Monday, July 24, 2006
To share or not to share...
The past couple of days, I've been doing a lot of research for a short story I'm writing to submit to an anthology called Sails and Sorcery. A lot of info on ships and sailing, privateers and navies and pirates, the Atlantic slave trade, 19th century slang, shipwrecks, African religion, on and on. Needless to say, the Internet makes it possible to do research that would only have been possible in person even a decade ago, which is truly wonderful. Still, I wish I could justify (and afford) a trip on a Windjammer as research! I took sailing lessons as a teenager, and loved being out on the water in a small craft. I think sailing on a Tall Ship would be completely amazing. It's near the top of my list of things I'd like to do before I die, right along with seeing the Great Pyramids, spending a few months on a Greek island, and getting into orbit.
Anyway, that wasn't really the topic of this post, the topic of this post was meant to be the temptation to hold a call for submissions close to one's chest, hoping that the person whose story would bump your own off of the acceptance list won't ever find out about it. It's not a very nice sentiment, but it's one I think many writers have to deal with. Certainly the competition for the few slots for fiction in magazines and anthologies is fierce. Especially in magazines or anthologies that pay a half-way decent rate (as defined by publishers; none pay enough for a fiction writer to live on the proceeds of their short stories, even if they manage to publish 10 or 12 in a year.)
So it's little wonder then, that there's a powerful temptation to keep calls for submissions to oneself, even though you'd reall like it if your friends and members of writers groups you belong to passed along such opportunities to you. Having been brought up to believe that what goes around, comes around, I do pass these opportunities on, but sometimes I have to struggle with my own personal shaitan in order to do so. Anyway, the call for submissions from Sails and Sorcery is below my dream collage. If you're going to submit a story... submit a bad one! *wink*
Pamela's dreams:
Call for Submission:
Short Fantasy Fiction for inclusion in
Sails & Sorcery:
Tales of Fantasy
Guidelines
The anthology will feature roughly twenty five short stories between 3,000 and 9,000 words.
We are looking for stories of fantasy on the high seas. From pirates to privateers, from royal navies to rebel fleets, from merchants to smugglers, and from explorers to conquerors, we're looking for adventurous tales in settings along the lines of the Age of Discovery to the Golden Age of Piracy. Mysticism and magic should play important parts in the tales, and throw in some encounters with sea serpents, mermaids, or mysterious natives for good measure.
We are not looking for space pirates (no SF), tales set in the modern era (nothing with a feel that is later than the early 19th century), poetry (no sea chanties, either), or reprints.
Examples of books and movies with similar themes include (but are not limited to): Pirates of the Caribbean, Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb, Rising Tide by Mel Odom, Fell Cargo by Dan Abnett, and Pirates of Darkwater (cartoon series).
No electronic submissions. Please include a SASE for reply.
Submission Period: July 15, 2006 to January 15, 2007 Reading Period: January 15-31, 2007; responses will be mailed by February 15, 2007
Rights: 1st World Publication Rights in the English Language
Pay: 5 cents per word upon acceptance of final draft, as an advance on pro rata (based on final page-count) share of 35% of net revenue
If you have questions, please e-mail s&s@fantasistent.com. No electronic submissions.
Mail your story to:
Fantasist Enterprises
S&S Anthology
PO Box 9381
Wilmington, DE 19809
USA
Fantasy Art
We always like to hear from artists in the fantasy genre, as we like to be able to pick from a wide pool of talent when it comes to illustrating our anthologies.
We would like to see vibrant, enchanting, fantasy art for possible use as the cover to our next anthology. Keep in mind the requirements for cover art (we'll need room for the title--demonstrate the ability to create images that could wrap around a cover and you'll get more consideration). We will keep candidates in mind when it comes time to choose an artist for the cover.
Our anthologies are currently black and white interiors only, so we will want to see what kind of work you can do in pencil, charcoal, pen and ink, and the like.
