 Shadows on the Stage Call for Submissions Submissions are currently OPEN for Shadows on the Stage, a genre short story and poetry anthology examining the theme of PERFORMANCE. We are interested in stories told through the lens of genre (horror, fantasy, and science fiction) because genre is a performance in and of itself. Through using a monstrous creature created by a scientist, Mary Shelley examines the pursuit of knowledge, and whether it is man or creature who is the real monster. Through hobbits, elves, and wizards, J.R.R. Tolkien tells a story about temptation and the will to battle it. Through characters living in a dystopian society that burns books, Ray Bradbury explores ignorance and conformity. Wearing a mask of the fantastical in the way it tells/performs the story, genre storytelling is about the realities, emotions, and psyche of the human condition. Because of this performative nature, we want stories and poetry that focus on this particular theme within these genres. Forest Publications is excited to see how writers will approach and interpret this rich theme through genre. We are accepting prose and poetry submissions. We welcome work from all writers, emerging and established, as well as other artists who may not regularly create in the literary medium. Contributors for this collection do not need to reside in the UK. The anthology will be distributed throughout the UK and promoted & marketed through Forest’s wide networks. Upon publication, Forest will organize online and/or in person launches in Edinburgh and beyond. Forest is an unincorporated arts association. All profits will go to supporting artistic projects. Forest is eager to support emerging artists, group shows, experimental work, multi-media and performance art as well as fine art. As such, contributors will not be paid. They will receive a copy of the book. Thank you for your interest! We look forward to reading your work. Nadine Brito & Claire Wallace Editors-in-Chief —Submission Guidelines-- Poetry submissions can consist of up to 5 poems, no poem going beyond 3 pages. In the case of multiple poem submissions, please send them separately through our submission portal. Prose submissions can run up to 5,000 words, but no more. Please submit your best work. We proofread accepted stories and perform light copyediting prior to their publication. You will have the opportunity to approve or decline the changes. We will not perform any developmental edits. All submissions are free, and we do not provide feedback on pieces that are not selected as our association does not have the capabilities to support this. However, if you are interested in receiving feedback on your work for a nominal fee at a later time, there is a section on the application form where you may indicate this. Fee waivers are available for individuals from underrepresented groups. Work should be submitted as a .docx or .doc file accompanied by a PDF for more experimental layouts. Sticking to Standard Manuscript Format isn’t essential, but please format your work in 12 point Times New Roman font unless using a different size or font style is integral to the piece(s) submitted. Submit your work using the file name format of: firstname_surname_[nature of the work]. For example, jane_smith_poetry. Writers may submit both prose and poetry if they wish. All submissions are capped at 5 total per individual. This means that you may submit 3 poems and 2 short stories, but not 5 poems and 5 short stories. Only your first 5 submissions will be read. Please indicate on the application form any content warnings. We will not accept any work with gratuitous violence and/or sexual content. Nor will we accept work with hate speech or messaging against any real-world demographic based on race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sex, sexuality, age, neurodivergence, physical or mental illness or disability, size, class, religion, or belief system. We don’t accept any work that has been generated in any way by AI. We prefer work that is previously unpublished both in print and online. However, we are open to previously published work should the rights and permissions remain with the writer. We will require proof of this and will reach out for additional details should we be interested in republishing your work. We welcome simulations submissions. If your piece is selected for publication elsewhere please let us know as soon as possible. If your story is selected for publication in Shadows on the Stage we retain exclusive physical and digital publishing rights for one year. Afterward, the story will remain available in all formats of the book, but all rights revert to you. Note that your story will then be considered previously published, which may affect future submission opportunities with other markets, as not all markets accept previously published work. We will respond to your submission within 3 months of the deadline. Submit your work by clicking the button below or using the form available here by 11:59 pm GMT on 31st December 2024. If you have any questions or trouble sending your work please reach out to forestpublishing20@gmail.com
Comments are closed.
|