Call for submissions:
42-Word Stories Anthology
An anthology of 42 categories of 42 selected works of 42-word microfiction stories,
and 42 art pieces, one per chapter.
That's potentially 1,764 authors in one book.
That's potentially 1,764 authors in one book.
All
submissions must contain a beginning, middle, and end. AFTER SUBMITTING, CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDERS FOR EMAILS FROM THE EDITOR.
Deadline:
Until filled.
Release
date: TBA
Word
count: 42 words exactly, which does not include the title: roughly 42 characters including spaces and punctuation. DO
NOT make the title 42 words.
Every category (chapter) will have a Story of Excellence Award selected by a guest judge.
Winners receive:
1) Either $0.42 payment or the option to donate the money to a pot that will go to United Through Reading.
2) Their story read (by themselves or a friend) on YouTube with all 42 selected Story of Excellence Award winners.
3) An award certificate signed by the compiler of the 42 Stories Anthology.
4) A blog, email, and media spot with other winners that will be read by about 5,000 subscribers.
5) Writing the introduction to the chapter their story won the award in and their name on the first page of that category as the Story of Excellence Award winner.
6) Possibly more.
Submission guidelines:
Email
subject: 42SUB_Category_AUTHOR INITIALS
Example:
42SUB_SF_DNA
Don't email asking "is it sub, SUB, or subs or SUBS?" We aren't that nitpicky.
Specifics of your story that goes into the body of the email:
YOUR TITLE HERE (ROUGHLY "between 40 and 44" 42 Characters INCLUDING spaces)
by YOUR WRITER NAME HERE
Your story here
42-word third person bio here
Example of your email:
Dear BAM,
Dear BAM,
The name's Person Name Writer, email: person@name.com. Below is my Science Fiction, “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in 42-Words" and bio. One or two more sentences optional.
No
attachments
NO
ENTRY FEE
See the example at the bottom to help you
Do not send more than one story with the same name. The goal is to publish 1,764 different writers. The more writers in the book, the more people who will talk about the anthology, so before sending multiple submissions, ask yourself if it's necessary. Instead, consider asking other writers to send their stories. If you have to send more than one piece for consideration, use a pen name for each piece.
See the example at the bottom to help you
Do not send more than one story with the same name. The goal is to publish 1,764 different writers. The more writers in the book, the more people who will talk about the anthology, so before sending multiple submissions, ask yourself if it's necessary. Instead, consider asking other writers to send their stories. If you have to send more than one piece for consideration, use a pen name for each piece.
In addition to your nom de plume, you can use the same bio. However, if you try and sneak your real name into the bio of a multiple sub, your story will be rejected. Your stories will all be rejected if you do not follow this guideline.
Last point: all submissions are considered separately, so do not send multi-subs together in one email.
No plagiarism
Payment: Aside from name recognition, ONLY winners of the Story of Excellence in their genre will receive the award and $.42 which can optionally go into a charity pot. At this time, the project cannot afford to pay everyone.
Most of the money earned from book sales will pay for anthology expenses such as editing, art, beta reads, and advertising.
The anthology will be posted on Amazon.com and other platforms.
The anthology will be posted on Amazon.com and other platforms.
Rule:
Check your work. It’s easy to have a grammar-loving friend read the piece as a
second pair of eyes. VERY IMPORTANT: Format: Make sure your subject line was written properly.
Response
time: About six months from the submission date, maybe longer.
RIGHTS
and FACTS:
By submitting your work, you agree and confirm that we can publish your piece in the anthology. However, you will have 30 days after acceptance to withdraw your story if you change your mind about having it in the anthology. More...
You grant the 42 Stories Anthology and staff first serial rights to your original work submitted. Rights revert back to you the author one year after publication. If your work is that of plagiarism, you agree to take full responsibility legally and otherwise for work you have claimed is originally yours.
Moreover, by submitting a story, you agree that we can reformat and make punctuation changes without your prior consent. If the story is formatted a specific way that you prefer, let us know in your cover letter. However, we will contact you if we want to change any of the words.
Send:
Nothing
that's been published anywhere.
No Erotica.
No Animal Abuse.
VERY IMPORTANT: Format the subject line correctly.
No simultaneous submissions.
No simultaneous submissions.
Send us your best work.
42
categories:
VERY IMPORTANT: Format the subject line correctly.
VERY IMPORTANT: Format the subject line correctly.
Note: Categories with few submissions are subject to alterations.
1. Alternate Reality
(Alternative History)
(Alternative History)
filled
2. Apocalyptic
filled
3. Clown
4. Craft of Writing
Craft of Writing details: If you have won any prestigious awards in writing, or are a publisher, agent, or editor and do not have stories in the anthology already, you can send the following for our consideration with the subject line: Craft of Writing and sendExactly 42 words describing the craft of writing in respect to inspiring writers.Your 42-word 3rd person bioPersons in this chapter will receive $42 and act as guest judges for the Best Of piece for one of the other 41 categories, which is approximately 25 pages double spaced of reading. (38 craft of writing entries needed). Specifics and Q & A here: https://bamwrites.blogspot.com/2021/08/42-stories-anthology-craft-of-writing.html
5. Crime
filled
6. Culture
filled
7. Dystopia/Utopia
…share your Black Mirror
story in 42 words
8. Escape
filled
9. Fairy Tale
filled
10. Fantasy
filled
11. Fight
filled
12. Gothic or Macabre & Morbid
filled
13. Hitchhiker's Guide to History or HGH
…based
on non-fic is okay
14. Horror
filled
15. Humor
filled
16. Impairment
filled
17. Indigenous
...Sherman
Alexie' dynamic writing
style
inspired this chapter. Any story about any aboriginal culture is welcomed.
18. Monster
filled
19. Mystery
20. Mythopoeia
…myth
21. Noir
22. Oddball
filled
23. Outer space
filled
24. Paranormal
filled
25. Parents
filled
26. Poetic Prose
filled
27. Romance
filled
28. Satire
29. Science Fiction
filled
30. Siblings
filled
31. Sports
...non-fiction based is okay
32. Steampunk
...example:
Fullmetal Alchemist
33. Sword &
Sorcery
...sword
story without the sorcery is okay and vice versa
34. Thriller / Suspense
35. Tragedy
filled
36. Trapped
filled
37. Travel story
filled
38. Vampire
filled
39. War
filled
40. Werewolf
41. Western
...write about a gunslinger, bank robber, a cowboy
that hates guns;
take a shot
42. Zombie
Thanks to The Walking Dead, the word
"horde," or "herd" is overly used and dead.
You might want to avoid it in your story.
Example submission:
Email subject line: 42Subs_CLOWN_EAJ
Hello. My email is eaj@eaj.com. This story would fit into your clown or monster categories. Thank you.
MY FIRST AND LAST ENCOUNTER WITH A MONSTER
by Eval Allan Jaeger
I was seven years old when the clown attacked.
Right in my face, zany. Scary white hands.
Aggressive smile. “Hi, little boy," he exclaimed. "Do you like balloo—ugh.”
Bozo never saw my fist coming.
Blood slid down from his squeaky red nose.
Bio
Eval Allan Jaeger was a blogger who went by Devilsthrill back in the Myspace days. He had the number one read blog then vanished from the Internet until the Project 42 Stories Anthology launched. He looks like Don Quixote and is fictitious.
All entries will be automatically subscribed to BAM Writes' email updates. It's easy to unsubscribe. But this will keep you informed of the project's
progress.
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