Some people have been writing to me, asking if I'd include this or that anthology in my monthly listing. I love hearing about new anthologies, but I often have to decline to list someone's book, so I thought it'd help if I talked about how I choose anthologies to list.
This list started out as a file on my computer, just for me. I'd run across an interesting anthology, but I'd forget about it, or not remember until after the deadline had passed, or not remember the name of the book and not be able to find it again, so I started copying down relevant info, and listed them by due date. Then I figured that if the list was useful for me, it might be useful for others, so I might as well share it, and I started posting it.
Because of this origin, the listing is still based on what I'm interested in, with one or two grandfathered points, and one or two expansion points based on the interests of people I know who read my blogs. So frex., I started out subbing to semi-pro markets, as well as pro, and I still list (some of) them, even though I don't sub there myself anymore. And I started out only listing anthos in genres and subgenres I write in myself, but then I started listing Cthulu-based books for Charles, and I put in a Wu-Xia book for Winnie, etc., and finally opened it up to all fiction genres. So here's what I have now:
1. Pay rate. In order to be included on my listing, an anthology has to pay more than a penny per word, which is the rock-bottom semi-pro rate. For anthos that offer a flat payment, some significant percentage of the wordcount range has to work out to more than a penny per word. I don't write for peanut shells, and don't want to encourage my friends to do so either, so I don't list markets that pay peanut shells, or nothing at all. Note that if you don't state your pay rate on your guidelines, I'll assume you're paying nothing. I don't list royalty-split books, because with an anthology (especially by an unknown editor who can only afford to pay a royalty split) that usually means the editor sends everyone a check for a dollar-twelve every six months, which isn't worth anyone's time. I'll occasionally make an exception to the No Non-Paying Books rule for a charity anthology if I like the charity, but not often. This requirement is the number one reason why I've had to turn down requests to list.
2. Demographic restrictions. Some markets have restrictions on who can submit. For example, a lot of Canadian markets which receive subsidies from their government have to publish all or mostly Canadian writers. That's fair, but I'm not Canadian, so I don't list these markets. Some anthologies recently have only been open to women; I'm a woman, so if it's otherwise interesting and the pay is decent, I'll list those. I've seen some where they only want stories from Asian writers, or Black woman writers; I don't qualify for those, so I don't list them. Note that if an editor wrote me and asked if I'd list their book, which is open to only, say, gay Latino writers, if it otherwise qualified then I'd probably list it. I won't list it on my own if I don't qualify to write for it, but if you ask, I'll add it.
3. Professionalism. If a book's guidelines or web site has what I consider red flags, I won't list it. If the editor falls all over themself to reassure everyone that they're Not Charging A Fee! to publish your story, that tells me they're a newbie at this, and coming from the wrong end of the business to boot; I'm not going to recommend writers submit to that book. If they want exclusive rights for an unreasonable amount of time, or subsidiary rights they don't need (seriously, movie rights? [eyeroll]) then I won't list that book. If the web site is riddled with copyedit errors, or the text is dark red on a black background, or the artwork is hideous, I'll assume that's what the finished anthology is going to look like too, and won't list the book.
4. General skeeviness. If, in my sole determination, the book sounds like it's going to be something I'd be ashamed to have my name in for reasons of skeeviness, then I won't list it. Frex., I ran across an anthology a while back whose primary theme seemed to be based on resurrecting the old pulp era trend of fetishizing, exoticizing or otherwise twisting non-European cultures for purposes of pointing and staring and maybe some sneering. The pay was good, but in the 21st century we really should be beyond that crap, so I didn't list it.
5. The hassle factor. Does the editor/publisher make it easy to find info about the anthology? If there's no one page that I can link to where all the info can be found (or maybe two if the book sounds otherwise stellar); if the editor/publisher didn't put up a page at all, just sent a note around to a few friends so they could post it on their blogs, but there's no official site for the anthology itself; if it's going to take too long to scrape together all the info from various sites and pages, I just won't bother. Seriously, if an editor/publisher can't get organized enough to put all the vital stats in one place and post it online, are they organized enough to put a book together, get it published, handle the marketing, and pay everyone on time? If you want folks to submit, get all your ducks in a row and then put them on one web/blog page.
6. Up to date info. This applies mainly to books that will remain open to submissions until they're filled, rather than having a firm deadline. I'll list an Until Filled book for a maximum of one year, at which point I'll take it off the list. I check the guidelines page each month to make sure it's still open before I post it in that month's listing. Note that I am not going to go on an Easter egg hunt through the editor or publisher's web site, looking for recent news. Everyone who bookmarks that page or publicizes the antho with a link to that page is going to be looking at that page. There should be an update posted prominently on that page if the book closes, or is cancelled, or acquires a firm deadline, or if anything else a writer needs to know changes, even if it's just a "NEW INFO!" note with a link to the page where the lengthier update is posted.
Taking all that into account, I'll list any anthology that looks interesting. I post about two months' worth at a time, based on deadline. So the post that goes up in August (somewhere between the 10th and 15th) will list books with deadlines between 31 August and 1 November. That limitation is to keep the list manageable. Most books with a firm deadline are on the list for two months, occasionally three depending on the exact due date. I figure two months is enough time for someone serious about subbing to write a story that fits.
If you're editing or publishing an anthology with open submissions, and you think your book will match my requirements, please do write me at angiepen at gmail dot com, with all the info and a link to your guidelines page, or even just a title and a link, and I'll be happy to help get the word out.
Angie
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Friday, July 11, 2014
Anthology Markets
If you've just wandered in off the internet, hi and welcome. :) I do these posts every month, so if this post isn't dated in the same month you're in, click here to make sure you're seeing the most recent one.
Markets with specific deadlines are listed first, "Until Filled" markets are at the bottom. There are usually more details on the original site; always click through and read the full guidelines before submitting. Note that some publishers list multiple antho guidelines on one page, so after you click through you might have to scroll a bit.
NOTE that Our World of Horror, which was formerly down in the "Until Filled" section, now has a fast-approaching deadline.
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20 July 2014 [formerly Until Filled] -- Our World of Horror -- Eldritch Press
Please refer to the Submission Guidelines page for information on how and where to submit.
Include in the subject line of your submission Sub_Our World of Horror_authors name
Payment: five cents a word.
Story Length: Up to 5,000 words, query for longer.
Requested Rights: six months exclusive rights upon publication.
Simultaneous Submissions: Yes, but please inform us if your story is accepted elsewhere.
Multiple Submissions: No
Reprints: No, unless it is for a story that we are soliciting
Please keep in mind that we have been inundated by submissions, exceeding eight hundred as of July 3rd. If you send your submission to another publisher, we understand, but please notify us immediately of your acceptance. We are compiling a short list and notifications are going out, but with the vast amount of submissions, it will take time to read them all.
An anthology devoted to the full realm of possible horrors lurking in the modern world.
We are keeping the main theme open, except we are looking for stories that take place in the modern day world. Yet we don't want clichéd themes that have been beaten to death. We are striving to give the reader a wide variety of the unusual. We want atmosphere, story, characters that breathe, and places that draw us in. We are including first time authors to the consummate professional.
From mind bending psychological horror to vampires as of yet unseen. Give us your serial killers, your zombies, your monsters from the ancient past, but make them original. Bring us new monsters, human and otherwise.
Update: we will start accepting horror poetry paid at twenty five cents per line.
***
31 July 2014 -- Torn Pages -- Weird Bard Press
== Word Count: 1000-5000.
== Multiple submissions: wait to hear back on your first submission before sending another.
== Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please let us know and update us if the story is accepted elsewhere.
== No reprints.
== Poetry and Nonfiction: please query first.
== Everyone will hear from us no later than July 1st, but our goal will be a 1 month response time (or at least an update if your story is under consideration.)
Pay Rates & Rights
We pay 2¢ per word for fiction. Authors will also receive an electronic ARC of the anthology.
Weird Bard Press takes First World English Rights. Works sent to us should not have been published elsewhere.
We will use a traditional copyright, but authors may choose any Creative Commons license for their individual story if prefered.
Genres/Themes
There are no genre limitations associated with Torn Pages. Mainstream and genre stories alike are welcome.
Read this article for background on what led to the anthology. Stories that fit Torn Pages will take that article and situations like it as their prompt.
Updated 02/09/14:
Given the title, Torn Pages, the ideal submission will deal in issues such as religion in the science classroom, censorship, historical revisionism, chilling effect, book (media) burning, net neutrality, or Orwellian concepts like Newspeak and Thoughtcrime. Watching the recent Nye/Ham debate we were reminded of Burrough's assertion that language is a virus. Think books. Think classroom. Think logical fallacies, partisan politics, and education standards in the balance.
