“Boldly tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience.” ~ Society of Professional Journalists

What

We are looking for creative nonfiction in the English language in response to the topic: My India, My Gods

Word count: 500 to 800

We are looking for clarity and originality of language and content. Selected essays will be published in a print anthology.

What is creative nonfiction? Read here.

Who

Writers: Indian citizens, persons of Indian origin, overseas citizens of India, and non-resident Indians over the age of 18 can submit their work.

Readers: Our target readership is Young Adults. Kindly avoid profanity and mature themes like drugs and alcohol.

The publisher: Bare Bones is an independent publishing house based in Gurugram, India. Learn more at: www.barebonespublishing.in/about-us/

The editor: Sahana Ahmed is the founder and CEO of Bare Bones Publishing. Learn more at: www.sahanaahmed.com

When

Submission window: June 2024 to August 2024

Acceptances will be sent out in September 2024. The expected date of publication is January 26, 2025.

Where

Send your work as attachments via email to: submissions.barebones@gmail.com

Your submission must be in one of the following file forms: .doc / .docx

Subject of the email:

My India, My Gods: [Your Name]

Why 

“The diversity of India is tremendous; it is obvious; it lies on the surface and anybody can see it. It concerns itself with physical appearances as well as with certain mental habits and traits. There is little in common, to outward seeming, between the Pathan of the North-West and the Tamil in the far South. Their racial stocks are not the same, though there may be common strands running through them… Yet, with all these differences, there is no mistaking the impress of India on the Pathan, as this is obvious on the Tamil. The Pathan and the Tamil are two extreme examples; the others lie somewhere in between. All of them have their distinctive features, all of them have still more the distinguishing mark of India.” ~ Jawaharlal Nehru

“India is a nation full of diversities. We have time and again reiterated that the unique feature of our country is unity in diversity. This has been our mantra. But unless we acknowledge this speciality of our country and feel proud of it, this will remain just a slogan. We would not be able to use it for nation building. Every Indian can feel proud of the fact that India has embraced every cult of the world, every tradition and every ideology in some or the other form. It has a variety of dialects, dressing styles, food habits and beliefs. Despite this diversity we have learnt from our traditions to be united for the country for its welfare. Today, even the people from the same traditions and cultural backgrounds are intolerant towards one another and can even kill one another. In the 21st century some people are propagating violence in the world just to place one’s beliefs as superior to the others. On these occasions India can proudly say that we are that country, we are the Indians who respect every belief, tradition and culture of the world. This is our legacy and strength. This is our path of a bright future. This is our responsibility.” ~ Narendra Modi

General Guidelines

• All manuscripts should be in 14-point type, double-spaced, with at least one-inch margins. 
• Include a brief biographical note (third-person, 35 words approximately) with the cover letter. Please mention where you are based.
• Essays accepted for publication will undergo a process of fact-checking. Do not submit citations with your essay, but we suggest you save a copy of your submission file that includes footnotes and/or a bibliography.
• We will accept reprints. If you are submitting a previously published piece, do mention the following: [Original Publication], [Date of Publication]

Things we do not want

• Work that includes machine-generated text.
• Work deliberately intended to offend any person or group.

Payment and publishing rights

Contributors will receive two complimentary copies of the anthology. There is no submission fee.

Writers accepted for publication will grant and assign to Bare Bones first worldwide print, electronic, and digital rights, exclusive for one year, and non-exclusive rights thereafter. For reprints, non-exclusive rights apply. Copyright in the essays shall remain the property of the respective authors and the publisher shall affix a copyright notice in compliance with the provisions of the Universal Copyright Convention in every copy of the book.

Copyright of the Essays © Respective Authors [YYYY]

Please note that we cannot offer feedback. The editorial decision will be final.