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NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS! New Anthology, "DARK TALES OF LOST CIVILIZATIONS"

Started by ericjguignard, June 29, 2011, 01:39:55 PM

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ericjguignard

NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS! New Anthology, "DARK TALES OF LOST CIVILIZATIONS"

Title: Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations
Edited by: Eric J. Guignard
Publisher: To Be Announced
Release Date: Spring, 2012
Send submissions and questions to: eric.guignard@gmail.com

I am looking for dark tales of Horror, Speculative Fiction, and to a lesser degree Science Fiction, relating to civilizations that are lost, or have been forgotten, or have been rediscovered, or perhaps merely spoken about in great and fearful whispers.

Arguably, the most famous lost civilization is Atlantis. Why did Atlantis sink? Was it under attack by shadowy creatures of the underworld or victim to spiteful Gods of mythology? Where is Atlantis today? Are there still undead denizens moving amongst the wrecked buildings in their gold togas, just waiting for a scuba diver to happen by? What is the real reason for the MOAI statues standing on Easter Island? Is it a landing strip for invading aliens, or perhaps each statue is really a living creature simply in slumber? The mysteries of ancient Egypt hold many tales of buried treasure guarded by mummies and spirits amongst the monuments and pyramids, still hiding in that bleak desert. Some of the most fanciful stories I have ever read involved stalwart English professors in the 1930's engaging in scientific archaeological excavations, that unearthed horrible curses rather than the prizes they sought.

Think of the great splendors and mysteries that have existed over many eras on our planet and even beyond! How many societies considered themselves to be the most advanced, yet now are barely remembered through legendary lore? How many of those societies are waiting to be rediscovered, hidden under jungle vines or even under the asphalt streets we walk upon?

This fiction anthology is craving to be filled with strange tales of discovery and explanation! I am very open as to the style and content. I prefer stories which relate to real historic places or that relate to common mythological societies (meaning Greek and Indian mythology, NOT "fantasy" as in societies of elves and ogres). However, I am also very open to you creating a lost civilization either on this world or another. The focus should be that the civilization is currently in ruins and what is occurring there now, along with back story of why that civilization crumbled in the first place. You may write about one person's experience among the ruins that they have discovered or the narrative of a diary found composed during their final disaster or the omniscient voice of a dying population. I open my hands wide to you, dear author!

Interested to participate? I would love to read your submission! Please just read and consider the following guidelines.

Submission Guidelines:

Word Count for each story is to be approximately 2,000 words to 7,000 words. I am not strict however. Less than this or more than this is perfectly fine, within reason (no flash and no novellas). Total word count for this book will be in the range of 88,000 words and I estimate to include about 22 short stories (assuming an average of 4,000 words per story).

Original works only (meaning unpublished; AKA "No reprints").

Payment is 1 cent per word and 1 contributor copy, payable upon publication.

Please no simultaneous submissions (meaning that you submit to me and another source at the same time), but if you do let me know right away.

No multiple submissions (meaning no more than one submission to me at a time). If I reject a story and there is still time during open call, you may submit a new tale.

Submissions are open until midnight, OCTOBER 31, 2011. This date may be extended, depending upon the quality and quantity of submissions. I also may slate stories for a second volume, being "Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations II", but I will let you know more about that (if applicable) as the closing date arrives.

This book will be available as trade paperback (available on-line and at a few independent physical store locations) as well as available in digital format (.pdf version).

I ask for first print and electronic rights to your story and exclusive rights for one (1) year after publication date, after which you are free to re-sell it.

This anthology is intended for a mature audience (i.e. "R" rating). Profanity and sexually-related material is acceptable, provided it is not excessive. What is not acceptable is anything relating to torture or sexual abuse of children or graphic sex or "erotica".

Send submissions as an attachment only; do not embed in the body of an e-mail. I should be capable of opening any attachments that you send, being .doc (preferred) or .rtf or .docx or other. You know who you are if you use a "special" word processing program - ask me in advance if you think I may have an issue opening something.