Acceptable as well are stories related to a real-life wrong so great or insidious that the issue must be told, though it may not relate directly to books or the classroom, such as abuses of political or social power. Pussy Riot, Occupy, or Anonymous may be good starting points, but refrain from propaganda for or against any one of these.
Inherent in this project is an interest in stories from under-represented points of view, be they ethnic, gender, cultural, sexual orientation, or others we have not considered. The person who comes from what they perceive as a mundane background may have an equally important story to tell.
There is a cultural upheaval we wish to see reflected in these stories. In our article, it is a struggle of the secular and the religious, the individual against senseless power structures, and finally censorship and altered history (and, perhaps, a struggle of value systems related to issues of sexuality...) but your story may address totally different issues. Issues we may not know about right now. Awesome. We're keeping the guidelines intentionally vague.
These stories may skew more political than some markets normally prefer, but no matter if we agree or disagree with your politics, stories right for this project will not be partisan soap boxes. It's a difficult line to walk. The best stories will be those that bridge between the different points of view in the given story. We are all human and we all believe that we are the good guys.
Feel free to tell us more about the issue or cite sources in your cover letter. Stories will be accepted on their merit alone.
Diversity statement:
Queer, POC, strong female main characters, disabled characters, and other under-represented points of view are welcome and encouraged.
What we don't want (and other considerations):
This is not an erotica market. Sexual situations and themes are fine. This is not a YA market either, but we hope the final product is suitable for high-school age consumption. Profanity will not lead to rejection, but if accepted, we may edit those words. We'll work closely with you if this is the case.
Violence is fine. Excessive gore is not. Stories that portray abuse in graphic detail are not welcome. For example, the main character is a bad guy who does bad things for most of the story, until, in the final act, he gets what is coming to him. Don't send us that story.
Stories based on familiar genre tropes are hard sells. Vampires, zombies, werewolves, etc.
Format:
Standard manuscript format. Word, OpenOffice/LibreOffice, Rich Text are all fine. Send to us as attachments in your email. We are not sticklers, but do avoid odd fonts, colors, or creative formatting that makes reading or editing your text difficult.
Reading Period:
We open to submissions on March 1st and will remain open through July 31st. [Updated from 31 May.] Submissions received outside of the reading period will be deleted.
Email submissions to: editors(at)weirdbard[dot]com
Please include in your subject line:
Fiction Submission: Story Title
or some similar indication of your email contents.
Questions may be directed to the same address.
***
1 August 2014 -- The Mammoth Book of Dieselpunk -- ed. Sean Wallace; Running Press
I'm now taking original submissions for The Mammoth Book of Dieselpunk, to be published by Constable & Robinson in the UK and Running Press in the US in 2015. Stories can be emailed to prime at prime-books dot com. The deadline is August 1st, 2014. You will be notified soon after the deadline if your work is accepted or rejected. Pay rate is five cents a word to eight cents a word.
If you need to know what dieselpunk is, it's a subcategory of steampunk, essentially, covering the 1920s through the 1950s, including the Roaring Twenties, the Depression, World War II, and even a little beyond that, but here's the thing: I want material from all over the world, I don't want a white-washed representation of this theme.
[Sorry, this was all I could come up with; I had to dig around just to find the editor's name. :/ It sounds like a fun book, though, and the pay's good.]
***
1 August 2014 -- Cowboy Up: Gay Erotic Fiction -- ed. Shane Allison; Cleis Press
Payment: $50 a story and 2 copies of the book, on publication
E-mail: shaneallison73@gmail.com
Shane Allison is on the hunt once again for the best gay erotica your dirty little literary minds can conjure up. This time, the theme is COWBOYS. Stories that take place anywhere from the old west before there was a name for men on men sex to modern day stories as well as writing that delves into a world of the futuristic cowboy.
According to Romance Writers of America, a romance must include two key elements: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying, optimistic ending. In erotic romance, the sexual component is critical to the development of the romantic relationship. To get an idea of what I'm looking for, I strongly recommend reading my previous erotic romance anthologies.
BDSM, kink, threesomes, foursomes and moresomes are welcome and encouraged, as well as gay erotic cowboy romance. I'm looking for well-written, realistic tales vs. the same clichéd story. No incest, nonconsensual sex, bestiality or underage characters, please.
Please be sure to follow all of the submission guidelines: One story only so write your best work. Unpublished stories only, no simultaneous submissions. Please do not send me a story that is being considered elsewhere. The desired story length is 2,500-5,000 words. Double-space and indent the first line of each paragraph. Do not put extra spaces between paragraphs. Include your full contact information (legal name/pseudonym, mailing address and phone number) and a bio of 50 words or less written in the third person on the FIRST PAGE of your story. Please attach it as a Microsoft Word .doc file. Send your submission to shaneallison73@gmail.com with Submission: Story Title in the subject line. Please direct any questions to the same address. The deadline is August 1, 2014, but earlier submissions are very much appreciated.
Payment will be $50 per story and 2 copies of the book upon publication. Contributors retain the rights to their work and Cleis Press has final approval over the stories selected for the book. [NOTE: They're not kidding, and this is not pro forma. I've known writers who've signed contracts with an editor for a Cleis book, gone through edits, only to have the publisher dump their story. Be aware of what you're walking into.]
Authors will be notified upon approval of the manuscript from the publisher. If you have not received a response by December 1, please feel free to query me.
***
15 August 2014 -- Schoolbooks and Sorcery -- ed. Michael M. Jones; Circlet Press
SCHOOLBOOKS & SORCERY: A YA URBAN FANTASY ANTHOLOGY
Take high school. It’s weird, confusing, complicated, and frustrating. It’s a time of growth and change, when teens start discovering what they’re made of and who they want to be. Now throw in magic. What happens? That’s the premise of this new YA anthology. Schoolbooks & Sorcery is what happens when you take all the normal ups and downs of high school, inject a healthy dose of magic, shake, stir, and serve.
Editor Michael M. Jones (Scheherazade’s Façade) is looking for YA urban fantasy stories which incorporate the themes of sorcery, magic, and enchantment. The magic can come from within, as an intrinsic ability or a family trait, or from without, in the form of talismans, training, or teaching. Protagonists can be wizards, witches, sorcerers, magicians, shamans, apprentices, or practitioners of more esoteric traditions. Whether they pick it up on their own (accidentally or on purpose), learn from a master, or go to school for institutionalized training, they’ll be involved with magic to some degree. Or, of course, the protagonist could be without magic, and stumble into a world beyond their immediate knowledge. If authors wish to set something in a magical school of their own devising, or in a previously-established setting, that’s perfectly fine. But it doesn’t necessarily need to be set at a school, magical or otherwise, so long as the main characters are of the right age set.
Just about every culture has some sort of tradition involving people who dabble in the supernatural to one end or another, and there’s a vast amount of potential left to be tapped in this genre, especially with teenage protagonists. Whether they’re wizards-in-training, voodoo princesses, the last descendant of an infamous historical figure, the newest apprentice in the family business, or just someone in the wrong place at the right time, the stories are endless.
Schoolbooks & Sorcery is also designed to be a queer-friendly YA anthology, embracing the full spectrum of sexuality and gender identification, while offering a wide selection of satisfying, entertaining, fascinating, powerful stories in which the mundane and the magical overlap and interact. Stories are encouraged to take place in the overlapping area between urban fantasy, high school, and LGBTQ issues and themes. Stories should send the message that it’s not just okay to be gay, it’s okay to be gay and to have the same crazy, wicked, scary, seductive, exciting, magical, strange, funny, romantic, dark adventures as everyone else. We’re looking for stories which are all-inclusive, with the characters writers have been dying to write and readers clearly want to see, diverse and interesting, with an underlying current of tolerance and acceptance. Obviously, we’re looking for a wide range of themes, tones, and voices.
TECHNICAL DETAILS:
All stories should be between 2000-7000 words.
All stories must involve magic, and those who practice magic. This covers wizards, witches, sorcerers, magicians, shamans, and other traditions not specifically mentioned. This covers self-taught characters, those whose power is intrinsic or passed down through a family, those who find objects of power or books of spells, those who study with a teacher, those who go to school for magic, and so on. Other paranormal elements, such as vampires, werewolves, ghosts, or fairies, are welcome, as long as they don’t overshadow the primary theme.
Paranormal romance elements are also welcome, but this is not specifically intended as a romance anthology. Romance is good, but not necessary.
All stories must be considered YA.
Stories should be set in modern times/on Earth, but authors are encouraged to use a variety of settings, cultures, and influences to flesh out their characters and world building. Again, one of the primary goals here is to explore diversity.
While LGBTQ elements are not required, they are highly encouraged, as are protagonists who defy traditional roles and labels. (As in “girls doing boy things” and “boys doing girl things”.) More importantly: no story will be turned away for containing LGBTQ characters or elements, unless it violates the other guidelines.
