Does Your Story Have What It Takes To…
Tell the truth…
“Create dangerously, for people that read dangerously…. [Write] knowing in part that no matter how trivial your words may seem, someday, somewhere, someone may risk his or her life to read them. ”
and Shame the devil?
When Everyone Kept Secrets: Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil
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When Everyone Kept Secrets is our inaugural short story anthology. I found this mission-driven independent hybrid publishing company to uplift and liberate the voices, stories, and authentic lived experiences of Black & Brown Southern women writers. (All Black and Brown people in America are from the South. 🤎)
This anthology is the beginning of the legacy SOMO Publishing House is establishing. Our motto is, "We Publish to Disturb the Status Quo.” We mean that with our whole chest.
If you’re ready to disturb the status quo that thinks our cultures, accomplishments, icons, and legacies can simply be erased… Join me and 19 other writers in a little Literary FAFO.
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Your investment is on a sliding scale, you choose the level that is most comfortable to you.
Grandma’s Kitchen—You have more than enough, and are living in the overflow. You are honored to give a little more to hold space for others to participate. Your investment is $750
Grandma’s Parlor—You are maintaining. You don’t need additional assistance but you aren’t in a position, yet to offer assistance to anyone else. Your investment is $500
Grandma’s Front Porch—You are on the come-up. You need the support of your community but you won’t take more than is necessary. Your investment is $275
*It is my desire to be able to offer two scholarships to writers sitting on Grandma’s Front Porch. Part of the mission of SOMO Publishing House is to remove or lessen restrictive barriers in the publishing industry that keep many Black and Brown women writers from taking advantage of opportunities. One of those barriers is financial.
What’s Included?
Manuscript Critique (up to 7,500 words)
ISBN assignment (for anthology print and eBook)
Library of Congress Control Number registration (for the anthology)
Copyright registration (for the anthology)
Professional interior layout design (print and eBook)
Professionally designed book cover (Print and eBook)
Inclusion in anthology (digital and print)
Print and eBook distribution via major retailers:
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, and others
Up to 5 complimentary author copies
Three mock-up graphics for social media promotions (copy included)
*Inclusion in Virtual, live streamed launch party.
Quarterly sales reports for the first year.
At-cost pricing for additional personal copies to sell
100% of profits from personal sales stay with the author
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Reckonings, Revelations, Naming What Has Been Hidden
These stories center on personal truths being uncovered—often quietly, often painfully. They may include:Survivors reclaiming their narratives
Family secrets revealed
Truth-telling as resistance or healing
First-person awakenings or coming-of-age insights
Confronting silence, denial, or inherited shame
Tone: reflective, intimate, vulnerable, raw
Examples: confessions, hidden family histories, spiritual reckonings, internalized bias being unlearned -
Exposing Injustice, Confronting Abusers, Breaking Cycles
These are bolder, louder, more externally charged pieces where truth is not only revealed but weaponized to confront and disrupt. They might include:Characters directly calling out harm (familial, societal, spiritual)
Rejections of respectability, silence, or erasure
Generational or institutional accountability
Subversive humor or satirical rage
Acts of rupture or defiance (spiritual, emotional, relational)
Tone: fiery, declarative, unflinching, often righteous
Examples: letters to absent fathers, stories about corrupt religious leaders, maternal confrontation, or characters publicly reclaiming power
Value Added Benefits (Intangibles)
Be a part of an evocative group of Black and Brown women writers
Expert feedback and writing critique notes from a professional editor/coach.
Exposure in brick and mortar book stores as well as national and international online platforms.
Built-in writing community
Exposure. Exposure. Exposure.
Exclusive co-writing-circle dates
Exclusive discounts on generative writing workshops, Essetial Story Doula services, and Curated Story Doula Service Packages
Contract and Publication Details
Royalty Structure: Authors will receive a royalty split of up to 40/60% in favor of the author for print sales, and up to 70% on e-book sales.
Rights and Reversion: Southern Momentum Publishing House, LLC, retains exclusive rights to the stories for six months. After this period, full rights revert back to the authors.
Subsidiary Rights: SOMO Publishing House retains subsidiary rights for one year, which will revert to the authors thereafter.
Book Purchase Discount: All authors may purchase additional copies of the anthology at a discounted rate through the publisher, making it easy to sell books at events, on personal websites, or at book signings.
*Note: This information does not constitute a contract offer nor does it represent the complete terms and conditions, which are available upon request.
Ready to Submit?
If you’re ready to share your story and join us as we, Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil, submit your work today. Let’s amplify underrepresented stories and create a platform for transformative storytelling. There is a $25 reading fee for each manuscript. This fee helps us ensure proper vetting of all manuscripts as they come in. It also helps fund internships for underrepresented Black and Brown women in publishing.