We would prefer you send us an e-mail at art@fantasistent.com, including a little bit about yourself and a link to a web page where we can view your work. If you do not have a web page, we will, of course, accept CD's or copies of your work at our mailing address (please, please, please do not send originals).
Art Submissions
Fantasist Enterprises
PO Box 9381
Wilmington, DE 19809
http://submissions.fantasistent.com/ ¶ 11:51 PM
Anyway, that wasn't really the topic of this post, the topic of this post was meant to be the temptation to hold a call for submissions close to one's chest, hoping that the person whose story would bump your own off of the acceptance list won't ever find out about it. It's not a very nice sentiment, but it's one I think many writers have to deal with. Certainly the competition for the few slots for fiction in magazines and anthologies is fierce. Especially in magazines or anthologies that pay a half-way decent rate (as defined by publishers; none pay enough for a fiction writer to live on the proceeds of their short stories, even if they manage to publish 10 or 12 in a year.)
So it's little wonder then, that there's a powerful temptation to keep calls for submissions to oneself, even though you'd reall like it if your friends and members of writers groups you belong to passed along such opportunities to you. Having been brought up to believe that what goes around, comes around, I do pass these opportunities on, but sometimes I have to struggle with my own personal shaitan in order to do so. Anyway, the call for submissions from Sails and Sorcery is below my dream collage. If you're going to submit a story... submit a bad one! *wink*
Pamela's dreams:
Call for Submission:
Short Fantasy Fiction for inclusion in
Sails & Sorcery:
Tales of Fantasy
Guidelines
The anthology will feature roughly twenty five short stories between 3,000 and 9,000 words.
We are looking for stories of fantasy on the high seas. From pirates to privateers, from royal navies to rebel fleets, from merchants to smugglers, and from explorers to conquerors, we're looking for adventurous tales in settings along the lines of the Age of Discovery to the Golden Age of Piracy. Mysticism and magic should play important parts in the tales, and throw in some encounters with sea serpents, mermaids, or mysterious natives for good measure.
We are not looking for space pirates (no SF), tales set in the modern era (nothing with a feel that is later than the early 19th century), poetry (no sea chanties, either), or reprints.
Examples of books and movies with similar themes include (but are not limited to): Pirates of the Caribbean, Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb, Rising Tide by Mel Odom, Fell Cargo by Dan Abnett, and Pirates of Darkwater (cartoon series).
No electronic submissions. Please include a SASE for reply.
Submission Period: July 15, 2006 to January 15, 2007 Reading Period: January 15-31, 2007; responses will be mailed by February 15, 2007
Rights: 1st World Publication Rights in the English Language
Pay: 5 cents per word upon acceptance of final draft, as an advance on pro rata (based on final page-count) share of 35% of net revenue
If you have questions, please e-mail s&s@fantasistent.com. No electronic submissions.
Mail your story to:
Fantasist Enterprises
S&S Anthology
PO Box 9381
Wilmington, DE 19809
USA
Fantasy Art
We always like to hear from artists in the fantasy genre, as we like to be able to pick from a wide pool of talent when it comes to illustrating our anthologies.
We would like to see vibrant, enchanting, fantasy art for possible use as the cover to our next anthology. Keep in mind the requirements for cover art (we'll need room for the title--demonstrate the ability to create images that could wrap around a cover and you'll get more consideration). We will keep candidates in mind when it comes time to choose an artist for the cover.
Our anthologies are currently black and white interiors only, so we will want to see what kind of work you can do in pencil, charcoal, pen and ink, and the like.
We would prefer you send us an e-mail at art@fantasistent.com, including a little bit about yourself and a link to a web page where we can view your work. If you do not have a web page, we will, of course, accept CD's or copies of your work at our mailing address (please, please, please do not send originals).
Art Submissions
Fantasist Enterprises
PO Box 9381
Wilmington, DE 19809
http://submissions.fantasistent.com/ ¶ 11:51 PM
