Letters to the Future
Write directly to the generations after us about what you hope they inherit, what we must protect, or the evidence that humanity is still worth believing in.
Hope or Mope? · Founding Anthology Call
Bring us the moment you had evidence.
Hope becomes believable when somebody can point to what happened.
Who showed up? What changed? What did someone build, discover, protect, teach, repair, refuse to abandon, or quietly do when no one was watching? What should the people who come after us know about that moment?
The Moment I Had Evidence
A real person, event, act, or experience that restored your hope in humanity—or kept your own fire lit.
Future Built Here
Ideas, inventions, research, designs, systems, or practical solutions that could make the future safer, kinder, healthier, smarter, or more sustainable.
Poetry
Original human-authored poetry about hope earned, hope defended, survival, responsibility, humanity, home, or the future.
Hope in Action / Youth Rising
Nominate an under-seen person, young innovator, project, discovery, act of service, or credible news story that deserves a brighter spotlight.
The Founding Anthology
Hope or Mope?
Letters, Ideas & Evidence for the Future
A 6×9 literary anthology built to move: letters and human stories, future-facing ideas and inventions, youth and community evidence, with poetry threaded between them as breathing space.
Our working editorial target is approximately 220–240 pages and roughly 65–85 selected works and editorial features. Selection is competitive; publication is not guaranteed.
200–650 wordsProse anthology entries
Up to 60 linesPoetry · max two 6×9 pages
6×9 inchesPlanned print trim size
~220–240 pagesWorking Year One target
1 Grand Prize Winner
The full feature.
- Publication under the Contributor Agreement accepted at submission
- Expanded feature treatment in the book
- Contributor portrait/photo with permission
- Website and selected social handles
- Red Place Acres editorial note: “Why We Chose It”
- One complimentary physical copy after publication
10 Featured Winners
Work worth following.
- Publication under the Contributor Agreement accepted at submission
- Featured Winner designation
- Public byline and short contributor identification
- Website and selected social handles
- One complimentary physical copy after publication
Selected Contributors
The wider evidence.
- Additional works selected for the anthology
- Byline and contributor index listing
- Editorial placement by theme and pacing
- Digital contributor recognition
- Copyright remains with the contributor
Why two pages? One printed 6×9 page is often too tight for the emotional or practical detail this project needs. A normal two-page ceiling lets a story, idea, or invention land while keeping the anthology energetic enough to carry many voices. Exceptional shorter work is welcome.
The Hope Cannon
Good news should travel farther.
Selected stories may become Red Threads features and short-form Hope Cannon spotlights that send attention back toward the people doing the work.
We want the science-fair breakthrough, the garage invention, the teacher who refused to quit, the teenager cleaning a river, the neighbor who changed one life, and the ordinary person whose choice became extraordinary to somebody else.
We do not copy news articles or photographs. For news and discovery leads, send the original source link. Red Place Acres will independently review, summarize, attribute, and link to original reporting when we choose to cover it.
How It Works
Submit
Choose the lane that fits. Anthology prose is normally 200–650 words; poetry may run up to 60 lines.
We Review
Every submission is moderated and judged editorially. Nothing is automatically posted or selected.
We Verify
For factual features and nominations, we may ask for sources, permissions, clarification, or proof before publication.
We Select & Amplify
Chosen contributors publish under the Contributor Agreement accepted with their submission; copyright stays with the contributor. Digital features may also appear through Red Threads and the Hope Cannon.
Protect the people inside the story.
Do not submit Social Security numbers, home addresses, school schedules, private medical records, passwords, financial information, or other sensitive identifying details. Direct submissions must be made by an adult age 18 or older. Youth Rising nominations must come from a parent/legal guardian or authorized adult representative with permission to share the information. We may require additional written permission before publishing an identifiable minor, and we do not publish minors' social handles.
Founding Anthology Submissions Are Open
What kept your fire lit?
Submit for Red Threads editorial review and consideration for the founding Hope or Mope? — Letters, Ideas & Evidence for the Future anthology. Read the rules and rights terms before entering.
Read the Founding Anthology Competition Rules · Read Submission Terms
Before you submitKnow what you own, what we may publish, how selection works, and how we handle your information.