I just got the heads up on a new anthology that’s being put together. You’ll love the title, A Mile in Her Boots: Women Who Work in the Wild.

But make sure you read the fine print. Jennifer Bové, the editor, is not looking for travel stories or articles about recreational, hobby, or sport in the wilderness. I’ve attached her own submission information.

CALL FOR STORIES BY WILDERNESS WOMEN
My name is Jennifer Bové, and I’m assembling an anthology of stories by contemporary women in outdoor professions called A Mile in Her Boots: Women Who Work in the Wild. If you’re a woman who has worked in wilderness, I welcome you to submit a story to be considered for publication in this book. Professions that qualify include (but are not limited to): wildlife management, research (any discipline), forestry, law enforcement, logging, mining, photography, wildland firefighting, education, guiding, commercial fishing, ranching, etc.

The wilder and more remote, the better. Please don’t send recreational hobby, sport, or travel stories.

There are no strict criteria for subject matter. I’m looking for lively, engaging essays and anecdotes that reveal something about your relationship to wilderness within the context of your career.

Consider your most memorable experiences on the job – funny, tragic, harrowing, enlightening – anything goes. Also consider the influences that led you to wilderness work, the ways nature has affected you, and the ways you have impacted nature. Generally, I prefer tales that read like good fiction. No feminist rhetoric. Worldwide submissions are encouraged.

Publisher to be determined in the coming months.

SUBMISSION INFO
– Submit up to 2 stories, no more than 5,000 words each.
– Previously published work is okay if you retain the copyright
– No story will ever be printed without written consent from the author.
– Bylines and brief biographies will be included in the book.
– A small honorarium may be paid for each printed story upon publication (amount depends on budget).
-Competition for publication will be tough, so strive for quality and edit your work well.

DEADLINE for submissions: December 15, 2004

My Writing Background:
I recently collected and edited an anthology of creative nonfiction by field biologists called The Back Road to Crazy that will be published by the University of Utah Press in March, 2005. My writing has appeared in Bugle, Missouri Conservationist, Wild Outdoor World, and Women in Natural Resources as well as Heart Shots, a hunting anthology edited by Mary Zeiss Stange (Stackpole Press, 2003).

Please send story submissions and questions to:
EMAIL:
Fieldstories@aol.com
(Attach stories in Microsoft Word format or paste into email)

MAIL:
Jennifer Bové
PO Box 402
Naches, WA 98937
(Include your name, address, phone, and email)

4 comments

  1. Hey
    Thanks for this post. It will help my friend who is a doctorate in wildlife and has tracked tigers, elephants and what not, for various projects.

  2. Oh good! Thanks so much for chiming in, Dusty. I was hoping someone could use it and I just didn’t know anyone personally. With a majority of the market leads any one of us could, but I thought this one would be great for the right people.

    I appreciate you speaking up.

  3. Thanks for posting this one, Jen. An ace lead for my ‘upcountry’ female friends who patrol the back of beyond in Yellowstone.

    Anxiously awaiting the ‘frontcountry’ collections of urban bike messenger and taxi driver stories….

  4. Andrew! I’m laughing at your mention of urban bike messengers. I thought about being one, once or twice. Certain friends would laugh at that comment because I think they’ve heard me say that for several things including astronaut, fireman, fire dept publicist, teacher, Navy intelligence officer….I can’t remember all the rest.

    Anyway, yes, when I was in college I used to drool at bike messengers. Maybe because my boyfriend at the time had been one before I met him. I was taking a photojournalism class at USC and went to downtown LA to do a photo essay on them. It was so much fun.

    When I got to SF I think I looked into it. But it was way out of my league. And by then a little too grimey for me. A few years later, Kozmo was a perfect fit, and I miss them. In fact, I was just thinking about how much I missed seeing the blue and orange branding just yesterday. I’d sign up again in a heartbeat. Just because it was so much fun.

    As for taxi writing, you’ll have to talk to Joe E.

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