Stories will not be censored for language, drinking, drugs or sexual situations; however, such things must be in moderation, appropriate to the circumstances, and tastefully handled. In movie rating terms, stories would thus fall into the PG-13 range. (To be handled as necessary. We’re not afraid of some bad words now and again…)
All stories will maintain a positive atmosphere concerning sexuality, gender, race, religion, and so on. While individual characters (most likely antagonists) may express biased, prejudiced, or phobic sentiments, or characters may deal with negative situations, the ultimate goal is to promote tolerance, acceptance, and positivity.
PLEASE NOTE: I have already seen a number of stories which address bullying. While I’m still open to considering stories incorporating this theme, I’d like to see some more variety to help round things out.
SUBMISSION ADDRESS: All submissions may be sent to Facadeantho@gmail.com. Please address any questions or queries to that address as well. Submissions should be sent as an attachment, as .rtf or .doc.
PAYMENT: Payment will start out at 2 cents a word. However, this is just the minimum. Once the anthology is completed and the Table of Contents either finalized or close to finalized, we will be running a Kickstarter campaign to boost sales, create pre-release buzz, attract pre-sales, and to acquire the funds to pay 5 cents a word. So while at this moment in time we can promise 2 cents a word, our end goal (one which is entirely within the realm of possibility) is 5 cents a word, or professional rate. If you have any questions about how this can work, or need more information on how Kickstarter works, please feel free to talk to the editor. Again: you are not being asked to do something for nothing. You’re not being asked for money or freebies. All we ask of you is a little patience and flexibility for this stage of the project, and the use of your name as a contributing author to attract fans and potential backers. Payment will be made after the end of the Kickstarter period, before the actual publication date. (Because the SFWA pro rate increases to 6 cents a word as of July 1, 2014, we may end up shooting for this goal instead. This has not been finalized.)
FORMATS: Schoolbooks & Sorcery will be released simultaneously as a trade paperback and an ebook, by Gressive Press, an imprint of Circlet Press.
***
31 August 2014 -- Abbreviated Epics -- Third Flatiron Anthologies
Short stories with epic themes: Swashbuckles and sorcery, alternate history (e.g., Napoleonic era magic, steampunk), megalomania, Frankenstein-type tales, creation myths
Third Flatiron Publishing is an e-publishing venture based in Boulder, Colorado. We are looking for submissions to our quarterly themed online anthologies. Our focus is on science fiction and fantasy and anthropological fiction. We’re looking for tightly plotted tales in out-of-the-ordinary scenarios.
Please send us short stories that revolve around age-old questions and have something illuminating to tell us as human beings. Fantastical situations and creatures, exciting dialog, irony, mild horror, and wry humor are all welcome. Stories should be between 1,500 and 3,000 words. Inquire if longer.
Role models for the type of fiction we want include Kurt Vonnegut, Arthur C. Clarke, Dan Simmons, Connie Willis, Vernor Vinge, and Ken Kesey. We want to showcase some of the best new shorts available today.
Click through to the "Submissions" tab for preferred formats, etc.
For each anthology, we will also accept a few very short humor pieces on the order of the "Shouts and Murmurs" feature in The New Yorker Magazine (600 words or so). These can be written from a first-person perspective or can be mini-essays that tell people what they ought to do, how to do something better, or explain why something is like it is, humorously. An SF/Fantasy bent is preferred.
Your story must be original work, with the digital rights unencumbered. Accepted stories will be paid at the flat rate of 3 cents per word (U.S.), in return for the digital rights to the story. All other rights will remain with the author. We no longer offer royalties. If your story is selected as the lead story, we will pay a flat rate of 5 cents per word, in return for the permission to podcast or give the story away as a free sample portion of the anthology.
Third Flatiron will price and market your story to various e-publishing venues. We will format the story for the most popular electronic readers and platforms. You agree that we may distribute a sample (portion of the story) to potential customers.
For non-U.S. submissions, we prefer to pay via PayPal, if you have such an account.
Authors selected for publication will also be entitled to one free online copy of the anthology.
***
31 August -- This Patchwork Flesh -- ed. Michael Matheson; Exile Editions
The Central Idea:
There would be no This Patchwork Flesh without Michael Rowe’s seminal anthologies, Queer Fear and Queer Fear II. Exquisite in both their execution and in their focus on putting openly gay protagonists front and centre, the Queer Fear anthologies shifted the nature of the conversation horror fiction was having in short form.
And that’s because horror fiction is, for everything else it accomplishes (and it casts a very wide net through various subgenres), primarily a way of looking at the darker aspects of ourselves. Of examining the horrors we both embody and encounter. A way of exploring both catharsis and vastation by looking inward, and then extrapolating outward. It is, then, a way of turning a mirror on ourselves, as a way of looking at the rest of the world.
But, as many readers will already be aware, the mirror of (Western) horror fiction tends to reflect a very narrow range of representations.
This Patchwork Flesh is meant to be, like the Queer Fear books, a wider lens on underrepresented stories, and on underrepresented voices. A chance for readers who identity as one of the many facets of QUILTBAG, or pansexual, fluid, and so on, to see narratives where they are not sidelined, where they are not depicted as secondary characters, always foils, aids, or victims of, or to, “normative” figures.
The inroads have already been made: LGBT horror fiction is by no means unplumbed territory. It is, in fact, a limitless, and growing, aspect of the field, the depths of which have been, or are being, mined by masters in the genre: writers like Clive Barker, Caitlin Kiernan, Poppy Z. Brite, Gemma Files, and John Ajvide Lindqvist, just to name a very few.
But it’s time to cast that net wider still. Time to explore narratives about the monstrous and the horrific, the internal and the external, through a variety of QUILTBAG voices. To bring that next needed expansion to the field.
To again widen the conversation.
To get a better look at the monsters in our midst, and in the darkness without. And see in them the terrifyingly familiar.
This Patchwork Flesh is a book about nightmares. About terrors and darkness, internal and external. Horror is a field with no limitations, and I’m looking to assemble an anthology that will encompass stories both minimalist and cosmic in scope. Quietly unsettling, balls to the wall, transgressive, or the Weird, it’s all welcome. Terrify and transcend in equal measure.
I want to see intricate, multi-layered work that is not content to explore simple, simplistic, or trite ground. I want to see three-dimensional characters (not just the protagonist – convince me your setting is alive with real, fully fleshed out people beyond the central character). Send stories about PoCs, senior citizens, and the otherwise underrepresented. Send stories about characters from all walks of life. Give me stories about rural communities, urban communities, extraplanar communities, and whatever else you want to explore.
I’m interested in a broad range of characters, narratives, settings, and approaches to storytelling. Experimental and non-standard narrative approaches are welcome. And content is wide open as long as it meets the basis for the anthology in some way.
Also, your story does have to have some speculative element to it, but that can be anywhere from interstitial, to magic realist, fabulist, slipstream, all the way up to genre work.
-
Submission Details:
== Length: to 10k (under 7.5k preferred)
== Payment: .05/word (and contributor’s copy)
== Rights: First English-Language Rights & Non-exclusive Anthology Rights (Print and eBook)
== Genre: All speculative. Must be horror.
== Original fiction only. No reprints.
== Submit To: adarkandterriblebeauty [at] gmail [dot] com
== Subject Line: This Patchwork Flesh: [Story Title], [Last Name]
== Format: Standard Manuscript Format
== File Format: .doc, .docx, or .rtf only
== Cover Letter: Yes. See below.
== Reading Period: June 30, 2014 – Aug. 31, 2014
== All Responses By: Sep. 30, 2014
== Scheduled Release: Fall 2015
Please, no simultaneous submissions. The only exception to this is that you are allowed to submit a story to both This Patchwork Flesh and the $15,000 Vanderbilt/Exile Short Fiction Competition (open until March 10, 2014) sponsored by Exile Quarterly/Exile Editions (see http://www.theexilewriters.com/poetry-and-fiction-competitions/).
You may send multiple submissions over the course of the reading period, but submit only one story at a time. I’ll be rejecting stories over the course of the reading period, so if you receive a rejection before the deadline you may submit another piece.
Also, despite the fact that I’m comfortable with alternate and integrated narrative formats for short fiction, I’m not taking poetry or plays. Short fiction only, please.
Re Cover Letters: Include your name, story title, word count, contact info, a brief bio, and state your nationality (so I can keep track of the 90% Canadian authored content requirement).
