Update #5 06/01 some more advice with a month left to go
Update #4 5/18 new blog post with acceptances and advice
Update #3 4/28 - Still lots of open space. Only 2,000 words of accepted work so far. Have had some strong submissions that just weren't a good fit and others that weren't so strong.
One thing I'm not looking for is the cannibal twist-ending. That's where a character is revealed to be a cannibal at the very end. This might work for some anthologies, but when the theme is 'cannibals' then no one will be surprised.
Update #2 4/24 - Some have been querying about reprints. Just go ahead an send them in with a note about where it was published.
Update 4/24 - Minimum word count 2,500 - Deadline 6/30/14
This will be a very small project. Many of the stories will be solicited from friends of mine, both IRL and online. That doesn't mean they aren't accomplished authors. So, there aren't many open spots.
This idea was born as a reaction to an editor's complaint about the volume of cannibal submissions he received through Apex's slush pile. With large markets, themes and tropes tend to come in waves. Apparently that wave includes cannibals right now. So some of his friends, and mine, started joking about starting a cannibal-themed anthology. Well, here we are.
What are we looking for? Cannibals, obviously. But we aren't looking for the same tired stories that feature inbred hillbillies capturing college spring-breakers and serving them up for lunch. You see it in film even more than fiction; The Hills Have Eyes, Dying Breed, Wrong Turn etc... Give us something fresh. Sexy cannibals. Philosophic cannibals. Lawyer cannibals. Quiltbag cannibals. Cannibal angels. Cannibal steampunk. Alt. History with cannibals. A cannibal family drama.
What we are not looking for. Rapey cannibals. Hillbilly cannibals. Racist cannibals. Tribal cannibals. There's always exceptions to the rules, but if you use any of these things it better be a damned good story.
Poetry - Query, you never know.
Word Limit: 2,500 - 15,000 - Query first if outside this range.
Format: Standard Manuscript Format http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html
Response Time: 2 weeks or less, depending on volume.
Pay: Even split of net profits between Editor, Authors, and Illustrator. Paid quarterly. Fewer authors = more money. So I'll be favoring longer stories, though won't rule out shorter ones depending on the quality and other factors.
Publisher: Self published in Kindle Format and possibly Createspace depending on interest.
Please send submissions to HardBoiledDimension@Gmail.com using "Submission" in the subject line. Use this address for queries as well.
Deadline: 6/30/14 - If you can't make the deadline, but have a work-in-progress, just send me an email and let me know. This page will stay updated. If it's not, feel free to query.
Editor: Dusty Wallace @CosmicDustMite
