About 2 years ago, Elise started bemoaning the lack of a "Midwest Gothic" movement. She was sure that the style was out there, but no one seemed to be doing anything to recognize it. We thought about this, and we thought about this, and at about the same time we were just thinking about it, someone else started doing something about it. Great ideas never exist in a vacuum, and because of the work being done over at Midwestern Gothic and Midwest Gothic Stories, we feel like there is now enough awareness of the style to put out a call for our own anthology dedicated to the Midwestern Gothic. We don't mind following such excellent examples.
Therefore, Moon Hollow Press is pleased to announce an open call for submissions to Grantswood. This call is open until filled.
What We Are Looking For: Fiction, poetry, and art in the Midwestern Gothic style. We are willing to consider some magical realism or supernatural elements in our selections, but we are not looking for straight-up fantasy or horror that happens to be set in the Midwest. Neil Gaiman's American Gods might fly here, but "Cthulu in Chicago" is too far down the scale for this publication. We have created an exemplar volume. You can read it here.
Submitters should have a connection to the North American Midwest, and works should be set in the Midwest, although we will consider an exceptional story featuring a Midwesterner living elsewhere.
We are looking for previously unpublished works. We are not accepting reprints for this anthology. We are hoping to promote the works of new as well as established writers. Therefore, we'd like all submissions to be fresh out the gate.
Submitters retain copyright for their individual works and most reprint rights should their work be selected for publication. We will be acquiring your first electronic publication rights, and we will have the copyright on the anthology. We will retain the right to reprint one time only in a "Best Of" anthology.
By submitting to Grantswood, you are indicating that this is your original work and that we have permission to publish your piece should we select it for publication. This is not a trick phrase, however; we are only interested in assuring that you are submitting your work with the intent to be published if accepted. It won't actually be printed without further correspondence between the submitter and the publisher. Our acceptance/rejection time is quick, so we do not allow simultaneous submissions for this publication.
FICTION: We are looking for works that fall between 250-7000 words. Submitters may submit no more than 7000 words. This can be all in one story, or we will consider up to three works that do not exceed 7000 words in total.
POETRY: We are looking for works between 3-30 lines, and will consider up to 3 poems per submitter.
ART: We are currently negotiating with an artist for the illustration for this volume. However, we welcome and encourage additional submissions. We will consider up to 2 items per submitter.
PAYMENT: Submitters whose works are chosen for publication will receive an electronic copy of the anthology. There is no further payment at this time.
However, the editors, Elise and Kora, will each pick a single submission and award a small monetary prize. You must have a Paypal account to accept the prize, otherwise, the prize is forfeited. The prize is awarded at the discretion of the editors.
HOW TO SUBMIT:
1. Electronic submissions only.
2. Poetry and prose submissions are being handled through Submittable. It's easy to use and your account is free. The link appears after the formatting instructions, below.
2a. The attachment should be set in 12 point Times New Roman (or a similar serif font). Fiction should be double spaced. Poetry can be single spaced. The file should be saved in .rtf format. Anything else may be returned unread. Make it easy for us to read it.
2b. Identify your document. Include your real name, the title of the piece, the word or line count, and the number of pages in the upper right corner. Set the footer of the document with your name and the page numbers. You get our undying love if your footer doesn't just number the pages, but indicated the total number of pages, as well, like so: "Clampett, page 1 of 3." If you are using a pseudonym, center it under the title of your piece.
2c. If you are submitting multiple pieces, they should all be included in the same document. You will only be allowed to upload one document. Clearly indicate where one piece begins and the other piece ends.
2d. The last section of the document should tell us a little about you! Give us your real name, your pseudonym should you wish to use it, your website should you wish to have traffic sent there, and a 3 line bio that includes information on your connection to the Midwest. NO MORE THAN 100 WORDS for bio. BIO MUST INCLUDE YOUR CONNECTION TO THE MIDWEST. Please avoid laundry lists of prior publications, because those won't help you here. Laundry lists of prior publications will be removed!
Ready to go? Submit to Moon Hollow Press
And when you are finished, please consider tracking your submission at Duotrope!
3. Illustration or photography may now also be submitted through the Submittable link above. Please do not send anything over 120 dpi and in excess of 600 pixels in its largest dimension. If we need something more detailed, we will contact you. Do not watermark your files; as they will be reviewed on-screen from the Submittable account, there is no need to identify the file. If we decide to use it, you will just have to send us a copy without the watermark, anyway.
3a. In your cover letter, BRIEFLY describe your submission ("2 pictures taken in Detroit"). Then, tell us a little about yourself. Give us your website should you wish to have traffic sent there, and a 3 line bio that includes information on your connection to the Midwest. NO MORE THAN 100 WORDS for bio. BIO MUST INCLUDE YOUR CONNECTION TO THE MIDWEST. Please avoid laundry lists of prior publications, because those won't help you here. Laundry lists of prior publications will be removed!
PUBLICATION FORMAT: Electronic Publication. At this time, we are planning to put an excerpt on-line for free download, and the full-length publication for sale via Lulu.com. (We reserve the right to change this, but will ensure that an electronic version of the whole thing is available to all whose work is accepted.) Proceeds from the sale will be directed to the prize pool.
