SHORT STORY CONTEST: CLASSICS REDUX STEAMPUNK STYLE

by | Nov 16, 2012 | Submission Guidelines |

Annnouncing Short Story Contest for Spring Anthology: Steampunk

From December 15, 2012, through January 15, 2013, Xchyler Publishing will be accepting submissions for our SPRING STEAMPUNK ANTHOLOGY. The theme: Classics Redux, Expanded Steampunk Style.

What does that mean exactly? Simply this: do you have a favorite classic that hints at or sketches a collateral or back story otherwise untold? Tell it! in steampunk. Consider:

  • What exactly happened between Col. Brandon and his cast-off cousin (Sense and Sensibility)?
  • What did Pip’s escaped convict/benefactor do in Australia to get so rich (Great Expectations)?
  • How did Jean Valjean first end up in prison (Les Miserables)?
  • Did Angel and Tess’s younger sister get together (Tess of the D’Urbervilles)?
  • How did the young boy Heathcliff end up abandoned on the streets of Liverpool (Wuthering Heights)?
  • What ever happened to the Artful Dodger (Oliver Twist)?
  • What happened to Ishmael after he returned to Nantucket (Moby Dick)?
  • What misadventure did Tom and Huck find next (Huckleberry Finn)?

 

That classics are chock full of untold stories. Choose a book by Charles Dickens or Alexandre Dumas and you’ll find a great story to expand. Consider Thomas Hardy, James Fenimore Cooper, Sir Walter Scott, the Brontë sisters, Leonard Tolstoy, Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain; what about Mary Shelley or Edgar Allen Poe?

This is a great opportunity to learn what editors think of your work, and possibly get published. So, sharpen up those pencils! Crack those knuckles and buff that keyboard. Find an untold tale in your favorite classic. Tell the story in a steampunk world while staying true to the thematic elements and characterizations of the work. Then, send it to submissions@xchylerpublishing.com with the words STEAMPUNK ANTHOLOGY in the subject line.

And, if you’re not ready to take on Steampunk, watch for announcements for our summer (suspense/thriller), fall (paranormal), and winter (fantasy) anthologies scheduled for publication in 2013.

REQUIREMENTS:

  1. Plot must be an exploration of classic literature, extended in a steampunk fashion.
  2. Chosen classic must be in public domain.
  3. Word count no less than 7,500 and no more than 15,000 words
  4. Submission window:  December 15, 2012 through January 15, 2013. Stories submited outside this window will not be considered. XP will announce winners on January 31, 2013.
  5. Manuscripts must follow the submission guidelines for full manuscripts, as found on our submissions page, with the following exceptions:
    1. Submitting the entire work, rather than a segment.
    2. DO NOT include your name in your actual .doc/.docx manuscript to ensure the annonymous nature of the contest.

 

We will judge entries on quality of writing, originality, creativity, steampunk vision, reflection of thematic elements and character development from original classic, and compliance with submission requirements. Winners will be chosen based on writing scores, length, and compatibility with other selections in the final project. Writers must be willing to work with editorial staff to revise their work to meet XP standards.

Winners will receive royalties for their work. All entries will receive free copies of their scores and a writing assessment by an XP editor.