Also Re Cover Letters (Optional): One of the things the Ontario Arts Council asks on their grant forms is a set of volunteered information, specifically about self-definition and identity. It helps them figure out what communities and groups they’re already reaching and aiding, and who they need to do more outreach to better aid. And if people are willing, I would like to do something similar here. Specifically, I’d like to compile and share a map of the submissions, if you will. (Both a map for all submissions, and a comparative map for selected stories.) So, please feel free to also note in your cover letter if you consider, or define, yourself as any of the following: an Aboriginal writer, culturally diverse writer, Francophone writer, and/or new generation writer. (Definitions for same below.) Anyone submitting is also welcome to note their gender (be it binary, multiple, undefined, or a lack thereof) and you can also include if you self-define along the lines of QUILTBAG, fluid, pansexual, or otherwise.
And let me reiterate: all of that volunteered information is entirely optional. And if given, it is going to be shared in a strictly anonymous fashion, and only for the purposes of the submissions mapping.
Lastly, if I’ve already read a story of yours elsewhere (say, at Apex), please don’t send it for this call unless I specifically ask to see it. And if you have questions relating to the anthology, please ask them in the Comments.
[NOTE: There's definitely more info on the guidelines page, so click through if you're thinking of subbing.]
***
31 August 2014 -- Lovely, Dark and Deep -- ed. Michael Jay; Less Than Three Press
Wolves, fairies, ghosts, errant campers, and witches ... fiction is rife with tales of what happens when people dare to enter, or leave, the woods. A classic setting from the oldest fairytale to the newest thriller, the adventure and danger that comes from wandering around a forest, or a jungle, provides endless opportunity for new stories.
Less Than Three Press is seeking tales of all that can happen in the woods when those who shouldn’t be there venture into them anyway...
THE DETAILS:
== Deadline is August 31, 2014 (give or take, we won’t kill you for sending it off the following morning).
== Stories should be at least 10,000 words and should not exceed approx 20,000 words in length.
== Stories may be any pairing except cisgender M/F (trans* M/F, M/M, F/F, poly, and all permutations thereof are acceptable).
== Stories must have a happily ever after (HEA) or happy for now (HFN) end.
== Any sub-genre is gladly accepted: sci-fi, mystery, contemporary, steampunk, etc.
== All usual LT3 submission guidelines apply.
== IMPORTANT: Completed manuscripts should be emailed to michaelj.submissions@gmail.com with LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP in the subject line. Please include the title of your work, your name, pen name, word count, and a brief summary of the story in your email.
Lovely, Dark, and Deep is a general release anthology, which means authors will receive a flat payment of $200.00 once LT3 has a signed contract.
Authors will receive one copy each of the ebook formats LT3 produces and 2 print volumes of the compiled anthology.
Stories should be complete before submitting, and as edited as possible. They can be submitted in .doc, .docx, or .rtf format, single spaced with a space between paragraphs, in an easy to read font (we prefer Calibri size 12) with no special formatting (no elaborate section separation, special fonts, etc). Additional formatting guidelines can be found here.
Any questions should be directed to the editor Michael Jay at michaelj.submissions@gmail.com.
[NOTE: LT3 is a romance press, in case that didn't come through. For whatever reason, romance presses tend to think you'll automatically know who they are and what they publish, without coming out and saying so in their calls. Romance writers will probably pick up the clues, but heads-up in case you're not a romance writer. :) ]
***
31 August 2014 -- Young Explorer's Adventure Guide -- ed. Corie Weaver & Sean Weaver; Dreaming Robot Press
We’re looking for stories that:
== Have a main character a middle grade reader (ages 9-12) can identify with;
== Show a diverse set of real characters;
== Are well written, fun to read and encourage a love of reading science fiction;
== Tell of adventure, space, science. Give us rockets, robots and alien encounters, and we’re pretty happy. Steampunk, time travel, weird west and alternate history are all fine;
== Are between 3,000 and 6,000 words.
We’re especially looking for stories:
== Where the main character is of a population that has traditionally been under-represented in science fiction, e.g. girls, people of color, differently abled people;
== Where the main character has agency, exercises it, and isn’t just along for the ride.
We’re not interested in:
== Stories where the female characters primarily exist to be rescued or as a prize for the males;
== Stories where the primary plot or subplot is romantic in nature;
== Stories with graphic violence or any form of sexual activity;
== Stories about the first girl to do X, surprising everyone;
== Stories that depict any ethnicity or gender as universally bad or stupid.
Submission deadline, mechanics and planned schedule:
== Anthology will be open for submissions from June 1, 2014 – August 31, 2014;
== While we prefer original stories, if you have something perfect that had a limited run elsewhere, query us and we’ll talk;
== August 1st will launch a crowd-funding campaign to help with pre-publication costs. Regardless of results of crowd-funding campaign, we are committed to publishing the anthology;
== Acceptance notices will be sent by September 15, 2014.
Rights and Payments:
== Authors will be provided with a complete Anthology Contract for review and consideration with the notice of accepted submissions;
== In keeping with SWFA’s new guidelines, we pay $0.06/word on final edited word count for one-year exclusive worldwide rights, print and electronic, and two contributor copies. Payment upon final edit;
== We also buy the nonexclusive right to republish, print, or reprint the complete anthology in any language or format after the first year;
== If the crowd-funding fails, please note that we are still committed to this anthology, and will find other ways to fund the project. However, there may be delays. If authors feel the need to withdraw their submission due to delays, we understand.
== We will provide professional editing, primarily for issues of grammar and spelling;
== If authors have other questions about rights or payments, please contact us before submission. We want to make sure all concerns are addressed.
Risks:
We’re new. And while every publishing company has to start somewhere, we know that can make some authors nervous. We’re doing everything we can to make this as low risk as possible for the participants. There is no entry fee; this isn’t a contest to pay the bills for the other books we’re working on. Payment is on acceptance of final edit at pro rates, and rights are for a limited time.
[Click through for more info about the editors, and for their auto-submission page.]
***
15 September 2014 -- Warlords & Warriors: Gay Erotic Romance & Adventure -- ed. Rob Rosen; Cleis Press
Earlier submissions are greatly appreciated!
Payment: $60.00 USD and 2 copies of the book upon publication
Dashing swashbucklers and pirates, hunky highlanders and crusaders, fierce Vikings and Huns and menacing marauders. These are the types of men who will fill the pages of Warlords & Warriors, though the location and setting of your story are just as important. Give me sweeping vistas and fields bloody with battle, snow-dense mountain passes and raging seas. Above all, give me steaming romance and hot sex and thrilling adventure!
Stories can take place in any country and during any time frame. The sex should be mutually consented to (absolutely no rape or allusions to rape). Humor is always appreciated, as are stories with unexpected plot twists. Sex between gay-identifying men is strongly preferred (confused straight men do not turn this editor on).
Please note that the Publisher, Cleis Press, has final right of refusal on all submissions. [NOTE: They're not kidding, and this is not pro forma. I've known writers who've signed contracts with an editor for a Cleis book, gone through edits, only to have the publisher dump their story. Be aware of what you're walking into.]
Unpublished stories only, no simultaneous submissions. Please do not send me a story that is being considered elsewhere.
The Editor will not accept:
Already Published Works, Underage Sex, Non-Consensual Sex, Incest, Scat or Bestiality.
How to Submit:
Early submissions are strongly encouraged. Please send your submission to: WarlordsAndWarriors@yahoo.com
Subject: Warlords & Warriors Submission
Please submit your work as follows (strict adherence is required):
Send a Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document (.doc or .rtf) 3,000-6,000 word story (no exceptions). Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space lines (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). Single space after a period or a comma. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, word count, and 50 word or less bio in the third person.
***
30 September 2014 -- Enter at Your Own Risk: Dreamscapes into Darkness -- Firbolg Publishing
Passions become obsessions. Obsessions become manias. And sometimes, manias turn into nightmares. What happens when one wants so badly that all else, including sanity and self, is consumed by the bonfires of desire? What happens when one achieves the dream, only to discover the nightmares lurking behind the illusions? Firbolg Publishing’s fifth anthology, Enter at Your Own Risk: Dreamscapes into Darkness, explores the old adage of "Be Careful What You Wish For." We are looking for stories that step behind the veil of dreams and wishes into the unanticipated horrors of fulfillment. Journey down wishful thinking’s twisted pathway and discover what dark ends and detours await–send us your story and share a TOC with D.H. Lawrence, Mary Shelley, A.M. Burrage, H.P. Lovecraft, and more Gothic masters from yesteryear in Enter at Your Own Risk: Dreamscapes into Darkness.
3000-5000 words (this is strict)
Avoid excessive gore/ violence. We are most interested in gothic dark fiction rather than splatter style horror. We are not interested in stories that are gratuitously violent, sexual, or graphic. If these elements occur within a story, they must be an integral part of the narrative, but note that we are inclined to pass on tales that rely on these elements for plot. Stories that rely on mood, atmosphere, well-crafted dialogue, and character-driven narrative find a home at Firbolg Publishing over violence and gore.
LGBT-friendly press.
