art.
Foreword by: Deana Lippens
Deana is a well-know tattoo artist with over 25 years of tattoo experience. Deana owns and operates Deana’s Skin art Studio in Florida and is also the founder and producer of “Marked for Life” the International Female Tattoo Artist Convention that just celebrated its 11th year.

PUBLISHER: Adams Media, an F + W Publications Company

DEADLINE: May 31, 2006

LENGTH: 1,000-1,500 words

FORMAT: Essays must be typed, double-spaced, and paginated. Please include your name, mailing address, phone number, email address, and a short bio on the last page. Stories will not be returned.
Stories must be TRUE, we do not publish fiction or poetry.

SUBMITTING: Electronic submissions are preferred. Send essay electronically as a Word or Rich Text Format file (with .doc or .rtf extension) to tattoo.guide@about.com
Put “CHICK INK” in the subject line.
If e-mail is not possible, mail the essay to: Karen Hudson PO Box 29099 Indianapolis, IN 46229-0099

Manuscripts will not be returned.
Authors may submit multiple stories for consideration.
A publishing agreement will be mailed to the author of each story selected as a finalist.

PAYMENT: $100 plus one copy of the finished book