Include your real name (and byline, if using one), address, phone, email, story title, and word count on the title page of the submission.

Also include a short biography (about one to two paragraphs), written in third person P.O.V., which will be printed in the anthology if your story is selected for publication.

Format your masterpiece as it will be read, meaning use italics, bold, and underline when appropriate.
Use double space between lines.
1" margins all around.
No headers or page numbers.
Any font is fine; standard is generally Times New Roman or Courier or Verdana or Arial.

Questions about how to format a submission properly? Here are a couple of links that will enrich your career as an author:
http://www.fitz42.net/writer/resources.htm
http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html

Response Time:

I will confirm receipt of all stories within one week. I will try to read each story within 60 days and provide either a rejection or a short list nomination. I also may ask for a revision (rare and does not constitute a future acceptance). I will announce all acceptances within 30 days after close of submissions (thus November 30, IF October 31 remains the deadline). I also may accept stories at any time during the submission period if such story astounds me with its sheer brilliance! Note however, that I will compile most stories into the short list until all submissions have been received.

Please do not doubt your own writing genius if I should reject your story. I am putting this project together myself, so that means I am one sole opinion. What I don't find as a perfect fit for the theme of this anthology may go on to be the world's next most beloved piece of literature! Everyone has their own style of vernacular and their own potential fan base, as diverse as the colors of the cosmos (colors as an analogy of writing to be expounded upon later).

Here are a couple of websites detailing famous rejections:
http://www.writersservices.com/mag/m_rejection.htm
http://www.examiner.com/book-in-national/30-famous-authors-whose-works-were-rejected-repeatedly-and-sometimes-rudely-by-publishers

Ready to submit?

Please send submissions and questions via e-mail to: eric.guignard@gmail.com

Good luck!


P.S. - Additional Inspirations & Ideas:

Here are some additional general thoughts to spur the creative forces ready to be unleashed from your head. Whatever you decide upon, please remember that I am looking for stories written in the style of Stephen King, NOT J.R.R. Tolkien.

Aztec and Mayan fortresses hidden under wet jungle foliage (such as the movie "The Ruins").
Palaces found carved in the sheer cliffs of mountains.
Mystical towns drowned inexplicably by flood.
Immense cities discovered undisturbed in the deserts of the Middle East (such as Clive Barker's "Jericho").
Monuments explored in the arctic (such as H.P. Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness").
Sinking castles of wraiths in Celtic legend.
The effect of Plate Tectonics on cities; volcanoes, earthquakes, shifting land masses.
Cook Islands where ancestors of Captain Bligh's men founded their own society amongst the natives.
Ghost towns in American old west genre and Indian tribes.
King Solomon's mines and voodoo in Africa (such as Allan Quatermain series, penned by H. Rider Haggard and many others).
Remnants of statues or treasure found in icebergs or the desert or your cellar.
Zombies or vampires that haunt the temples in Pompeii or forts in Assyria.
An Interplanetary explorer that finds lost civilizations on a far reaching planet.
Species that live or lived underground, in the cavernous bowels of the center of the world.
A plane crash survivor that stumbles upon a warrior tribe hunting in the Amazon.
Tomes and manuscripts found in a book dealer's shop that provide clues or maps to vast riches.
The oasis mirage in the Sahara that is really a ghost for what once existed.
Forgotten tales of men and curses in mighty Athens or haughty Jerusalem or wild Sri Lanka.
Was Stonehenge built as protective runes against marauding demons?
What happens to those lost in the Bermuda Triangle?
What is the origin of the mystical healing practices at Anuradhapura?
Where lies the famed city of El Dorado, sought by Spanish conquistadors?
What happened to the Colony at Roanoke?


In addition, you may find inspiration even in the news we read today! Just remember, this is a FICTION anthology. I am not interested in your factual research conducted in world history class (although I am sure it is fascinating).

"Lost" Civilizations are even still thriving! Just recently, a new tribe has been discovered in Brazil that has never had contact with modern society.
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/americas/2011/06/23/photos-new-isolated-amazon-tribe
(The news story also reminds me of M. Night Shyamalan's movie "The Village".)

