Essay & Portrait Project, Phase 1 Topic:

Experiences of Black Womanhood in America

1. The Written Word

We are currently accepting essays, short stories, poems, prose, reflections, devotionals and prayers for the upcoming coffee table book, I AM WOMAN: Experiences of Black Womanhood in America.

This book will be a collection of the written word in various forms accompanied by portraits of Black Women in their daily lives.

We have a small team and will not be able to respond to every submission individually. However, writers of chosen submissions will be notified by September 30, 2018. If any editing is needed, we will collaborate with the author before publishing.

Payment: We will pay a minimum of $75 for each written submission accepted for publication.

Submission Fee: There is a $25 fee for each submission. And with your submission, you’ll receive a complimentary e-book copy of I AM WOMAN: Experiences of Black Womanhood in America.

Formatting document: Your document should be in Arial 12-point type, double-spaced with at least one-inch margins and no more than ten pages. Unless you’re submitting poetry. Poetry can be single-spaced and in the format desired for presentation (alignment, indentation, spacing, etc.). Also, for those submitting poems, you can submit multiple poems totalling no more than ten pages as a single document for one submission fee. All documents should have your name, email address, and telephone number typed at the top right corner of the first page.

Visit https://SH-Images.com/IAMWOMAN for up-to-date information.

Submission dates: June 15 – August 31, 2018

Notification of selected submissions: By September 31, 2018

All submissions will be received and processed via Submittable. You will have complete a Submittable profile. It’s free, quick and painless.

2. The Portraits

SH-Images will conduct several open call photo shoots throughout June and July. The open call indicates all women are welcome to show up for a mini photo session. However since we anticipate bottle-necks as participation ebbs and flows, we suggest booking a time slot in advance. Time will be scheduled and allotted in 10-15min increments. So Ladies, come ready to do your thing, get that shot and keep it moving!

The overall theme of the project is “I AM WOMAN. I am _________________.” We want you to fill in the blank with how you would describe yourself. We are looking for one word here, however, on your consent form we ask for two to three sentences about what womanhood is to you.

Your “I am _________________.” statement will accompany your photo on social media and in the book should your image be selected for print publication. So think about your word and how you want to represent it in an image. As an example see below.

Blue lies matter

Women of all ethnicities and faiths are welcome to participate in the free photo shoots. However, keep in mind, the first phase of the project is dedicated to capturing, cataloguing and presenting a collective story of experiencing Black Womanhood in America.

Portrait Session Details

Email: LaShawnda to reserve a slot (Shawnda@Spirit-Harvest.com)

NEW YORK CITY

Saturday, June 23, 2018, 1:00-4:00pm(Studio, 111th & Park Ave / Theme: Relaxed at Home)

Sunday, July 8, 2018 1:00-4:00pm (Battery Park @ Bowling Green / Theme: Liberty & Water)

Sunday, July 22, 2018 1:00-4:00pm(Central Park @ Columbus Circle / Theme: Nature & City Images)

Thursday, July 26, 2018 7:00-9:30pm (59th Street @ Columbus Circle / Theme: Night & Subway Images)

MILWAUKEE

Thursday, July 12, 2018 7:00-9:30pm (Location: Burke Brise Soleil / Theme: Sunset & Twilight)

CHICAGO

Saturday, July 14, 2018 12:00-3:00pm (Location: Cloud Gate (Bean) at Millennium Park / Theme: Old School Glam/A Day in the Park)

TUCSON

Saturday, August 18, 2018 8:00-11:00am (Location: TBD /Theme: Desert Refreshment/Renewal)

PHOENIX

Saturday, August 25, 2018 8:00-11:00am(Location: TBD / Theme: Grace in the Valley)

Please continue checking back for additional details. If you would like to receive updates, please complete the Contact form with a message about being updated on the I AM WOMAN project.