Call for Dakota Submissions – Manuscripts
Deadline: April 15, 2021
Payment: Up to $2,000
Call for Dakota Submissions – Artists
Deadline: May 15, 2021
Payment: Up to $3,000
Wíyouŋkihipi Submission Guidelines
As a platform for Dakota/Lakota voices to publish and pass on our teachings to future generations, we are currently seeking Dakota/Lakota subject matter from Oceti Sakowin writers and artists. Both first-timers and established authors are welcomed to submit. If you are passionate about sharing your talents, stories and knowledge with the oyate, we want to hear from you. We are looking to publish the selected works Fall 2021.
Our goal for Wíyouŋkihipi is to honor and educate through the lens of Dakota culture; to inspire the next generations by showing we are capable! We can and will elevate our Dakota experiences through exceptional published works and educational resources that give back to the people so that we can all thrive.
Benefit .1
Wíyouŋkihipi Productions will support your efforts financially and provide professional support by bringing an audience to your work.
Benefit .2
Besides being able to publish your works, the selected writers and artists will be professionally supported through profile pages.
Benefit .3
Educators will be encouraged to invite you into their schools through in-person or virtual meetings, so that there is authentic Native representation in our classrooms.
Benefit .4
We will also look to host workshops, book signing events, artist talks and more for the published works!
We will be a resource hub that publishes books of the Dakota culture and language with your help.
If you want to contribute outside of what’s listed here, feel free to email us at info@wiyounkihipi.com about finding ways you can be involved!
Call for Writers
Genres we are seeking to publish include educational fiction, non-fiction, creative (poetry), children’s and young adult titles. We are also seeking writers who wish to share their research and traditional resources through our website’s blog. We are looking for pieces that celebrate Dakota/Lakota people as we are today, not placing our culture in the distant past.
Submission rules:
Incomplete applications will not be accepted for review due to the high volume of manuscripts we will be reading.
Please submit the following to info@wiyounkihipi.com
- Cover letter which should include
- Your biography, including any previously published works, awards, etc.
- The intended age-range, genre and audience for your work.
- Intention of the work including title, author contact information.
- Synopsis of your work
- No longer than 5 pages — should explain the plot from beginning to end, if applicable.
- Provide samples of the writing itself.
We have in-house Dakota editors who will work to include the Dakota language as part of your finished works, so in-depth knowledge of the language is not required at this stage of submission. We value your submission and will work to provide you with a response as quickly as possible. However, please be aware our review process can take up to a month.
Call for Artists
We are seeking Dakota/Lakota artists who have an understanding of our culture’s visual language to complement our stories. Your submitted portfolio should demonstrate these abilities. However, we are open to a variety of styles including contemporary methods, and work from professional illustrators and artists at all levels of experience. Illustrators who have worked in other fields and are interested in illustrating books are also welcome.
Artists will be paid $1000 upon signing contract, $1000 upon Wíyouŋkihipi receiving sketches and a final $1000 upon complete works. Wíyouŋkihipi will be responsible for setting up the artworks for publishing and will work with the artist’s style and methods to aid with this process.
Submission rules:
Incomplete applications will not be accepted for review due to the high volume of manuscripts we will be reading.
Please submit the following to info@wiyounkihipi.com
- Cover letter which should include:
- Your biography and resume including any previously published works, awards, etc
- Link to your portfolio, PDF of samples or link to a Google Drive folder (or other cloud sharing platform) showcasing your works.
Upcoming Call for Language speakers / voice actors
Later this year, we will be releasing animations and audio books so there will be a call for Dakota/Lakota speakers who are willing to record and read scripts for those works. Sign up for our mailing list to be the first to know when voice auditions open!