Speculative / Surrealist Science Fiction and Fantasy Collection
Open call:
Alien Rabbit are accepting submissions for vol 1 of The Splintered Eye.
We are looking for experimental short stories that explore the transgressive, the taboo, the surreal and the absurd in either futuristic technological or fantastical settings from writers and authors in English. Depending on submissions we will aim to publish at least 20 – 25 short stories in one volume (depending on length / number of submissions).
Suggested word count (Guideline):
Guidelines:
This is an opportunity for writers wanting to experiment with the short story form to find their feet or just explore an idea or concept which might not find a space for publication from publishers with stricter content guidelines.
Genre wise the collection will likely be focused on Gothic Horror / Science Fiction / speculative fiction for adults. These are of course broad genre distinctions and you are encouraged to mix genres and aim not to be constrained by the idea of genre fiction too much. Go wild!
Write a Gothic Dieselpunk short story set 300 years in the future with a cybernetic grandmother as the protagonist! As long as that makes sense in the story you are writing, that’s fine!
As we want to be an indie publisher that promotes freedom of ideas and expression in our publications, do feel free to submit stories that include explicit violence, disturbing content or explicit sex. We won’t censor it. That does not however mean that we are looking for stories that are just explicit, without literary content. We want stories that can amuse, titillate, induce fear and make you think all at once ideally. The guidelines detail this extensively below (including legally).
Successful applicants will be paid £4 if accepted for the collection for each manuscript included and each successful author will be emailed an eBook copy of the collection for free.
If we exceed 50 copies sold we will contact authors to mail out a free paperback copy to the included author if they want one.
Submissions will be formally assessed by Chris Godber / Naima Valli and successful applicants will be notified via email sent from alienrabbituk@gmail.com
Upon successful inclusion we will send an email asking for some payment details so we can deposit payment for your story in the collection. Unsuccessful submissions we will aim to give constructive feedback as much as possible (Depending on number of submissions received)
You may submit up to 2 manuscripts for consideration – Submission is free.
Submissions open: 30th March
Submission deadline: 16th April 2023
Planned Publication Date: 20th April 2023
Submit to email: alienrabbituk@gmail.com
Subject heading: Submission for Splintered Eye Vol 1 from AUTHOR NAME
NOTES / LEGAL STUFF
Format
DOCX is the best format as it will be easy for proofing if required and when editing the collection. We will be including a few artworks in the collection for the front cover and inside the collection but these will be designed by Alien Rabbit prior to publication.
Future volumes may include open artwork submissions and graphic novel call outs.
The collection will be published on Amazon via KDP and directly via www.alienrabbit.co.uk
An audiobook may also be produced in the future post release.
Publication Formats and promotion: paperback(Tradeback) and eBook formats. Alien rabbit will promote it on their social media.
Content Legal Guidelines:
These are some common sense guidelines for submissions –
We will definitely not publish anything that:
Notes on Content Guidelines (Legal Notes)
1.2 Authors can write on this broad subject of course as a means of addressing trauma etc, but anything that is written in obvious bad taste or includes multiple descriptions of child abuse in a way that is graphic or that constitutes child porn will be instantly dismissed and we will put you on a block list forever and if necessary we will contact the police with the authors email and contact details if there is sufficient cause for concern. In the unfortunate event that we receive such a manuscript, Alien Rabbit Limited will write the author a clarification email to notify them that it has been flagged as inappropriate and give you 2 days to respond before contacting the police if we think it warrants investigation.
4.1 All that said, it’s probably best to have some tact if you do want to include a public figure in your work and again absolutely no private information should be included beyond a name / information freely and legally available in the public domain.