Pulp Heroes 2


The Alchemy Press Book of Pulp Heroes volume II edited by Mike Chinn

Submissions guidelines by the editor:

“Following the successful publication of The Alchemy Press Book of Pulp Heroes, The Alchemy Press is following up with a second anthology: Pulp Heroes II. Once again it’s time to celebrate (or subvert) the glorious Pulp tradition – as well as taking a wild new look at it. I suggest you read volume one to get a sense of my requirements (available via Amazon and other online retailers).

From the arid plains of Mars to the canyons of Manhattan; the foetid jungle to the naked jungle. Demented criminals versus dark heroes with sinister powers. The flash of steel in the palaces of long-forgotten civilizations or along the sterile corridors of impossible spacecraft. Swords against sorcery or sword and planet.

The Alchemy Press Book of Pulp Heroes II will be available as a print edition published in October 2013, to be followed by an eBook edition. Successful contributors will receive a nominal fee of £10, royalties plus a copy of the book on publication.

I am after original fiction; reprints will be considered if they are exceptional. No simultaneous or multiple submissions. Contributions should be in the range of 3,000-8,000 words (query if you wish to submit outside that range), with full contact details on the front page.

I will accept electronic submissions only as email attachments in standard manuscript format (.rtf, .doc or .docx), sent to pulpheroes@hotmail.co.uk. Any submissions included in the body of the email will be rejected unread. The subject line should take the form Title/author’s name/word count (i.e. My Great Story/John Doe/5,500 words). Please do not send fiction aimed at the YA readership.

The submission period runs from January 1st to March 31st 2013. Do no submit outside those dates. No acceptances or rejections will be made until after the deadline; I will endeavour to report back to you six to eight weeks after that. If you have heard nothing after nine weeks you may query at the email address.

THRILL US, SCARE US – MAKE US CARE.”


16 comments:

  1. Just wondering...do you consider pulp heroes who don't have super powers...a human (maybe with a litte extra) who has trained themselves to be more than the average bear, to paraphase an old carton. Are supernatural monsters acceptable villains, especially if the hero uses their traditional weakness in a non traditional. Modern day settings okay? I'm in the middle of the type of story I've described and just want to know which path I should let it take.
    Thank you.

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  2. Non superhuman heroes are fine, as are supernatural villains. Modern day settings are perfectly acceptable. If you read volume 1 you'll see the range of stories the editor takes.

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  3. Can these pulp stories involve characters in the vain of a Steve Costigan? More action than supernatural.

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  4. The brief is very wide to include all aspects of pulp heroes -- so the answer to your question is 'yes'.

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    1. Thank you very much.

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    2. Does this include pulp noir as well as pulp fantasy? Likewise noir/fantasy crosses?

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    3. Thanks for your query. As far as Pulp Heroes 2 is concerned, please mix and match at will. Pulp noir or fantasy noir are all fine with us.

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  5. Hi,

    I submitted my story "The Doppelgänger Re-Integration Agency" to your Pulp Heroes 2 email address a few days ago, but I just saw today that the actual reading period doesn't begin until Jan 1st. Would you like me to resub it at the correct time, or are we good? Thanks!
    Best,
    Aaron J. French

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  6. Hi Aaron -- it should be okay but safer to send it in again. Just in case...
    --- Peter

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  7. Hello. My names is James Ward Kirk. I edit the annual anthologies Indiana Horror, Indiana Science Fiction and Indiana crime. I have multiple short story publications. I have a story that I think is perfect for your anthology Pulp Heroes. However, the story comes in at 12,000 words. Would care to read it?

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  8. Please send such queries directly to the editor -- see above for his email address.

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  9. What rights are you purchasing? First-printing, or something else? If that's the case, how long of an exclusivity period do you require before the story can potentially be reprinted elsewhere?

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    Replies
    1. First printing/serial -- exclusive for six months, unless selected for a Best Of anthology.

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  10. Do you except excerpts from as-yet unpublished novels?

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    1. I've checked with the editor: unless the extract works as a standalone story, then, sadly, no.

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