Remnants of an ancient civilization buried underwater off of the coast of Cuba have recently been excavated: http://www.stonepages.com/news/archives/004339.html

Deforestation along the Amazon unveils a lost civilization! http://news.discovery.com/earth/deforestation-unveils-lost-amazon-civilization.html

Here is a list of 10 of the greatest mysteries of Lost Civilizations:
http://wup-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=18029

Here is a virtual encyclopedia of Lost Civilizations:
http://www.crystalinks.com/ancient.html (Left Hand Column lists links and numerous sub-links)

Have fun!

ericjguignard

Sorry - right after I posted this I saw that I was to list the closing date in the title! I wrote it in the message, so to reiterate, it is midnight, October 31, 2011.

Also, updates for this anthology may also be found at my blog http://ericjguignard.blogspot.com/

ericjguignard


desertwomble

Quote from: ericjguignard on June 29, 2011, 01:39:55 PM
Publisher: To Be Announced

I'm wondering how submissions can be asked for when there's not yet a publisher.

DW :cheesy:
http://chaucers-uncle.weebly.com/

www.paulfreeman.weebly.com
 
Read my most recent winning Global Short Story Competition entry:
http://www.inscribemedia.co.uk/assets/october-ebook.pdf

LashSlash

Quote from: desertwomble on June 29, 2011, 02:06:23 PM
Quote from: ericjguignard on June 29, 2011, 01:39:55 PM
Publisher: To Be Announced

I'm wondering how submissions can be asked for when there's not yet a publisher.

DW :cheesy:
...... one of lulu's cousins, maybe?

ericjguignard

That's a question that has been brought up a few times. I have a several small publishers that I am communicating with in regards to their requirements and what they offer for distribution. In most probability, I will not be able to confirm a publisher for awhile yet. If you know of a good publisher to recommend that may be interested in this project, please let me know!

If I do not find a publisher to partner with, I can just run this anthology through createspace and POD the book as a paperback source, which is becoming increasingly more common and reputable these days. In that case, I will also create the book as an e-book (Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, of which I have accounts at each).

This book will be published, either by an independent press or by myself!  :afro:

elay2433

Cool!  :afro: Thanks for posting, Eric. I'll definitely see if I can come up with something for this one.

Jerry

Ed

First off -- welcome to the forum, and thanks for giving us a heads-up on this :afro:

For the most part, it sounds good, Eric. It's a shame you don't have a home worked out for the anthology yet -- that is something that dents confidence, as you've seen.

It might well be worth you hooking up with the Twisted Library. Doc Pus puts out loads of anthologies: http://libraryofthelivingdead.lefora.com/ even if he doesn't pick it up, he may know of someplace that will.

BTW, are you planning to include any of your own stories in this anthology, Eric?
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]

ericjguignard

Thanks for the welcome Ed! Yes, I wish the publisher thing could be worked out in advance as well. However those I have spoken with really want to see a finished project before they will confirm. That may help me in the long run, as I plan to astound them with the sheer awesomeness of this collection  :cool: and so may be able to get in with a publisher that has greater distribution channels! On the other hand, I would never want to overpromise anything, so all I can say is that either I will find a partner to print this through or I will print this myself.

I am also a member on Library of the Living Dead and did make an inquiry with the good Doctor. He mentioned that he was pretty overwhelmed at the moment with current anthology undertakings and could not bring anything new on board.

I am not sure if I will include a story by myself. Originally, absolutely yes I was, as I am so in love with this project undertaking. However, now as I review more professional anthologies, I notice that editors do not include their own work, but only showcase the work of others. I wouldn't want to miss out on an opportunity to place my own tale in between those of peers that I admire, however I also don't want to make a "faux pas" as if this was a vanity project. What do you think?

elay2433

QuoteI wouldn't want to miss out on an opportunity to place my own tale in between those of peers that I admire, however I also don't want to make a "faux pas" as if this was a vanity project. What do you think?

