Urban Mythic


The Alchemy Press Book of Urban Mythic edited by Jan Edwards & Jenny Barber

Submission guidelines by the editors:

“For The Alchemy Press Book of Urban Mythic, we are seeking contemporary tales with all the magic and wonder of myth and legend, blending modern life with the traditions of folklore from around the world. Whether lurking in dark alleys or brash shopping malls; from shanty towns to the floating cities of Venice, Bangkok or Dubai; swanky riverside penthouse lofts or humble suburban semis, we want to see how the mythic is woven into the everyday. Think Charles de Lint, Terri Windling, Robert Holdstock, Seanan McGuire, Jim Butcher, Kate Griffin, Simon R. Green, Holly Black, Neil Gaiman…
We want fantasy that entertains but also pushes beyond the usual urban fantasy boundaries; fast-paced action; folk tales re-imagined; mythic creatures adapting to the urban environment; noir; humour; horror (with recognisable mythic elements); literary or lighter styles. Fully realised characters are a must and solid plots extremely desirable. 

We don’t want: secondary worlds; steampunk; SF; zombies; paranormal romance or erotica. Also, no human sacrifice; magic help-lines; religion; gore or mythic-beastie love triangles. No poetry.

Give your story a head start by reading both these guidelines and the Alchemy Press style-guide http://alchemypress.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/manuscripts

We are seeking original fiction: reprints only accepted by agreement with the editors. No simultaneous or multiple submissions. Contributions between 3,000 and 8,000 words (firm). Submission period runs from January 1st to March 31st 2013. Do not submit outside of those dates.

Electronic submissions only, sent as email attachments in standard manuscript format (rtf, doc or docx). Email subject line should take the form Title/author’s name/word count (i.e. My Great Story/John Doe/5,000 words). Submissions included in the body of the email, or without the correct subject header, may be rejected unread. Full contact details must be included on the mss front/ first page. Please avoid fiction aimed at the YA reader.

No acceptances or rejections will be made until after the deadline, and we 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. All style and submission guidelines are absolute. Accepted submissions may be edited (with the author’s approval).

The Alchemy Press Book of Urban Mythic will be a paperback edition published in 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.

Send all submissions and correspondence to Jan Edwards and Jenny Barber at tapboum@gmail.com


7 comments:

  1. Do you accept YA for this one also?

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  2. This anthology is intended for mature readers and thus YA fiction may not be appropriate.

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  3. How "modern" is modern? 1950s acceptable, or only 2010s?

    Thanks

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    1. I've checked with the editors; here's their reply: "We were thinking 21st Century but would not exclude anything post WW1."

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  4. I have a perfect (few) stories for this- is the 31st March strict? Would there be a site notification if it turns out that there's still some room?
    Thanks!

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  5. We have received over a hundred submissions for Urban Mythic and so we are not able to accept any more stories. Sorry. Keep an eye on the Alchemy Press Facebook page for regular updates.

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