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Helping hand

The Power of the Personal Touch

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FreeDigitalPhotos.net/worradmu

FreeDigitalPhotos.net/worradmu

How often do you send an email or leave a voice mail and wonder if it’s been received or if it’s been lost in the vast blackness of the digital universe?

It seems that even with all the communication methods at our disposal, it can be harder than ever to get a response when we reach out to someone.

As an independent publisher, we find ourselves on both sides of that fence. Because we’re a small company, it often requires persistence to get through to distributors, media outlets, agents and other key industry members. So we chip away, making the right contacts and finding the best ways to break down the barriers between us and where we want to be.

On the flip side, we receive inquiries almost daily from ambitious writers who want to submit their work to us or learn more about who we are and what we do. We understand what it takes to reach out; there’s a vulnerability required to share one’s work and put hopes and dreams on the line.

That’s why we make a point of following up with every serious inquiry and letting people know their voices have been heard. It’s not an automated response. An actual human reads and writes all our emails!

It’s gratifying when people compliment us for responding quickly or, in some cases, for responding at all. It’s also a reminder of the power of the personal touch. Our robotic world has conditioned us to expect to be little more than a number, but we know we can do better. And we believe that anyone who makes the effort to reach out to us personally deserves the same consideration.

It takes a little extra time, sure. But no one ever said changing the world would be a quick, easy job!

light bulb

Call for Submissions: Who Inspires You?

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patpitchaya/freedigitalphotos.net

patpitchaya/freedigitalphotos.net

Who inspires you?

At KiCam Projects, we find inspiration all around us: in the people we know and love and in people we’ve never met and can only admire from afar.

We believe that everyone has the power to change the world in ways both large and small, and we’re grateful for the people in our lives—friends, family members, co-workers—who remind us each day how impactful a single person can be.

We look up to world-renowned names such as Oprah, Malala Yousafzai, Jimmy Carter and Jim Foley. And we’re moved by local stories of people like Lauren Hill and Sam Boling rising above their circumstances to better the lives of others.

Those are the kinds of stories KiCam wants to tell, through books, films and music. Do you have an inspirational story? Do you know someone else who does but hasn’t been able to navigate the world of publishing to get that story out?

Then please connect with us through our Submissions link. We’re looking for true stories of growth and recovery from illness, addiction, tragedy or other challenges that will inspire and empower audiences.

We ask that you submit a cover letter, one-paragraph summary, brief bio, project synopsis and table of contents by March 2016 to be considered for 2017 projects.

We’re hard at work identifying and reaching out to people and organizations with meaningful stories that deserve to be told. Do you have suggestions or ideas? Please reach out to us and share your thoughts.

KiCam Projects is a mission-driven company, and all of our collaborators are asked to select a nonprofit organization that will benefit from the proceeds of their work.

Together, we will change the world, one great story at a time.

Kilee Brookbank signing a copy of Beautiful Scars.

What Makes a Great Story?

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What are your favorite kinds of stories to read, watch or listen to?

Classically, we’re taught about protagonists and antagonists, with a climactic third act followed by a resolution that ties everything together and satisfies our need for closure.

In reality, though, we all come to learn that our lives’ stories rarely follow the structure the ancients Greeks intended. Heroes and anti-heroes become less clear-cut, and the concept of closure often is replaced by uncertainty, resignation or the acceptance that an ongoing process might be more important (or more feasible) than a finite result.

The most compelling dramas, in this day and age, are less about a basic notion of good triumphing over evil and more about individual journeys paved with countless personal reckonings—some large and seemingly insurmountable, and some so small they appear inconsequential.

Those are the kinds of stories KiCam Projects wants to tell. We want to shine a light on the everyday person who becomes a hero to others by continuing to struggle against demons or challenges that can’t be overcome in a grandiose battle scene. We want to dispel the notion of the “average person” by highlighting the uniqueness of everyone’s personal story. And we want to remind the world that each of us has something special to give, something no one else can contribute in exactly the same way.

What’s your story? What have you been through and learned? How can you inform and inspire readers or viewers?

If you have a manuscript, script or synopsis, please send it, along with a cover letter, to submissions@kicamprojects.com for our team to review.

(Learn more about our submissions guidelines and process.)