RTF format as an attachment (include author biography, links to blogs/ websites)
Standard manuscript format (http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html)
A few formatting musts: No double spaces between punctuation and next sentence. No double spaces between paragraphs (unless indicating a time break).
Payment: $50 and contributor copy (paperback edition).
No simultaneous submissions, no poetry, no reprints
ebook and paperback format.
submission email: editor@firbolgpublishing.com
There have been quite a few invitations for this one, so space for open submissions is limited.
Release date: 7 May, 2015. There will be an official release party at the World Horror Convention in Atlanta, GA.
***
UNTIL FILLED -- Thresholds -- Dreadful Cafe ** First Posted December 2013
We cross boundaries every day - the door to a room, a crack in a sidewalk, the border of a city.
The stories in Thresholds will take the reader to another time, into the dark, into the arms of a lover, to another world, or to the dark recesses of the mind.
Are you ready?
Sometimes strange, always original, the stories we publish are of the highest production standards, from thrilling premise all the way to professional editing.
We are now soliciting query letters (fiction) and samples (art) for Thresholds, our second anthology of art and fiction. All genres are eligible, but preference is given to works that cross more than one and which reflect the flavor and theme described above.
For FICTION:
Manuscripts must be between 1,000 and 25,000 words and not previously published by anyone but the author. Self-published works are accepted and encouraged!
Please refer to our Submission Guidelines.
Upon acceptance of your completed manuscript, Dreadful Cafe pays for non-exclusive, unlimited, 5-year publishing rights on the following schedule:
== Short Stories (1,000-7,000 words) — $125
== Novelettes (7,001-13,000 words) — $250
== Novellas (13,001-25,000 words) — Negotiable
Estimated Publication: Third Quarter of 2014
[Click through for more info.]
Markets with specific deadlines are listed first, "Until Filled" markets are at the bottom. There are usually more details on the original site; always click through and read the full guidelines before submitting. Note that some publishers list multiple antho guidelines on one page, so after you click through you might have to scroll a bit.
NOTE that Our World of Horror, which was formerly down in the "Until Filled" section, now has a fast-approaching deadline.
***
20 July 2014 [formerly Until Filled] -- Our World of Horror -- Eldritch Press
Please refer to the Submission Guidelines page for information on how and where to submit.
Include in the subject line of your submission Sub_Our World of Horror_authors name
Payment: five cents a word.
Story Length: Up to 5,000 words, query for longer.
Requested Rights: six months exclusive rights upon publication.
Simultaneous Submissions: Yes, but please inform us if your story is accepted elsewhere.
Multiple Submissions: No
Reprints: No, unless it is for a story that we are soliciting
Please keep in mind that we have been inundated by submissions, exceeding eight hundred as of July 3rd. If you send your submission to another publisher, we understand, but please notify us immediately of your acceptance. We are compiling a short list and notifications are going out, but with the vast amount of submissions, it will take time to read them all.
An anthology devoted to the full realm of possible horrors lurking in the modern world.
We are keeping the main theme open, except we are looking for stories that take place in the modern day world. Yet we don't want clichéd themes that have been beaten to death. We are striving to give the reader a wide variety of the unusual. We want atmosphere, story, characters that breathe, and places that draw us in. We are including first time authors to the consummate professional.
From mind bending psychological horror to vampires as of yet unseen. Give us your serial killers, your zombies, your monsters from the ancient past, but make them original. Bring us new monsters, human and otherwise.
Update: we will start accepting horror poetry paid at twenty five cents per line.
***
31 July 2014 -- Torn Pages -- Weird Bard Press
== Word Count: 1000-5000.
== Multiple submissions: wait to hear back on your first submission before sending another.
== Simultaneous submissions are fine, but please let us know and update us if the story is accepted elsewhere.
== No reprints.
== Poetry and Nonfiction: please query first.
== Everyone will hear from us no later than July 1st, but our goal will be a 1 month response time (or at least an update if your story is under consideration.)
Pay Rates & Rights
We pay 2¢ per word for fiction. Authors will also receive an electronic ARC of the anthology.
Weird Bard Press takes First World English Rights. Works sent to us should not have been published elsewhere.
We will use a traditional copyright, but authors may choose any Creative Commons license for their individual story if prefered.
Genres/Themes
There are no genre limitations associated with Torn Pages. Mainstream and genre stories alike are welcome.
Read this article for background on what led to the anthology. Stories that fit Torn Pages will take that article and situations like it as their prompt.
Updated 02/09/14:
Given the title, Torn Pages, the ideal submission will deal in issues such as religion in the science classroom, censorship, historical revisionism, chilling effect, book (media) burning, net neutrality, or Orwellian concepts like Newspeak and Thoughtcrime. Watching the recent Nye/Ham debate we were reminded of Burrough's assertion that language is a virus. Think books. Think classroom. Think logical fallacies, partisan politics, and education standards in the balance.
Acceptable as well are stories related to a real-life wrong so great or insidious that the issue must be told, though it may not relate directly to books or the classroom, such as abuses of political or social power. Pussy Riot, Occupy, or Anonymous may be good starting points, but refrain from propaganda for or against any one of these.
Inherent in this project is an interest in stories from under-represented points of view, be they ethnic, gender, cultural, sexual orientation, or others we have not considered. The person who comes from what they perceive as a mundane background may have an equally important story to tell.
There is a cultural upheaval we wish to see reflected in these stories. In our article, it is a struggle of the secular and the religious, the individual against senseless power structures, and finally censorship and altered history (and, perhaps, a struggle of value systems related to issues of sexuality...) but your story may address totally different issues. Issues we may not know about right now. Awesome. We're keeping the guidelines intentionally vague.
These stories may skew more political than some markets normally prefer, but no matter if we agree or disagree with your politics, stories right for this project will not be partisan soap boxes. It's a difficult line to walk. The best stories will be those that bridge between the different points of view in the given story. We are all human and we all believe that we are the good guys.
Feel free to tell us more about the issue or cite sources in your cover letter. Stories will be accepted on their merit alone.
Diversity statement:
Queer, POC, strong female main characters, disabled characters, and other under-represented points of view are welcome and encouraged.
What we don't want (and other considerations):
This is not an erotica market. Sexual situations and themes are fine. This is not a YA market either, but we hope the final product is suitable for high-school age consumption. Profanity will not lead to rejection, but if accepted, we may edit those words. We'll work closely with you if this is the case.
Violence is fine. Excessive gore is not. Stories that portray abuse in graphic detail are not welcome. For example, the main character is a bad guy who does bad things for most of the story, until, in the final act, he gets what is coming to him. Don't send us that story.
Stories based on familiar genre tropes are hard sells. Vampires, zombies, werewolves, etc.
Format:
Standard manuscript format. Word, OpenOffice/LibreOffice, Rich Text are all fine. Send to us as attachments in your email. We are not sticklers, but do avoid odd fonts, colors, or creative formatting that makes reading or editing your text difficult.
Reading Period:
We open to submissions on March 1st and will remain open through July 31st. [Updated from 31 May.] Submissions received outside of the reading period will be deleted.
Email submissions to: editors(at)weirdbard[dot]com
Please include in your subject line:
Fiction Submission: Story Title
or some similar indication of your email contents.
Questions may be directed to the same address.
***
1 August 2014 -- The Mammoth Book of Dieselpunk -- ed. Sean Wallace; Running Press
I'm now taking original submissions for The Mammoth Book of Dieselpunk, to be published by Constable & Robinson in the UK and Running Press in the US in 2015. Stories can be emailed to prime at prime-books dot com. The deadline is August 1st, 2014. You will be notified soon after the deadline if your work is accepted or rejected. Pay rate is five cents a word to eight cents a word.
If you need to know what dieselpunk is, it's a subcategory of steampunk, essentially, covering the 1920s through the 1950s, including the Roaring Twenties, the Depression, World War II, and even a little beyond that, but here's the thing: I want material from all over the world, I don't want a white-washed representation of this theme.
[Sorry, this was all I could come up with; I had to dig around just to find the editor's name. :/ It sounds like a fun book, though, and the pay's good.]
***
1 August 2014 -- Cowboy Up: Gay Erotic Fiction -- ed. Shane Allison; Cleis Press
Payment: $50 a story and 2 copies of the book, on publication
E-mail: shaneallison73@gmail.com
Shane Allison is on the hunt once again for the best gay erotica your dirty little literary minds can conjure up. This time, the theme is COWBOYS. Stories that take place anywhere from the old west before there was a name for men on men sex to modern day stories as well as writing that delves into a world of the futuristic cowboy.
According to Romance Writers of America, a romance must include two key elements: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying, optimistic ending. In erotic romance, the sexual component is critical to the development of the romantic relationship. To get an idea of what I'm looking for, I strongly recommend reading my previous erotic romance anthologies.