I think it takes away a little credibility when the editor places their own story. Even if it turns out to be a kickass story, it just doesn't look well. I remember being pretty excited about an acceptance even though it only paid a contributor copy. Then, when the TOC was announced and I saw that the editors own story was included, it took a little of that excitement and sense of accomplishment away. Afterall, who's the gatekeeper for the editor? I suppose there are situations where it might be appropriate or even beneficial to the antho, but when you're only beginning to make a name, I'd say best to watch from the sidelines.

ozmosis7

This is definitely one that I have been watching for sure. I am wondering if you are backing the project monetarily? Or looking for a press to do such? I had originally thought this was a LotLD project, but now I see I am wrong. The cover looks amazing, and I dig the concept for sure. I'd also agree that including a story might bring skepticism. I know some bigger names have done that, in part to bring sales...or perhaps they might write the intro or something like that. I'll keep watching this though, and thinking of an idea.
Author of Dark Fiction - http://kennethwcain.com

Ed

I'm with Elay on the subject of editors including their own stories. I certainly understand the temptation to do it, but I think it devalues the project as a whole, and I think it tends to reflect badly on the editors that do it, unless they happen to be famous in their own right, ie a well known author people would buy the antho to read.

There are the occasion exceptions, but they are few and far between, and usually FTLO projects.

Good luck with it, whatever you decide to do. I see from your website that you invite critique on your work, so you might find our crit group useful. We have a new session beginning tomorrow. If you're interested in joining in, let me know and I'll let you in. We have had/have magazine and anthology editors in the group, so you'll be in good company :afro:
Planning is an unnatural process - it is much more fun to do something.  The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression. [Sir John Harvey-Jones]

ericjguignard

Hey Elay, Oz, and Ed - thank you all for your advice. I was hoping you would cheer me on to include my own story, but I feel that you are all right in your shared opinion. I suppose that I can fill my author urges by writing the intro to the book and perhaps mini-intros to each story itself.

Maybe one day after the project is done, I will release a "Collector's Edition" with the special addition of a "Selection written by the editor himself"!  ;)

@Oz - Yes, I am personally backing the project monetarily. I have a budget that I have established to cover all author's payments as well as printing costs if I self-print. Self-printing is not my first choice and as I have mentioned earlier, I am working diligently to find an appropriate publisher to partner with.

@Ed - Thank you for the invite! I have started providing critiques for the submissions that I do not accept and realize how rusty I am at it. I don't think I have the time to join and fully participate in your group at the moment but I would like to at a later date.

Cheers,

ericjguignard

It has only been one week since I announced open call for this anthology and already I have received some fantastic submissions!

The statistics are as follows: As of yesterday, June 29 (one week since open call began), I have received twelve submissions. I have responded to each of those first twelve as of this afternoon. I accepted one, short-listed four and declined seven. NOTE that most stories will be short-listed first and final acceptances offered after open call is closed. I did accept one story right away because I loved it and it gave me a warm & fuzzy feeling to know that the Table of Contents for this collection had started. ;)

I have received a few more submissions today, although I have not categorized or reviewed those yet. I should be able to do so within the week.

Of the initial 12, four were submitted from countries outside of the United States.
Of the initial 12, not one covered the same society or civilization as the others.
Of the initial 12, seven stories were set in ancient past, three stores were set in present time, and three stories were set in the future.
Of the initial 12, seven stories dealt with "real" or well known "mythological" civilizations, while five stories dealt with fictional or "invented" civilizations; although a few of those stories blended between the two spectrums.

Anyways, just wanted to provide a feel for what I am receiving. Every story was a pleasure to read, whether I felt that it fit the overall character of the book or not. I am astounded at the breath of ideas relating to the theme of this anthology! I look forward to reading many more extraordinary tales over the next four months.

Best of regards,

Eric

elay2433

QuoteI suppose that I can fill my author urges by writing the intro to the book and perhaps mini-intros to each story itself.


Now that sounds like a good idea.  :afro: And thanks for posting the stats. This should turn out a good one.