Call for Submissions
Return - an anthology of creative work to celebrate 10 years of writing workshops by Mel Parks at HoneyLeaf Writing.
I am so excited to be publishing another anthology of the amazing work I hear shared in workshops each week. I am proud of every single writer who has been brave enough to share the words that come out on the page in the moment. And listening gives me so much joy and nourishment. I don’t know where I’d be as a creative person without all of this.
So thank you all for showing up and for supporting me and listening to each other’s stories as well.
Let’s mark this moment and share a sliver of the magic (the awen) that flows when we’re in the room together.
I understand that sending your work out into the world is a scary step but I will be there to guide you along the way, with feedback (if you’d like it), light editing and encouragement.
Theme - Return
1 June - deadline for submitting writing.
During June, I will read through your writing, lightly edit and if you’ve requested feedback before publication, I will do this. If I make any changes to your work, I’ll send you a copy of the final version with amendments highlighted for you to approve. You get the final say on any changes to your piece.
July - I will do the layout and get the book ready for print. During this month, you will receive an email with your work laid out the way it will look in the book. You will get a chance to make any final amendments before giving permission to print.
August - final proofread, cover design and send to print.
September - we will receive the print copies and I will be in touch about how you will get your copy.
The theme of Return is there as a guide if you would like one. It is not meant to be restrictive at all. So take it as loosely as you like.
I wanted a word or idea which signifies the way the seasons return each year, the way we return to the workshop room each week, or the page each day.
I wanted a reminder that our ideas are there for us when we have a moment to return to them. And I also wondered if there are certain places or feelings or rituals or traditions that you often return to. Do they give you comfort? Do they feel restrictive? Is it always the same or slightly different each time you return?
Key dates
What to submit
Other terms & conditions
This anthology is to celebrate the brilliant, creative writing that comes out in the moment, so raw work is fine. It can be something inspired by a workshop prompt or something not connected with workshops at all.
You can submit:
any type of writing - poems, short stories, fiction, personal essays, an extract from a longer piece of work, memoir, flash fiction, reflective writing, autobiography or something which doesn’t have a neat category.
UP TO THREE pieces. They can be up to 1500 words long. Poems can be any length. But if you have something long, allow enough time to check with me in advance. Please don’t send me four pieces, trust in your own ability to choose three. For regular workshop goers - if you really can’t decide, then I’m happy to talk it through before or after a workshop.
You (the author) will send me all the work you would like to be included in the Return anthology by Monday 1 June, 2026.
I (Mel Parks) will have the final say over what gets published in the Return anthology.
You will retain all copyright of your own work. This means you can publish it elsewhere once it has been in the Return anthology.
Sending me your work to be published in the Return anthology means it will have been published. So you won’t be able to send it anywhere (competitions or journals) which require previously unpublished work.
Any writing submitted to the Return anthology is all your own original work.
As the Return anthology is to celebrate human-generated, live, creative writing in workshops, you agree not to use generative AI to write any of your pieces. There is also no need to use AI for a final proofread as I (Mel Parks) will offer that service. I am considerate of dyslexia and neurodivergence which affects spelling, grammar and the way sentences are constructed and I will check any suggested amendments (for readability) with you (the author) first.
You will be identified (named) as the author of your work. If you prefer to use a different name or anonymity, let me know by email.
You agree for me to make a print version of the book as well as a print-on-demand version, which means it will be available for general sale online. You also agree for me to make an ebook of the work, should I decide to in future.
You have attended at least one HoneyLeaf Writing workshop, course or day retreat with Mel Parks in the past 10 years (since January 2016). This could have been at: the bookshop, the cricket pavilion, Chequer Mead Theatre, Brambletye Hotel, the Community Art Studio, Mad Dog Coffee Lounge, Sussex Prairie Gardens, Emerson College, Tilton House or online.