BDSM, kink, threesomes, foursomes and moresomes are welcome and encouraged, as well as gay erotic cowboy romance. I'm looking for well-written, realistic tales vs. the same clichéd story. No incest, nonconsensual sex, bestiality or underage characters, please.
Please be sure to follow all of the submission guidelines: One story only so write your best work. Unpublished stories only, no simultaneous submissions. Please do not send me a story that is being considered elsewhere. The desired story length is 2,500-5,000 words. Double-space and indent the first line of each paragraph. Do not put extra spaces between paragraphs. Include your full contact information (legal name/pseudonym, mailing address and phone number) and a bio of 50 words or less written in the third person on the FIRST PAGE of your story. Please attach it as a Microsoft Word .doc file. Send your submission to shaneallison73@gmail.com with Submission: Story Title in the subject line. Please direct any questions to the same address. The deadline is August 1, 2014, but earlier submissions are very much appreciated.
Payment will be $50 per story and 2 copies of the book upon publication. Contributors retain the rights to their work and Cleis Press has final approval over the stories selected for the book. [NOTE: They're not kidding, and this is not pro forma. I've known writers who've signed contracts with an editor for a Cleis book, gone through edits, only to have the publisher dump their story. Be aware of what you're walking into.]
Authors will be notified upon approval of the manuscript from the publisher. If you have not received a response by December 1, please feel free to query me.
***
15 August 2014 -- Schoolbooks and Sorcery -- ed. Michael M. Jones; Circlet Press
SCHOOLBOOKS & SORCERY: A YA URBAN FANTASY ANTHOLOGY
Take high school. It’s weird, confusing, complicated, and frustrating. It’s a time of growth and change, when teens start discovering what they’re made of and who they want to be. Now throw in magic. What happens? That’s the premise of this new YA anthology. Schoolbooks & Sorcery is what happens when you take all the normal ups and downs of high school, inject a healthy dose of magic, shake, stir, and serve.
Editor Michael M. Jones (Scheherazade’s Façade) is looking for YA urban fantasy stories which incorporate the themes of sorcery, magic, and enchantment. The magic can come from within, as an intrinsic ability or a family trait, or from without, in the form of talismans, training, or teaching. Protagonists can be wizards, witches, sorcerers, magicians, shamans, apprentices, or practitioners of more esoteric traditions. Whether they pick it up on their own (accidentally or on purpose), learn from a master, or go to school for institutionalized training, they’ll be involved with magic to some degree. Or, of course, the protagonist could be without magic, and stumble into a world beyond their immediate knowledge. If authors wish to set something in a magical school of their own devising, or in a previously-established setting, that’s perfectly fine. But it doesn’t necessarily need to be set at a school, magical or otherwise, so long as the main characters are of the right age set.
Just about every culture has some sort of tradition involving people who dabble in the supernatural to one end or another, and there’s a vast amount of potential left to be tapped in this genre, especially with teenage protagonists. Whether they’re wizards-in-training, voodoo princesses, the last descendant of an infamous historical figure, the newest apprentice in the family business, or just someone in the wrong place at the right time, the stories are endless.
Schoolbooks & Sorcery is also designed to be a queer-friendly YA anthology, embracing the full spectrum of sexuality and gender identification, while offering a wide selection of satisfying, entertaining, fascinating, powerful stories in which the mundane and the magical overlap and interact. Stories are encouraged to take place in the overlapping area between urban fantasy, high school, and LGBTQ issues and themes. Stories should send the message that it’s not just okay to be gay, it’s okay to be gay and to have the same crazy, wicked, scary, seductive, exciting, magical, strange, funny, romantic, dark adventures as everyone else. We’re looking for stories which are all-inclusive, with the characters writers have been dying to write and readers clearly want to see, diverse and interesting, with an underlying current of tolerance and acceptance. Obviously, we’re looking for a wide range of themes, tones, and voices.
TECHNICAL DETAILS:
All stories should be between 2000-7000 words.
All stories must involve magic, and those who practice magic. This covers wizards, witches, sorcerers, magicians, shamans, and other traditions not specifically mentioned. This covers self-taught characters, those whose power is intrinsic or passed down through a family, those who find objects of power or books of spells, those who study with a teacher, those who go to school for magic, and so on. Other paranormal elements, such as vampires, werewolves, ghosts, or fairies, are welcome, as long as they don’t overshadow the primary theme.
Paranormal romance elements are also welcome, but this is not specifically intended as a romance anthology. Romance is good, but not necessary.
All stories must be considered YA.
Stories should be set in modern times/on Earth, but authors are encouraged to use a variety of settings, cultures, and influences to flesh out their characters and world building. Again, one of the primary goals here is to explore diversity.
While LGBTQ elements are not required, they are highly encouraged, as are protagonists who defy traditional roles and labels. (As in “girls doing boy things” and “boys doing girl things”.) More importantly: no story will be turned away for containing LGBTQ characters or elements, unless it violates the other guidelines.
Stories will not be censored for language, drinking, drugs or sexual situations; however, such things must be in moderation, appropriate to the circumstances, and tastefully handled. In movie rating terms, stories would thus fall into the PG-13 range. (To be handled as necessary. We’re not afraid of some bad words now and again…)
All stories will maintain a positive atmosphere concerning sexuality, gender, race, religion, and so on. While individual characters (most likely antagonists) may express biased, prejudiced, or phobic sentiments, or characters may deal with negative situations, the ultimate goal is to promote tolerance, acceptance, and positivity.
PLEASE NOTE: I have already seen a number of stories which address bullying. While I’m still open to considering stories incorporating this theme, I’d like to see some more variety to help round things out.
SUBMISSION ADDRESS: All submissions may be sent to Facadeantho@gmail.com. Please address any questions or queries to that address as well. Submissions should be sent as an attachment, as .rtf or .doc.
PAYMENT: Payment will start out at 2 cents a word. However, this is just the minimum. Once the anthology is completed and the Table of Contents either finalized or close to finalized, we will be running a Kickstarter campaign to boost sales, create pre-release buzz, attract pre-sales, and to acquire the funds to pay 5 cents a word. So while at this moment in time we can promise 2 cents a word, our end goal (one which is entirely within the realm of possibility) is 5 cents a word, or professional rate. If you have any questions about how this can work, or need more information on how Kickstarter works, please feel free to talk to the editor. Again: you are not being asked to do something for nothing. You’re not being asked for money or freebies. All we ask of you is a little patience and flexibility for this stage of the project, and the use of your name as a contributing author to attract fans and potential backers. Payment will be made after the end of the Kickstarter period, before the actual publication date. (Because the SFWA pro rate increases to 6 cents a word as of July 1, 2014, we may end up shooting for this goal instead. This has not been finalized.)
FORMATS: Schoolbooks & Sorcery will be released simultaneously as a trade paperback and an ebook, by Gressive Press, an imprint of Circlet Press.
***
31 August 2014 -- Abbreviated Epics -- Third Flatiron Anthologies
Short stories with epic themes: Swashbuckles and sorcery, alternate history (e.g., Napoleonic era magic, steampunk), megalomania, Frankenstein-type tales, creation myths
Third Flatiron Publishing is an e-publishing venture based in Boulder, Colorado. We are looking for submissions to our quarterly themed online anthologies. Our focus is on science fiction and fantasy and anthropological fiction. We’re looking for tightly plotted tales in out-of-the-ordinary scenarios.
Please send us short stories that revolve around age-old questions and have something illuminating to tell us as human beings. Fantastical situations and creatures, exciting dialog, irony, mild horror, and wry humor are all welcome. Stories should be between 1,500 and 3,000 words. Inquire if longer.
Role models for the type of fiction we want include Kurt Vonnegut, Arthur C. Clarke, Dan Simmons, Connie Willis, Vernor Vinge, and Ken Kesey. We want to showcase some of the best new shorts available today.
Click through to the "Submissions" tab for preferred formats, etc.
For each anthology, we will also accept a few very short humor pieces on the order of the "Shouts and Murmurs" feature in The New Yorker Magazine (600 words or so). These can be written from a first-person perspective or can be mini-essays that tell people what they ought to do, how to do something better, or explain why something is like it is, humorously. An SF/Fantasy bent is preferred.
Your story must be original work, with the digital rights unencumbered. Accepted stories will be paid at the flat rate of 3 cents per word (U.S.), in return for the digital rights to the story. All other rights will remain with the author. We no longer offer royalties. If your story is selected as the lead story, we will pay a flat rate of 5 cents per word, in return for the permission to podcast or give the story away as a free sample portion of the anthology.
Third Flatiron will price and market your story to various e-publishing venues. We will format the story for the most popular electronic readers and platforms. You agree that we may distribute a sample (portion of the story) to potential customers.
