2016 Themes!!

We have finalized our themes for 2016. We are so excited about the possibilities these words represent, and can’t wait to see how you make them your own. We are including the guidelines here. Please pay special attention to image size, requested tweets, and header photo. It saves us so much time.

*We are not accepting submissions for June. We are doing something different that month. After May next call is for July.

Text Version:

January: Revelation, Epiphany, Vision
February: Vocation, Career, Mission
March: Offering, Sacrifice, Repentance
April: Creativity, Inspiration, Imagination
May: Resurgence, Restoration, Renewal
June: Race, Culture, Identity
July: Relationships, True Intimacy, Lasting Connection (Thanks, Brian Lindner!)
August: Simplicity, Intentionality, Living small
September: Memory, Flashback, Reminiscence
October: Social Justice, Charity, Compassion Fatigue
November: Comfort, Contentment, Satisfaction
December: Deliverance, Redemption, Rescue

Deadlines:

(Excluding January, all posts should be sent by the 21st of the preceding month.)

For January: Dec. 26

For February: Jan. 21

For March: Feb. 21

For April: March 21

For May: April 21

For June: May 21

For July: June 21

For August: July 21

For September: Aug. 21

For October: Sep. 21

For November: Oct. 21

For December: Nov. 21

Guidelines:

We’re making space for you in The Mudroom. Your experience matters. Your story means something. Maybe it’s time for you to share.

What we are looking for: 

Day-in-the-life posts about what life is like for you. What is bringing you joy? What is weighing you down? What has been on your heart to share for the longest time? What do you have to say that might bring someone else a little closer to healing? Tell us about the experience you had that left you changed forever, for good or not. If you could have thirty minutes alone with a friend in The Mudroom, what is it you most want to say?

Submission Guidelines:

  • 700 words (approx)
  • Posts are due the month before publication. (See deadlines below) You are welcome to inquire about the deadline, some months we are able to take late submissions.
  • Give us your best writing but, that being said, it will also go to an editor who will check for typos and meaning, there will be some editing involved in the process. We will show you the finished piece for approval.
  • All work should be original, never having been published before—even on your own website or blog. We need all content to be fresh and will ask for exclusive rights. Treat it as if you were doing a column in a newspaper.
  • This is not a place to be political, preachy, or polarizing. Think “slice of life” not “in your face.”
  • Get permission if writing about a friend or family member as an example, or use language where you do not name that person specifically; we do not want to embarrass anyone.
  • Turn around time: Please give us 2 weeks to respond to your submission. We will let you know when we have received your submission.

  • If you have been published in The Mudroom, please wait 3 months before you submit again.

*DISCLAIMER: Submission does not guarantee publishing. We may not be able to use your piece for a variety of reasons. ProBlogDesign editors have worded it nicely: “Please don’t be offended if we suggest changes.”

Publishing Rights

  • If you have a blog, we appreciate it if you share an excerpt from your post on the day of publication with a link to the blog, but please don’t publish the full story on your own blog.
  • All rights remain with the author of the post, but we ask you wait at least 12 months before reposting the piece on a different site.      

Header, Byline, and Bio Photos:

  • Send us a photo of you for your bio, please make sure images are smaller than 1000 x 1000. Here is a link for an easy-to-use website to resize images: PicResize
  • Please try to send a header photo for your post. If you can’t we will provide one for you. The header photo you provide needs to be something you own the copyright to, or is licensed by creative commons. There are helpful sites with free images like PixabayPlease make sure images are smaller than 1000 x 1000. Here is a link for an easy-to-use website to resize images: PicResize
  • Please let us know if you DO NOT want your name and/or photo included, we do accept anonymous posts.
  • We may resize, crop, enhance, and possibly add text to your original photo.
  • Please email photos in jpg format, we prefer landscape or square format. 
  • Please include a short bio, 3-4 sentences, as serious or silly as you want to be. If you find this difficult, we may be able to write one for you.
  • You may also send us links to your Twitter and Facebook accounts and they will show up in your bio box.
  • Write out 3 Tweets, leaving space for the link, that we can send out from The Mudroom. For example: 

Endurance is not cold tolerance. Endurance is a thing of beauty that keeps taking people’s breath away. @heathercaliri

“When trying to endure, focusing on beauty is a better approach than getting through…” @heathercaliri

@heathercaliri was struggling to have endure her daughter’s most recent phase. Then, she realized maybe her definition of endurance was the problem.

Please send submissions to themudroomblog (at) gmail.com

Here’s an encouraging post about writing by Billy Coffey: Writing Naked 

Tammy Perlmutter
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