For non-U.S. submissions, we prefer to pay via PayPal, if you have such an account.
Authors selected for publication will also be entitled to one free online copy of the anthology.
***
31 August -- This Patchwork Flesh -- ed. Michael Matheson; Exile Editions
The Central Idea:
There would be no This Patchwork Flesh without Michael Rowe’s seminal anthologies, Queer Fear and Queer Fear II. Exquisite in both their execution and in their focus on putting openly gay protagonists front and centre, the Queer Fear anthologies shifted the nature of the conversation horror fiction was having in short form.
And that’s because horror fiction is, for everything else it accomplishes (and it casts a very wide net through various subgenres), primarily a way of looking at the darker aspects of ourselves. Of examining the horrors we both embody and encounter. A way of exploring both catharsis and vastation by looking inward, and then extrapolating outward. It is, then, a way of turning a mirror on ourselves, as a way of looking at the rest of the world.
But, as many readers will already be aware, the mirror of (Western) horror fiction tends to reflect a very narrow range of representations.
This Patchwork Flesh is meant to be, like the Queer Fear books, a wider lens on underrepresented stories, and on underrepresented voices. A chance for readers who identity as one of the many facets of QUILTBAG, or pansexual, fluid, and so on, to see narratives where they are not sidelined, where they are not depicted as secondary characters, always foils, aids, or victims of, or to, “normative” figures.
The inroads have already been made: LGBT horror fiction is by no means unplumbed territory. It is, in fact, a limitless, and growing, aspect of the field, the depths of which have been, or are being, mined by masters in the genre: writers like Clive Barker, Caitlin Kiernan, Poppy Z. Brite, Gemma Files, and John Ajvide Lindqvist, just to name a very few.
But it’s time to cast that net wider still. Time to explore narratives about the monstrous and the horrific, the internal and the external, through a variety of QUILTBAG voices. To bring that next needed expansion to the field.
To again widen the conversation.
To get a better look at the monsters in our midst, and in the darkness without. And see in them the terrifyingly familiar.
This Patchwork Flesh is a book about nightmares. About terrors and darkness, internal and external. Horror is a field with no limitations, and I’m looking to assemble an anthology that will encompass stories both minimalist and cosmic in scope. Quietly unsettling, balls to the wall, transgressive, or the Weird, it’s all welcome. Terrify and transcend in equal measure.
I want to see intricate, multi-layered work that is not content to explore simple, simplistic, or trite ground. I want to see three-dimensional characters (not just the protagonist – convince me your setting is alive with real, fully fleshed out people beyond the central character). Send stories about PoCs, senior citizens, and the otherwise underrepresented. Send stories about characters from all walks of life. Give me stories about rural communities, urban communities, extraplanar communities, and whatever else you want to explore.
I’m interested in a broad range of characters, narratives, settings, and approaches to storytelling. Experimental and non-standard narrative approaches are welcome. And content is wide open as long as it meets the basis for the anthology in some way.
Also, your story does have to have some speculative element to it, but that can be anywhere from interstitial, to magic realist, fabulist, slipstream, all the way up to genre work.
-
Submission Details:
== Length: to 10k (under 7.5k preferred)
== Payment: .05/word (and contributor’s copy)
== Rights: First English-Language Rights & Non-exclusive Anthology Rights (Print and eBook)
== Genre: All speculative. Must be horror.
== Original fiction only. No reprints.
== Submit To: adarkandterriblebeauty [at] gmail [dot] com
== Subject Line: This Patchwork Flesh: [Story Title], [Last Name]
== Format: Standard Manuscript Format
== File Format: .doc, .docx, or .rtf only
== Cover Letter: Yes. See below.
== Reading Period: June 30, 2014 – Aug. 31, 2014
== All Responses By: Sep. 30, 2014
== Scheduled Release: Fall 2015
Please, no simultaneous submissions. The only exception to this is that you are allowed to submit a story to both This Patchwork Flesh and the $15,000 Vanderbilt/Exile Short Fiction Competition (open until March 10, 2014) sponsored by Exile Quarterly/Exile Editions (see http://www.theexilewriters.com/poetry-and-fiction-competitions/).
You may send multiple submissions over the course of the reading period, but submit only one story at a time. I’ll be rejecting stories over the course of the reading period, so if you receive a rejection before the deadline you may submit another piece.
Also, despite the fact that I’m comfortable with alternate and integrated narrative formats for short fiction, I’m not taking poetry or plays. Short fiction only, please.
Re Cover Letters: Include your name, story title, word count, contact info, a brief bio, and state your nationality (so I can keep track of the 90% Canadian authored content requirement).
Also Re Cover Letters (Optional): One of the things the Ontario Arts Council asks on their grant forms is a set of volunteered information, specifically about self-definition and identity. It helps them figure out what communities and groups they’re already reaching and aiding, and who they need to do more outreach to better aid. And if people are willing, I would like to do something similar here. Specifically, I’d like to compile and share a map of the submissions, if you will. (Both a map for all submissions, and a comparative map for selected stories.) So, please feel free to also note in your cover letter if you consider, or define, yourself as any of the following: an Aboriginal writer, culturally diverse writer, Francophone writer, and/or new generation writer. (Definitions for same below.) Anyone submitting is also welcome to note their gender (be it binary, multiple, undefined, or a lack thereof) and you can also include if you self-define along the lines of QUILTBAG, fluid, pansexual, or otherwise.
And let me reiterate: all of that volunteered information is entirely optional. And if given, it is going to be shared in a strictly anonymous fashion, and only for the purposes of the submissions mapping.
Lastly, if I’ve already read a story of yours elsewhere (say, at Apex), please don’t send it for this call unless I specifically ask to see it. And if you have questions relating to the anthology, please ask them in the Comments.
[NOTE: There's definitely more info on the guidelines page, so click through if you're thinking of subbing.]
***
31 August 2014 -- Lovely, Dark and Deep -- ed. Michael Jay; Less Than Three Press
Wolves, fairies, ghosts, errant campers, and witches ... fiction is rife with tales of what happens when people dare to enter, or leave, the woods. A classic setting from the oldest fairytale to the newest thriller, the adventure and danger that comes from wandering around a forest, or a jungle, provides endless opportunity for new stories.
Less Than Three Press is seeking tales of all that can happen in the woods when those who shouldn’t be there venture into them anyway...
THE DETAILS:
== Deadline is August 31, 2014 (give or take, we won’t kill you for sending it off the following morning).
== Stories should be at least 10,000 words and should not exceed approx 20,000 words in length.
== Stories may be any pairing except cisgender M/F (trans* M/F, M/M, F/F, poly, and all permutations thereof are acceptable).
== Stories must have a happily ever after (HEA) or happy for now (HFN) end.
== Any sub-genre is gladly accepted: sci-fi, mystery, contemporary, steampunk, etc.
== All usual LT3 submission guidelines apply.
== IMPORTANT: Completed manuscripts should be emailed to michaelj.submissions@gmail.com with LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP in the subject line. Please include the title of your work, your name, pen name, word count, and a brief summary of the story in your email.
Lovely, Dark, and Deep is a general release anthology, which means authors will receive a flat payment of $200.00 once LT3 has a signed contract.
Authors will receive one copy each of the ebook formats LT3 produces and 2 print volumes of the compiled anthology.
Stories should be complete before submitting, and as edited as possible. They can be submitted in .doc, .docx, or .rtf format, single spaced with a space between paragraphs, in an easy to read font (we prefer Calibri size 12) with no special formatting (no elaborate section separation, special fonts, etc). Additional formatting guidelines can be found here.
Any questions should be directed to the editor Michael Jay at michaelj.submissions@gmail.com.
[NOTE: LT3 is a romance press, in case that didn't come through. For whatever reason, romance presses tend to think you'll automatically know who they are and what they publish, without coming out and saying so in their calls. Romance writers will probably pick up the clues, but heads-up in case you're not a romance writer. :) ]
***
31 August 2014 -- Young Explorer's Adventure Guide -- ed. Corie Weaver & Sean Weaver; Dreaming Robot Press
We’re looking for stories that:
== Have a main character a middle grade reader (ages 9-12) can identify with;
== Show a diverse set of real characters;
== Are well written, fun to read and encourage a love of reading science fiction;
== Tell of adventure, space, science. Give us rockets, robots and alien encounters, and we’re pretty happy. Steampunk, time travel, weird west and alternate history are all fine;
== Are between 3,000 and 6,000 words.
We’re especially looking for stories:
== Where the main character is of a population that has traditionally been under-represented in science fiction, e.g. girls, people of color, differently abled people;
== Where the main character has agency, exercises it, and isn’t just along for the ride.
We’re not interested in:
== Stories where the female characters primarily exist to be rescued or as a prize for the males;
== Stories where the primary plot or subplot is romantic in nature;
== Stories with graphic violence or any form of sexual activity;
== Stories about the first girl to do X, surprising everyone;
== Stories that depict any ethnicity or gender as universally bad or stupid.
Submission deadline, mechanics and planned schedule:
== Anthology will be open for submissions from June 1, 2014 – August 31, 2014;
== While we prefer original stories, if you have something perfect that had a limited run elsewhere, query us and we’ll talk;
== August 1st will launch a crowd-funding campaign to help with pre-publication costs. Regardless of results of crowd-funding campaign, we are committed to publishing the anthology;
== Acceptance notices will be sent by September 15, 2014.
Rights and Payments:
== Authors will be provided with a complete Anthology Contract for review and consideration with the notice of accepted submissions;
== In keeping with SWFA’s new guidelines, we pay $0.06/word on final edited word count for one-year exclusive worldwide rights, print and electronic, and two contributor copies. Payment upon final edit;
== We also buy the nonexclusive right to republish, print, or reprint the complete anthology in any language or format after the first year;
== If the crowd-funding fails, please note that we are still committed to this anthology, and will find other ways to fund the project. However, there may be delays. If authors feel the need to withdraw their submission due to delays, we understand.
== We will provide professional editing, primarily for issues of grammar and spelling;
== If authors have other questions about rights or payments, please contact us before submission. We want to make sure all concerns are addressed.
Risks:
We’re new. And while every publishing company has to start somewhere, we know that can make some authors nervous. We’re doing everything we can to make this as low risk as possible for the participants. There is no entry fee; this isn’t a contest to pay the bills for the other books we’re working on. Payment is on acceptance of final edit at pro rates, and rights are for a limited time.
[Click through for more info about the editors, and for their auto-submission page.]
***
15 September 2014 -- Warlords & Warriors: Gay Erotic Romance & Adventure -- ed. Rob Rosen; Cleis Press
Earlier submissions are greatly appreciated!
Payment: $60.00 USD and 2 copies of the book upon publication
Dashing swashbucklers and pirates, hunky highlanders and crusaders, fierce Vikings and Huns and menacing marauders. These are the types of men who will fill the pages of Warlords & Warriors, though the location and setting of your story are just as important. Give me sweeping vistas and fields bloody with battle, snow-dense mountain passes and raging seas. Above all, give me steaming romance and hot sex and thrilling adventure!
Stories can take place in any country and during any time frame. The sex should be mutually consented to (absolutely no rape or allusions to rape). Humor is always appreciated, as are stories with unexpected plot twists. Sex between gay-identifying men is strongly preferred (confused straight men do not turn this editor on).
Please note that the Publisher, Cleis Press, has final right of refusal on all submissions. [NOTE: They're not kidding, and this is not pro forma. I've known writers who've signed contracts with an editor for a Cleis book, gone through edits, only to have the publisher dump their story. Be aware of what you're walking into.]
Unpublished stories only, no simultaneous submissions. Please do not send me a story that is being considered elsewhere.
The Editor will not accept:
Already Published Works, Underage Sex, Non-Consensual Sex, Incest, Scat or Bestiality.
How to Submit:
Early submissions are strongly encouraged. Please send your submission to: WarlordsAndWarriors@yahoo.com
Subject: Warlords & Warriors Submission
Please submit your work as follows (strict adherence is required):
Send a Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document (.doc or .rtf) 3,000-6,000 word story (no exceptions). Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space lines (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). Single space after a period or a comma. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, word count, and 50 word or less bio in the third person.
***
30 September 2014 -- Enter at Your Own Risk: Dreamscapes into Darkness -- Firbolg Publishing
Passions become obsessions. Obsessions become manias. And sometimes, manias turn into nightmares. What happens when one wants so badly that all else, including sanity and self, is consumed by the bonfires of desire? What happens when one achieves the dream, only to discover the nightmares lurking behind the illusions? Firbolg Publishing’s fifth anthology, Enter at Your Own Risk: Dreamscapes into Darkness, explores the old adage of "Be Careful What You Wish For." We are looking for stories that step behind the veil of dreams and wishes into the unanticipated horrors of fulfillment. Journey down wishful thinking’s twisted pathway and discover what dark ends and detours await–send us your story and share a TOC with D.H. Lawrence, Mary Shelley, A.M. Burrage, H.P. Lovecraft, and more Gothic masters from yesteryear in Enter at Your Own Risk: Dreamscapes into Darkness.
3000-5000 words (this is strict)
Avoid excessive gore/ violence. We are most interested in gothic dark fiction rather than splatter style horror. We are not interested in stories that are gratuitously violent, sexual, or graphic. If these elements occur within a story, they must be an integral part of the narrative, but note that we are inclined to pass on tales that rely on these elements for plot. Stories that rely on mood, atmosphere, well-crafted dialogue, and character-driven narrative find a home at Firbolg Publishing over violence and gore.
LGBT-friendly press.
RTF format as an attachment (include author biography, links to blogs/ websites)
Standard manuscript format (http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html)
A few formatting musts: No double spaces between punctuation and next sentence. No double spaces between paragraphs (unless indicating a time break).
Payment: $50 and contributor copy (paperback edition).
No simultaneous submissions, no poetry, no reprints
ebook and paperback format.
submission email: editor@firbolgpublishing.com
There have been quite a few invitations for this one, so space for open submissions is limited.
Release date: 7 May, 2015. There will be an official release party at the World Horror Convention in Atlanta, GA.
***
UNTIL FILLED -- Thresholds -- Dreadful Cafe ** First Posted December 2013
We cross boundaries every day - the door to a room, a crack in a sidewalk, the border of a city.
The stories in Thresholds will take the reader to another time, into the dark, into the arms of a lover, to another world, or to the dark recesses of the mind.
Are you ready?
Sometimes strange, always original, the stories we publish are of the highest production standards, from thrilling premise all the way to professional editing.
We are now soliciting query letters (fiction) and samples (art) for Thresholds, our second anthology of art and fiction. All genres are eligible, but preference is given to works that cross more than one and which reflect the flavor and theme described above.
For FICTION:
Manuscripts must be between 1,000 and 25,000 words and not previously published by anyone but the author. Self-published works are accepted and encouraged!
Please refer to our Submission Guidelines.
Upon acceptance of your completed manuscript, Dreadful Cafe pays for non-exclusive, unlimited, 5-year publishing rights on the following schedule:
== Short Stories (1,000-7,000 words) — $125
== Novelettes (7,001-13,000 words) — $250
== Novellas (13,001-25,000 words) — Negotiable
Estimated Publication: Third Quarter of 2014
[Click through for more info.]
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Anthology Acceptance
I got a note from Corie Weaver, editor of The Young Explorer's Adventure Guide, saying they want the story I subbed to them. This is pretty awesome -- it's my first pro sale to someone I haven't met face-to-face, fourth all together.
The publisher, Dreaming Robot, is going to be running a crowdfunding campaign starting on 1 August to raise the money to pay their writers the pro rates they're offering. Normally this would be a red flag for me -- not a scammer-type red flag, but an "Is this worth the time and hassle for something that might not work out?" kind of red flag. But their web site says:
And the sample contract sent with the acceptance letter states:
So the editorial team plans to be cool about people withdrawing because of delays, and if they get hit by a bus and their sociopathic cousin takes over ownership of the project and its contracted works, the contract still protects us from unreasonable delay. I'm satisfied with the situation.
They're taking subs through 31 August, if you're into YA SF. It'd be cool to be in an antho with some of my blog buds. :)
Angie
PS -- I had to dig the original acceptance letter out of my spam folder. :/ Always-always check before you delete!
The publisher, Dreaming Robot, is going to be running a crowdfunding campaign starting on 1 August to raise the money to pay their writers the pro rates they're offering. Normally this would be a red flag for me -- not a scammer-type red flag, but an "Is this worth the time and hassle for something that might not work out?" kind of red flag. But their web site says:
If the crowd-funding fails, please note that we are still committed to this anthology, and will find other ways to fund the project. However, there may be delays. If authors feel the need to withdraw their submission due to delays, we understand.
And the sample contract sent with the acceptance letter states:
In the event that The Anthology has not been published within twelve (12) months of signing of this agreement, all rights revert to The Author, and The Author has the right to sell or arrange for publication of The Work in any manner.
So the editorial team plans to be cool about people withdrawing because of delays, and if they get hit by a bus and their sociopathic cousin takes over ownership of the project and its contracted works, the contract still protects us from unreasonable delay. I'm satisfied with the situation.
They're taking subs through 31 August, if you're into YA SF. It'd be cool to be in an antho with some of my blog buds. :)
Angie
PS -- I had to dig the original acceptance letter out of my spam folder. :/ Always-always check before you delete!
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